Ultimate Guide: Planning the Perfect Rêve Event

I mentioned in the first blog that Rêve is the french word for dream, but it is also the perfect acronym for planning any event of any size. Let’s create dream moments together while using Rêve as your guide!

Research

Expectation

Vision

Execute

Research

During your initial research, you will want to gather as much information about the event that you can. I have provided sample questions to use as a guide to build the framework for your event.

What is the event? It is very important to determine the event before moving forward with any step.

• Are you planning a dinner party, shower, girls night, date night, wedding, or birthday?

When will the event occur?

• Is there a specific month or even day that has significance?

• Will the event take place in the morning, afternoon or evening?

Where will the event be held?

• Will the event be inside or outside?

• Will your event be at a home, backyard, garden, or rented space?

Who will be attending the event?

• Confirming your guest list is extremely important in your research phase of planning as it will affect many things like budget and location.

What is the budget for the event?

• Creating a spreadsheet or a way to track your expenses is an extremely important step. I typically use an Excel sheet or template found on Canva.

Things to keep in mind

• Weather- if your event will be outdoors, you will want to know the area and the climate to be able to host an outdoor event.

• Cost - venues tend to have higher rental fees in the summer and on the weekends.

• Time - timing is important and can be tricky to find the best time for all attendees. Knowing your attendee demographic is helpful in knowing if a morning or evening event is more suitable.

TIP #1 - For certain events, you can reduce the cost of the event if you invite your guests to bring a side dish or beverage. For example, if you are hosting a pizza making dinner party, you can ask your guests to bring either an appetizer or salad.

Photos from a pasta making date night with my husband, sister and brother-in-law

When you have completed the exercise of answering the questions above, you will want to determine the expectation for the event.

Expectation

Setting expectations for everyone involved in the planning process is very important and should not be overlooked. Try the exercise below to understand and set your expectation for the event.

Why are you planning this event?

• Is the event for you or is the event for a family member?

• Who and what are you celebrating?

• What is the frequency of this event?

• Is the event a one-off event or will the event be weekly, monthly or quarterly?

What are your non-negotiables for the event?

It’s important to walk through an exercise with two columns. One marked "Must Have" and one marked "Can Live Without". For example, if you are planning a dinner party and you are set on a specific venue, ensure that it is the first thing that is confirmed and everyone involved in the planning process is aware of this non-negotiable item. I would argue this is most important step in planning any event. Setting the expectation for you and your guests can make or break your feeling towards the outcome of the event.

TIP #2 - Set your expectation for creating a memorable event and do everything you can that you can control. Remember that your guests will not know every single detail that you put into the event and that it is okay if things do not go as planned. This is why it’s a crucial step to determine what is most important to you or the host and everything else will be what it will be. (Breathe)

When you have completed your initial research phase and have set your expectations for the event, you will want to determine the vision for the event.

Vision

Mood boards are a fun way to see your vision come to life. Pinterest, Shuffles, Canva and Goodnotes are great resources to create elaborate mood boards. There are many templates that you can use to help you confirm the color scheme, theme, and how everything will come together.

Example of Mood boards designed on Goodnotes- Photos sourced from Pinterest

Visualization is also an important tool. Take 5-10 minutes and really think about your event from the moment your guests arrive.

Sight - What do you see?

• What does the venue and decor look like?

• Are there certain colors or flowers or themes that you see?

Smell - What do you smell?

• Do you smell the beach, BBQ, or the inside of your home?

Sound - What do you hear?

• Is there live music playing, playlists, waves crashing, birds chirping, guests voices?

Taste

• Do you taste certain foods that are at your event? Are they sweet, are they savory?

TIP #3 - Make time to set up a mock tablescape before the event. The last thing that you want to do is not have enough time for the details that you envisioned. For example, if you are planning a dinner party, set the table the night before so that you can get an idea of how it will all come together.

Tablescapes that were set up the night before family and friends arrived

When you have completed your research, set your expectations, and have envisioned your event, you are ready to execute!

Execute

After you complete the initial planning phase with your research, expectations, and vision, you are ready to start executing your event. In this step, you will start reaching out to vendors and sending out RFP’s (Request for Proposals) to gauge who will be the best vendors for your event.

Your venue and date will be the most important things to lock in. Determine your venue before reaching out to additional vendors as most venues will have a list of preferred vendors and may not allow outside vendors like catering.

Depending on the event, your planning and execution phase will vary. I have provided the recommended length of planning below. (This is dependent on many factors including location and date)

• Wedding Timeline: 12 -18 Months

• Baby shower/Bridal shower Timeline: 3- 4 Months (Baby shower should be at least six to 8 weeks before the due date)

• Birthday, Dinner Parties Timeline: 1- 3 Months

Stay tuned for future blog posts that will provide the full planning process for the events listed above.

I hope you enjoyed this blog, and are ready to use Rêve as your guide in your next hosted event. Now is your time to create your dream event!

What's coming next?

“We Can Bearly Wait!” Baby Shower!

How to plan a baby shower! I will share how I planned my sister’s baby shower in my parents' backyard with 40 guests.