We're currently in that foggy period known as Twixtmas, where you don't know what day it is. But it won't be long before it's New Year's Eve, the ultimate party of the year where you spend time with your loved ones and ring in 2024 together.
Tis the season for a party, and no one knows better about planning a grand event than Bruce Russell. With over 13 years of experience planning parties and events for the rich and famous, Bruce took the time to give HELLO! his top tips for making your parties sparkle.
Party planning, according to Bruce, can be incredibly personal. The party planner spends an average of three to six months with clients, and during this time they place a lot of trust in him to make sure their events are perfect.
"I just need to be able to get them to talk to me and trust me so that I can understand the dynamics of who they are, who they're entertaining, and what's important to them", he explains.
© Oscar WongBruce is often given huge budgets to create elaborate affairs - the maximum he's ever been given was an eye-watering $2.5 million. But according to the party planner, you don't need a huge amount of money to make an event great.
The most essential thing that makes any party a success, according to Bruce, is fortunately something you can't put a price on: it's the people.
"At the end of the day, we're just creating the setting - it has to be the people", he says. "What you want at the end of the day - or evening - is for every guest to have a memorable experience."
Even if you aren't hosting a party to see out 2023, Bruce's tips will make sure any event you host in the next year is totally memorable:
Customize the experience
© MaskotOne of the most enduring trends of party planning in 2023, according to Bruce, is "everybody wants something different".
"I feel that people are trying to take the feeling of entertaining at home but doing it on a larger scale", he observes. "For an event last year where we had bespoke wooden boxes made with people's names engraved on them, and when the guests sat down and opened it, their starter was inside."
But you don't need to engrave wooden boxes in order to make a party perfect. It can be as simple as how you style the table at dinner, making sure everyone gets a slightly different plate or set of cutlery. "As long as there's a cohesiveness to it, it works."
Have some helping hands
© Rafael Elias"Save yourself ease and time by hiring staff", Bruce recommends. This could even be as simple as hiring your neighbor's kids who might want to earn a little extra cash, just to keep your party streamlined.
This could be a caterer if you're doing a large feast, or a mixologist. It could even be someone to collect coats on arrival, or simply help clean and collect plates throughout the event to make sure you aren't left with a massive mess when everyone leaves.
Cater for a feast
© SolStock"Always have more food and drink than you think you're going to be able to consume", Bruce advises. "You just never know what's going to happen - and the worst thing is running out of something."
If you worry that you might waste food by over-catering, it's worth investing in an app like Olio, or Too Good To Go, that can allow people in the neighbourhood to pick up your excess food and get a ready-made meal for the evening.
Know your guests
© Thomas BarwickAn easy trick to make your party a little bit special is simply knowing your guests. Food is a perfect way to connect with people, and it always pays if you know what your guests drink or eat. You could even "curate a menu around the guests", suggests Bruce.
Put yourself in your guests' shoes
© Michael BlannWhether you're hosting from your house or you've booked out a venue, ask yourself: what does it look like? If you're hosting in your home, you might need to remove furniture or get a larger table to sit people around. But when you're designing what your table might look like, Bruce has an easy tip to make sure that wherever your guests sit, everything looks amazing.
"If it's a dinner, sit at every position at the table just to see what your guest is going to see, so that if there's anything you're not happy with, you can change it", he suggests.
"It's important for you to understand what the experience will be."
