Luxury is in demand. Clients want bigger, brighter, and better, and they want their guests to leave having experienced something unique and inspiring. Creating dream luxury events takes extra measures of creativity and logistics, but when done well, the results are truly unforgettable.
Create scenes within the event
Many luxury events find inspiration in a variety of sources. Theming might be based on the time of year, a special destination, or even a current hit movie. Instead of forcing every single luxury inspiration element to “get along,” you can create a number of different scenes within a single event.
You might assign each different element of inspiration to a different room if your venue’s design permits. One might be worthy of royalty and dripping with jewels, for example, while another may be an homage to fine wine complete with a tasting bar and interactive sommelier. While there should be a common thread tying the various scenes to the overall event theme, each room can essentially be totally unique!
If multiple rooms aren’t available, you might hang drapery as partitions between the scenes. For an outdoor event, get creative and construct the scenes along a pathway, or divide a large space with lanterns to create individual sections. The décor in each section should be unique with sophisticated elements that tie into the area’s microtheme. Match entertainment and cuisine to each section’s inspiration to round out the experience.
“Don’t miss your first and best opportunity to make your client’s guests say, ‘Wow!’”
A wedding day set up from Cocoon Events Management Group. Learn more about this event when Catersource profiles the company as part of its ACE Inspiration series on July 21 & 28, 2017.
Surprise and delight your guests
One key to making a big impression on your client’s guests is to incorporate moments of surprise and delight. Start at the very beginning with a breathtaking entrance to kick off an unforgettable celebration. Go all out and hire specialty entertainers to break the ice. Fire eaters and troubadours are personal favorites! Don’t miss your first and best opportunity to make your client’s guests say, “Wow!”
Take event entertainment to a new level
Nothing is more memorable than world-class entertainment. Big bands make a big impression and can easily fill dance floors. High profile DJs now work with live entertainers to add dimension and cross-generational appeal to their performances, and nothing adds luxury to an event like celebrity entertainment! Seek out a reputable agency early in the planning process to ensure that you have plenty of options to offer your clients, and are able to meet the performer’s often-extensive special needs.
Entertainment doesn’t have to stop at the stage, however. Live action, interactive food stations are very popular and keep guests amused during periods when energy might traditionally lag. Incorporate them into a cocktail reception or throughout dinner. They are great for creating a dynamic event that keeps guests moving from one dramatic scene to another.
Incorporate specialty lighting
It’s nearly impossible to create a true luxury event without incorporating specialty lighting into your design. Lighting creates atmosphere and enhances every other element, taking events to completely new levels. Display enormous clusters of candles to draw attention to areas where you want guests to focus, or line paths with votives and lanterns to draw them from one scene to the next. Grand candelabras and crystal chandeliers are breathtaking accents in lavish dining rooms or even outdoors, under the stars.
Uplighting and pin-spotting remain the designer’s secrets to dressing up even the most bland of spaces, and also draw guest attention to the most impressive floral pieces, cakes, specialty tables, and other design elements. Digital technology even allows you to change lighting throughout an event to create different moods to accompany shifts in atmosphere and entertainment. Nothing polishes an event like great professional specialty lighting.
The demand for luxury events is an opportunity to let your creativity run wild. If you keep a focus on the guest experience and the various ways you can enhance it through great entertainment and amazing design, you can meet the demand for luxury while creating dream special events.
Fabrice Orlando is the CEO of Cocoon Events Management Group, a luxury event planning company based in Marrakech, Morocco that specializes in high-end weddings and special events worldwide.
