Party tips: Advice you can use from a pro planner
Courtney Caplan gives you the skinny on throwing weddings, galas, receptions and corporate events.
Courtney Caplan, Austin party planner extraordinaire, urges hosts to keep their cool.
“This is not rocket science,” Caplan counsels. “This is party planning. If something goes wrong, nobody is going to know. Stay calm, because whatever you do will be fine.”
Owner of Caplan Miller Events, she and her staff of five arrange almost 50 parties — corporate shindigs, birthdays, bar or bat mitzvahs, as well as nonprofit events — each year.
Caplan, 37, founded the company in 2006. Sarah Miller, who had worked with her at the Driskill Hotel, joined six months later as an event producer.
Over cool drinks at Seventh Flag coffee shop on South First Street, we free-associated about party do’s and don’ts.
Charity bashes
For nonprofit events, Caplan keeps a long list of tips.
“Teach people how to properly ask for sponsorships,” she says. “Provide information on the organization. Keep it to one page: simple and quick.
Nobody wants to read reams of notes. You need your date in hand and to know exactly what you are asking for. Then cover any out-of-pocket expenses for sponsors, such as labor or delivery.” Centerpieces? “Yes! It finishes off the table,” she says. “It doesn’t have to cost a lot. You can be creative. And invite people to take the centerpieces, as long all the parts of it belong to you. A lot of nonprofits are selling them at the end of the event. I worked one right before Mother’s Day and all the centerpieces sold. It was like: Hey mom!”
Décor? Twenty to 35 percent of your budget should go to it.
“You want a theme that you can actually execute,” she says. “You do not have to fill a ballroom with a sea of round tables, for instance. Use some rectangles.”
Caplan is adamant that a program at charity events should last 30 minutes to an hour.
“The keynote speech should be 12-15 minutes max,” she says with a laugh. “After eight minutes, all the smartphones come out and people are not paying attention. Ask for scripts in advance. Read them. Give your speakers time limits. I don’t care how VIP they are, they have to show you their scripts.”
How to get folks quiet enough to hear the speakers?
“Use flashing lights and loud audio cues,” she says. “Instruct the staff about getting guests into their seats and get somebody to the podium who is really confident and is fine just standing there until everyone is quiet. Close the doors and lower lights.”
Cocktail time should last no more than 45 minutes, after which, open the doors to the banquet room. Factor in how long it takes — at least 15 minutes — to move a crowd.
Increased Austin traffic means no more 6 p.m. start times.
“I don’t think anything in Austin should start before 7 p.m.,” she says firmly. “You can’t get anywhere at 6 p.m., especially not downtown.”
After-parties are fine for the right crowd, yes, “but something is also great about ending a party on a high, wishing for more, rather than letting it drag on and dwindle and dwindle.”
Lunchtime programs should start early and absolutely end on time.
“You have to offer some service during the program,” Caplan says. “Presetting as much as possible on the table is fine, but people need water or coffee or tea during the program. As long as the staff is trained to be quiet.”
Weddings and more
Caplan is convincing on the subject: Wedding receptions should last no more than four hours.
“I feel strongly about timing,” she says. “I want my wedding with people on a full dance floor begging for one more song, rather than five or six hours with people wanting to go.”
Start offering transportation options right after the cutting of the cake.
“You might want to party all night, but not all your guests do,” Caplan says. “Always have a rain plan. Know exactly what it’s going to look like.”
She suggests maybe fewer flowers in exchange for more and better lighting. Tip for band: Know your crowd and pick a band that will get everybody up.
The planner is always there for the event.
“First one there and usually the last one to leave,” Caplan says. “If the hosts are paying attention during the event, they aren’t enjoying it.”
What about cocktail receptions?
“Provide adequate service,” Caplan says. “You don’t want your guests waiting in line. Place the bars in the right spots, so that there’s no bottlenecks. Don’t play the music too loud, because receptions are about conversations.”
If you are on a budget, pass food around on trays, rather than laying out a huge buffet.
“Don’t pass out food right when the party starts,” Caplan says. “Start with offering drinks. Offer drinks on trays — red or white wine, since for so many people, that’s all they want.”
Putting together events for corporations present their own challenges.
“First, understand the goals of the event,” Caplan says. “Are we getting employees together to celebrate and reward them, or are you trying to entertain clients? Tailor to each.”
As always, give people time to interact.
“Parties are the one place people can still talk face to face, instead of through a screen or by text,” she says. “Give opportunities for people to mingle. Don’t just throw a meeting at them at a conference and have them sit there looking at you. During a conference, the most beneficial thing is free time to talk to colleagues.”
Here’s news: Big holiday parties are back. As are company family picnics. What about legitimate concerns over liability for possible overindulgence?
“Give each adult two drink tickets,” she says. “Hand out Uber codes and taxi vouchers. Close the bar right at the end of the party. Ensure a safe ride home.”
Take a cue from nightclubs and brighten the room to end the revelry.
Caplan: “When the lights come up and you see what you look like, you get out of there.”