Trend Alert: Creating Scenes within an Event
By: Fabrice Orlando, Cocoon Events Management
Event inspiration can come from a number of sources, and sometimes, different angles can be difficult to merge seamlessly. Clients may present us with true challenges – combining his love of baseball with her affinity for ballet may seem impossible, but it’s not if you take the smart approach. Instead of trying to fit a square peg into a round hole, make a scene! Or, create several to reflect the bits and pieces that ultimately make up an entire love story, while offering guests an exciting, interactive experience.
The key to effectively creating and using scenes in an event is the big reveal. Don’t show all of your cards when guests first walk in the door. Use drapery to section off a space, allowing guests to enjoy different tableaux as the night progresses. Make each “room” different than the last. By sharing different themes with them this way, they will feel as if they’ve attended multiple events in one evening!
Assign a different theme to each room for indoor events, or create scenes that progress along a pathway for outdoor celebrations. We once produced an event with a Roman space filled with Italian cars, another area with Baroque chandeliers hanging from trees, a rainforest, and an all-white lounge sparkling with diamonds. We designed a path to guide guests from scene to scene enjoying the details of each unique event-within-an-event. Guests were absolutely wowed at every turn and we successfully brought together our clients’ diverse interests in one cohesive event.
Creating a scene goes beyond just décor. Music, food and drinks can all be themed and layered to add depth and interest to an event. Pair tapas and sangria on Spanish-style plates in a scene devoted to Spain, then take guests on a journey across the world in a matter of steps to a Hawaiian scene complete with Kahlua pig and pina coladas and a flower lei for every guest. Don’t neglect any of the senses – hire specialty musicians to help set the mood with the right tunes and truly transport your couple’s guests to another world.
Get to know your clients to gain some direction that will help you envision the perfect combination of scenes. Find out all of the little things that make them smile – their mutual loves, diverse interests, and shared experiences. Concentrate less on the common thread running through their passions, and more on how you can bring them each to life and effectively guide their guests through a tour of your clients’ unique love story. Blend traditions and flavors and create an unforgettable event.
Once you begin viewing events from the perspective of creating scenes, you may never turn back! It takes observation, inspiration and a fair amount of work, but the awe you will certainly inspire will be worth every bit of it.
