Why my First Event Was a Success | Miami Event Planning & Design

Building a timeline around emotions

The future bride stepped out of her car at 8:00 P.M. for her bridal shower. In her mind, she would be the first to arrive. She probably thought she would drop her purse somewhere, fix her lipstick, and greet her friends as they walked in.

But, surprise, surprise, everyone was already there…

The party invitation said to be there at 8, and that was the hour the bride was told to arrive. However, we created a group text with the guests and told them to get to the venue no later than 7:45 P.M.

The bride was welcomed by a glittery pink carpet simulating a runway, there were balloons, candles, and a group of cheering friends. They were all taking photos and videos with their flashes on. The goal was to give the bride her “movie moment.”

What was the purpose of this? By surprising the bride, the emotions of every attendee were already hyped-up. That was exactly the plan. Besides, this marked a very exact start time for the event: everyone is here, bride just walked in, turn on the playlist, party just started.

First things first, we needed to get these women eating. They did not need to be thinking about food all throughout the activities and surprises of the night. A 40-minute feel-good playlist started to play. That was the time for sushi and some chitchat. During the last song, the guests were called to start gathering in the living room.

This event –like every Events & Stories gathering– was designed around emotions. The ambiance was already happy, now it was time to get emotional.

First activity: words of affirmation. Everyone had to say one thing that they admired about the bride. One by one, they shared a story or a compliment. There was laughter and some tears. The bride managed to make it extra special by complimenting each person as well.

Second activity: games. Three simple games, that was enough. Of course, whoever won got a prize. After the tears, we needed some competition, adrenaline, and a bit of alcohol. This was to prepare the room for the most important surprise of the night…

Third activity: The Signature Memory Film, a ten-minute video featuring the bride’s life. Photos and clips appeared on the screen while nostalgic girly pop songs (ranging from Taylor Swift to Lizzie McGuire) played in the background of the film. There was yelling, there was laughter, there were “awws,” and –again– there were tears.

As soon as the video ended: it was lights out, disco lights in, and party playlist fully ON. Guests left with their hearts full, having had a sweet, fun night.

What made this event a success? The careful planning of the emotions we wanted to awaken. We plan our events as if we were writing and producing a movie. In the end, it is all about the emotions of the audience, taking them by the hand to where we need them to be so that they have the best time. Once the games were on –guests were competing, laughing, taking their shots–, going back to a sweet, calm moment –like the Words of Affirmation activity– would have been an emotional setback. Playing the video as the opening activity would have made it less exciting. And, needless to say, dancing needed to be the last activity. You can’t make people dance and then have them sit down to get corny.

Emotions were planned to go in crescendo, from sweet and calm to party mode. The girls danced and sang their hearts out with the bride because they had already laughed and cried with her. The girls cried with the video because they had already shared their love for the bride, and were exhilarated because of the games and the competition, and –of course– the tequila shots helped a bit.

In conclusion, what made Events and Stories’ first event –and any party– a success:

Having an exact start time, that way there is never a dull moment, and emotions can be guided from the start (surprising someone is a great way to achieve just that)
Planning the timeline around the emotional journey of the guest of honor and the rest of the attendees.
An emotional arc that build in crescendo.
Time to eat at the beginning, without letting it linger too long (a dedicated “eating and conversation” playlist helps a lot).
First activity after eating should be calm, relaxed, guests are probably still eating dessert or maybe are a little full. Let’s have everyone sitting down for that first activity.
Finally, Tears are a great precursor to a fun dance party.