by Kim Hilsenbeck
Most people remember a party for one reason: it was fun. Few people walk away from a special event remembering the food or the color of the tablecloths. They recall the entertainment, the dancing and the sheer joy of the event.
At least, if the party is done well that’s what they remember.
Several local Hays County event planners know first-hand about planning memorable events. Johnell Huebner and Cheryl Bailey are what you might call old pros.
Huebner owns Clearly Classy Events. Bailey and her husband, Shea, own Yellow Umbrella Special Events. Both women have years of experience in event planning. Bailey was also a caterer for several years before shifting to the planning side. The women work on private and corporate events, life celebrations, weddings and everything in between.
The Hill Country Echo spoke with both of these event planners last month to get their insight on throwing the perfect party.
How do they help their clients — who often pay up to 15 percent of their overall budget for planning services —create a special event that goes down in the record books?
Simple: think about your guests.
Bailey believes if the party host considers how things will work for those in attendance, most everything else will probably work out fine.
“You want to create an enjoyable experience for guests,” she said. “Take the time to think about the logistics and flow of the event.”
Huebner agreed.
“Understand how good a time people will have,” she said. “Don’t force guests to sit in a chair for 45 minutes listening to a speaker. They want to socialize, drink and have fun.”
Weeks, months or even a year or more before some events, these ladies are getting started on creating someone’s perfect wedding, corporate celebration or anniversary party.
What do they consider first?
Huebner said while each event is unique, the initial conversation is nearly identical. She asks her client to consider the direction they want to go, how many guests and the budget.
“That information sets the guidelines for everything,” she said. “Most people know how much they have to spend. But most people also have no idea what a party is going to cost.”
She said if someone has $6,000 to spend on 250 guests, “I cringe a little.”
Considering a planner? Be realistic about how much things cost and understand that fee is on top of food, the venue, music, flowers, alcohol and photographers. Huebner’s advice is to ask yourself if you can afford that service. But she said do-it-yourselfers should also consider the cost of trying to do everything alone.
Bailey said on average, she spends anywhere from 150 to 170 hours putting together a large event. Some events require upwards of 300 hours of preparation.
Event planners offer a range of services, but in general they offer consultation on the theme, catering, venue and entertainment. They also assist with smaller, but equally important tasks such as negotiating with florists, finding photographers and reviewing contracts.
Both planners concurred that for every event, one of the host’s biggest considerations is logistics: where will the magic event take place? How will it look, feel and flow? What else will be needed to make the dream a reality?
“If they want to get married in a field, we have to think about electricity, tents, potties – what do we need to make it happen?” Huebner said.
Sometimes a client wants to have a large event in their backyard. The most they’ve had over in the past was about 50.
“They don’t have room for 300,” Bailey said.
A lot of event planning is non-glamorous. “It’s a lot of details and work and sweating,” she said.
She is logistics driven and thinks through all the little, but potentially derailing, snags.
“Where will guests pee? What kind of lighting will we need? Where will the caterer work?” Bailey asks clients.
“We talk about the cold hard truth,” she said. “Can we have the event here? Can we make it happen?”
But prior to being hired — or accepting a gig — Bailey said she goes through a consultation with clients.
“Are we a good fit?” she asks.
She posted a question on her website from a potential client: “Who don’t you work well with?” it read.
The first part of her response was humorous.
“Holy hell, that’s an awesome question!”
But the meat and potatoes part of the answer was, in our opinion, brilliant.
“If at the end of the day you can’t roll with the punches, we might not be a good fit,” she said.
Both Huebner and Bailey said ‘Bridezilla’ – a slang term for a bride who is a nightmare of client – exists, but fortunately, those women are few and far between.
“Usually moms, sisters and bridesmaids are the problem,” Huebner said. “Moms are more stressed, especially if they are paying for the event.”
At what moment can Huebner tell if it’s going to be a good party?
As soon as she sees the host.
“[I can tell from] the attitude of the bride and groom or whomever is hosting the special event,” she said. “If they are really happy, I know it’s going to be a good time. Good clients are breezy even if things go wrong. They set the tone for their guests.”
Tip: You have the power to make people mingle
Our natural human instincts are to walk in the door, find a safe place and stay there. But for a good party, that’s just not gonna work. That’s why cocktail hours are so important. There’s nothing worse than an event where you go in and you have to sit straight down to dinner. I want people to come in and get a drink right away. Loosen them up just a little bit. I want them to have something in their hand. I want them to hear music playing in the background. There’s no silence in my parties at all. Food is good to have, especially if it’s being passed around. It lets people talk about the food they’re eating: “Oh, that’s delicious. Oh, that’s disgusting.” Whatever. They’re talking about it. That also gives people the opportunity to move around and mingle. — Johnell Huebner
