A Party Planning Series: Selecting A Venue
My husband and I are planning a party this year for my birthday and I thought it would be a great idea to write a series on the party planning process. I have planned a lot of big parties from communions, birthdays and backyard luaus to name a few. Anyone who has been to one of my parties know I obsess about the details and sometimes have a tendency to go overboard.
This party is what some would call a “big birthday” so the first thing I needed to figure out is where are we going to have it. I tossed around the Bahamas as a destination idea and also Marco Island in Florida but then last summer I was in Montauk (as I am every year) and realized it is a perfect spot. Montauk is one of the best places to vacation in the summer and close enough to home where people can come just for the party if they choose not to stay.
Okay so now I have the destination, next up is which venue? I looked at them all from pool side parties to wedding style venues and everything in between. I have to say I finally made a choice and I could not be happier. After a lot of research on what I wanted from this party Gurneys Resorts had it all! The party will be outside under a tent overlooking the water at the Gurney’s Montauk Resorts and Spa location. If you are not familiar, Gurney’s has three locations, two in Montauk and one in Newport Rhode Island. Danielle is the Senior Catering Sales Manager that I am working with and she is amazing! I always think it is important to feel comfortable with the Sales Manager you are booking parties with so I am happy to have found Danielle.
Okay so now that the place is set I need to work on the menu. I decided on a cocktail style party serving passed hors d’oeuvers and a full bar. That type of menu just seemed appropriate for the setting. None of my friends usually eat a lot durning parties anyway. It’s the after party where you can find us indulging on all the things we gave up to fit in our dresses…
Since the place and time is all booked I needed to work on invitations. It important for me to create the invites now as I need to give my guests plenty of time to find weekend accommodations. Stay tuned for my next article on what invites I selected.
Party planning is always a fun time for me. Yes it definitely can be a little stressful I will admit however, it really is a time where I feel creative. When throwing a party one of the most important things you can do is find the right venue and I absolutely am confident that I got this one right!
-XOXO
Carissa
