Holiday parties light up the season
By Valerie Sweeten CORRESPONDENT
The holidays are about being together with friends, family, and coworkers to celebrate the meaning of the season, and to relax and be festive. Whether you’re planning a low-key get-together or a more elaborate, spectacular event, here’s a look at some elements to put together for an unforgettable time.
Linda Lighthill Flusberg, president of Successful Events Inc., a corporate event-planning company, said several touches add a “wow” factor.
The first step is choosing a theme. Several of her suggestions include A Gatsby Christmas, a holiday masquerade ball, winter wonderland, and How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
Once you’ve decided on a theme for your event, choose how get your guests involved, if that’s the direction you want to go.
Interaction can range from buffets with themed menus, special cocktails, various action stations, live statues, caricature artists, casino tables, strolling magicians, handwriting analysts, palm and card readers, and “Cirque” performers.
“Guest engagement is the key to creating a memorable and fun-filled experience,” said Flusberg. “Have guests dress the part. Ladies love flapper dresses, and the guys get into gangster garb.”
From the welcoming entrance to the final farewell, remember that your holiday event is all about the experience, said Flusberg.
“Keep it lively and moving with music. Light background music is ideal for the cocktail reception and dinner. You can add (Charles) Dickens carolers, a jazz quartet, a barbershop quartet, a classic harpist, or a string trio. Specialize in holiday tunes to create the atmosphere,” Flusberg said.
Lighting is also important, to set the right festive mood – the visual element is important.
Flusberg recommended lighted bars, intelligent lighting on the dance floor, up-lit walls with color, and special lighting effects on the wall or the dance floor.
“You can create ‘fireworks’ safely inside the ballroom with our new spark machines, which re-create fireworks,” she said.
If this is family-friendly event, that’s no problem. Flusberg suggested a giant snow globe, digital photos with Santa
Claus, meeting Mrs. Claus while writing letters to Santa, seeing a Christmas magic show, and decorating then enjoying Christmas cookies.
“They (youngsters) can play whimsical Christmas carnival games and win prizes from elf helpers. There are photo booths that print on site, and that send photos to your phone to share on social media. Another is meeting Olaf and Elsa from Frozen while playing in real snow,” said Flusberg.
If you are looking to be a step above the normal event, there are party props for that, too.
“Outside the venue entry, we provide real snow,” Flusberg said. “Add a snow slide, and they’ll play for hours.”
When walking in, you can add a flurry of faux snow, or create a snow-cave entry with sparkling snowflakes, light blue uplighting, and Frosty the Snowman.
Hosts can make an impression with a fire and ice holiday bash with a fire dancer, or for a Texas theme, armadillo races can be done, and you can have a portrait artist paint your portrait on a Texas River Rock, she said.