When you decide to host an event, one of the most important decision you have to make it where. We have so many amazing options at our fingertips these days. You can travel to a destination at the beach or in the mountains or stay locally and go to your favorite restaurant. However, the most intimate setting is right in your own home. Hosting an event at home typically saves on the initial cost of renting a space, but it isn't without complications, costs and decisions!
The first major thing to consider is, do I have enough space? Some spaces might feel small due to their layout and what other items are there. In a backyard, furniture, landscaping and pools can create unnatural flow. The good news is that your trees can be trimmed, flower pots can be moved around and furniture can be relocated to create a better design. And while you cannot move your pool, you can cover it.
Once you determine you have the right amount of room, you can start considering overall design. Is there level flooring for a place to eat or do you need to add it? Although not cheap, covering a pool can be a great way to achieve this. The next thing to consider is additional ambience so sound and lighting. You need to be able to see safely and there are several companies that can come in and create overhead lighting design to enhance the set up. In The Mix is one of our favorite lighting companies in the Ventura, CA area. If you plan to host a lot of events, even smaller outdoor dinner parties in the future, it may even be a great investment to put up some more permanent lighting or wire speakers into your outdoor space.
Another important consideration is weather. We always have a weather plan B for our outdoor events. Because it is something we cannot control, we have to be ready for anything. That means umbrellas, tenting and shade on hot days and heaters and tents on cold or rainy days. We start with tracking weather 3o days out and keep in close contact with our clients if we think there is a chance unexpected weather will alter our plans and we need to switch to plan B altogether or make smaller adjustments for our clients to feel more comfortable overall.
While there are many other steps to hosting a successful intimate party at home, the last thing we'll suggest today is that you need to get event insurance. Anytime you have a larger group of people, it is smart to add this to your home owners policy. It's an extra layer of protection for one of your biggest investments.
What's something that concerns you about hosting a wedding or other celebration at home? For some additional tips, you can check out this post we contributed to on Redfin's Blog. Also, we'd love to hear from you. Send us a note and let us help you!
