Place name cards and menu cards can really enhance your table particularly if they are both themed to your event or party. Many busy event organisers simply use standard printed stationery for place settings and menus, especially for formal banquets and balls  and while there is nothing wrong with that at all it is much more fun and indeed much more creative to come up with some original ideas of your own. See below for help with place name cards ideas and menu cards ideas. Read more »

If you are the organiser of any event, you have a legal obligation to ensure you are protected with suitable insurance. This should include public liability up to at least £5,000,000, employers liability up to £5,000,000 and property and cancellation cover. No matter how well you plan for your event to be a huge success, things unfortunately can still go wrong. You may have to postpone the event because of an accident or sudden death of a key figure, disastrous weather conditions, or your venue could even burn to the ground. You could also find yourself liable for damage caused by careless guests. Read more »

Table and seating plans are one of the major planning tasks, epecially for large events, parties or weddings. Putting the right guests at the right tables can at first appear complicated to sort out, especially if you can’t get your guests to confirm quickly whether or not they are attending you event. However  if you break the whole project down into a logical piece by piece exercise it is not nearly so daunting. Follow these simple rules for table and seating planning and you won’t go far wrong. Read more »

Planning any event is always complicated by the numbers game, especially if you decide to hold your party in a marquee or even hire a marquee to create extra dining space. You may find it more than difficult to work out the approx space you need for the number of guests you plan to invite, especially if you need to confirm your marquee before you have a firm up on the numbers. To help do your sums use our easy marquee space calculator to give you a rough idea of your required marquee size. Read more »

There are many reasons to send out party invitations, from a themed birthday bash or an intimate garden party to a huge corporate Christmas affair or a masked ball. Once you have set your budget, chosen your venue and decided on a theme you can then start to think about your invitations.

There are so many party invitation options and styles available these days that you can easily be overwhelmed by too many choices, but a good rule of thumb is to opt for a style that you like and that will appeal overall to everyone on your guest list. Also choose the best quality you can afford since your stationery is going to set the tone of your party - after all cheap, tacky invitations  might just signify a second rate party! Read more »

The single most important quality of the successful party host is to recognise the need to supply absolute comfort and enjoyment to each and every guest whilst at the same time keeping a watchful eye open for drunks, bores and badly behaved children of all ages – not an easy task! For a smooth running party, that maintains its air of conviviality, it helps both hosts and guests if a few basic rules of etiquette are followed. There is no real mystery about etiquette, it is just another word for good manners and consideration but it can be helpful for both party givers and guests to have some firm guidelines . Read more »

Planning a party can be one of the most important occasions in your life so it is vital that every single element runs smoothly. Many people nowadays simply opt for the services of a professional rather than even attempt to run a party or event themselves. If you are still undecided about the advantages of employing a party planner you can use our quick checklist below where you may find several good reasons that indicate you could do with a bit of professional help in planning a party. Read more »