After long months of planning your event and piles of credit card slips, you expect your special day to be perfection. However, whether at a wedding, family reunion, anniversary celebration, or even a corporate event, sometimes the line between respectful event decorum and party fever is very, very thin. Reality begins to creep in when you realize your co-workers have not been seen since last night’s multiple tequila toasts, and once seemingly adorable children start rough-and-tumbling out of the minivans. Take a deep breath, exhale, and smile. And remember, sometimes you just have to laugh…and laugh.
In addition to keeping your sense of humor, here are some tips to keep you from stressing out during your special events:
Before any tear-jerker toasts, set clear time limits. While a half-hour speech about the good ol’ college days could be fun, it could also open the door for disruptive behavior and touchy topics, like the infamous Spring Break soirée you’d rather not have anyone remember.
Careful seating chart planning could keep things calmer, at least for a short while. Be sure to place guests who have a great sense of humor or don’t offend easily near your dear, rough relatives.
Prepare for the worst, but then let it go. You can’t control everything. If sweet Aunt Sissy gets sloshed and tries to pick up the young, cute bartender or Grandpa Duke trips while two-stepping and knocks over the Shrimp & Grits station, just breathe and even laugh if you can. Move on! It’s not the end of the world. Focus on the event at hand and the reason you’re all there together.
If there’s an open bar, there is no doubt going to be an Uncle McDrunken. Assign a “handler” in advance for family or friends you anticipate getting a little lively. When Uncle D starts repeating his stories and chatting up guests, your handler can swoop right in. The easiest way to deal with a drunk is food. Have plenty of it! Feed them! And if they overdo to the point they need to be escorted out, don’t hesitate. They probably won’t remember it in the morning anyway.
Managing kids on can be tricky. If you can, seat the parents with kiddos in close proximity. Don’t stick your gorgeous, single college roommate at the back table with the runny noses. Best scenario is to actually hire a “wrangler”, a responsible teen from your neighborhood or young adult from church. They can take the kids to potty, kiss the inevitable boo boos, and keep teeny fingers out of the chocolate fountain. Have coloring books, bubbles and puzzles at their table to keep the busy and entertained.
Tracy Pillow is the Director of Marketing at Straton Hall Events. Call Straton Hall at 912.275.8294 or visit stratonhall.com.
