event planning Archives

The History of the Garden Party

Posted on February 28, 2023February 28, 2023 by James Mallinder

Garden parties have been a staple of English high society for centuries. From the grandeur of the aristocratic gatherings to the more humble village fêtes, these events have been a way for the English to celebrate and socialize in the beauty of nature.

The history of garden parties in England dates back to the seventeenth century when the French nobility introduced the concept of “fête champêtre” or rural party. The aristocrats of England soon followed suit, hosting their own garden parties, complete with elaborate decorations, musical performances, and copious amounts of food and drink.

The tradition of garden parties gained popularity in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries during the reign of Queen Victoria. Her Majesty, along with Prince Albert, hosted lavish garden parties at Buckingham Palace, inviting members of the aristocracy, politicians, and prominent figures from society.

These events were an opportunity for the royals to connect with their subjects, showcase the beauty of their gardens, and indulge in the pleasures of good food and company. The garden parties were often held in the summer months and were highly anticipated by those lucky enough to receive an invitation.

In the early twentieth century, garden parties became more accessible to the middle class, who were increasingly able to afford homes with gardens. These gatherings became a popular way for families to socialize and enjoy the great outdoors.

Despite changes in society and the world, the tradition of garden parties has remained a beloved aspect of English culture. Whether it’s the grandeur of a royal garden party or the simplicity of a village fête, the English continue to celebrate the beauty of nature, good food, and great company.

In recent years, the concept of the garden party has expanded to include more informal and creative gatherings, such as picnics, barbecues, and outdoor music festivals. Yet, the essence of the garden party remains the same – a celebration of the simple pleasures in life, the beauty of nature, and the joy of sharing these experiences with others.

Can a corporate event add value?

Posted on October 2, 2017 by Site Admin

Corporate events are a great way for businesses to engage with customers and expand their audience base, and they have become big news over the past few years. There are lots of ways to run a corporate event, and they also offer several advantages for your firm. We have listed four reasons for you to take a look.

Build brand recognition

By hosting an event and building hype around it, you’re able to promote your name and help people to connect with your brand. Generating this sort of exposure is excellent if you are planning an event that will go off with a bang and it means you will be remembered for the right reasons.You want to make sure you select your suppliers, your venue and your activities so you can generate the right buzz around it in the lead up, during the event and long after. Ask yourself: “Will it get people talking?”

Foster interpersonal relationships

Meeting customers and other professionals in person is an invaluable part of hosting a corporate event as it allows you to widen your network of contacts and connect with your clients and audience on a personal level, in turn impacting on their active engagement. You get to converse with that person in front of you in ways that a Facebook post or a Tweet cannot, get to know them, and leave a lasting good impression.

It strengthens your team

Getting employees together for your event and giving them a shared aim can work wonders for morale, motivation among staff and elevate the working mood. Everyone is working hard to make the event a success, and they all share in the triumphs and setbacks you encounter along the way so they can bond as a team.

Download our brochure to find out how you can wow your guests

Boosting sales

At the end of the day, you will want to see some results from your event, and this can eventually be measured from the number of sales and leads you generated from having a presence on that day. Just remember that while it’s tempting to just look at the sales won on the day, you also need to review the results three and six months down the line if you are to gauge the true outcome more accurately.

Corporate events provide you with many opportunities that you wouldn’t ordinarily have access to stuck behind a computer so go out there and grab them with two hands. If you’re a relatively new organisation, hosting events can be great for you to build trust with your audience.

At Igloo Disco, we like to help companies throw a corporate event with the ‘wow’ factor. Think you could do with some corporate event management tips? Check out our article which will serve as your guide.

Why Marquees For Parties Are The Worst. It’s Not GBBO FFS!

Posted on August 29, 2017 by James Mallinder

Everyone has seen a marquee, and the majority of people have been to an event held in one whether that’s at a wedding, party or at the local agricultural show. They have lost the wow factor as they are used numerous of times over and over again; yes, they look pretty (if they are done up correctly) but there are quite a few disadvantages of using marquees for parties. Here are some reasons why party marquees, in our opinion, are the worst…

Build Time

Marquees are large fabric structures which rely on timber poles and rope to be erected. As the process of putting up a marquee is intricate; it can take between 2-3 days for the marquee to be up and functional. Therefore, if you are hiring out a field, you may have to hire it for a good 5-6 days which can easily become costly.

Even if you are having it in your garden, it means that you will have people traipsing in and out of your garden, using your facilities within your house for almost a week. Lets just say you will go through a lot of cups of tea whilst the marquee company are setting up.

Sound

If you are having a marquee set up in your back garden, make sure you invite your neighbours as the canvas fabric used with a marquee isn’t soundproof. If you are wanting to party the night away, make sure you let whomever will be affected by the noise aware that there will be loud music playing from your garden until all hours, unless you want neighbours banging down your door throughout the night or facing confrontation next time you cross paths putting the bins out.

Cost

When it comes to marquees the cost varies as you may be tricked into thinking it’s cheap; however, most companies charge extra for the lining of the marquee, extra for the flooring, extra for any furniture etc. That means the total cost of an actual functioning marquee is likely to be in the £1000’s.

Many marquee companies may point you in the direction of hiring a DJ but will not do it for you; plus as marquees are outside, it’s down to you to hire portaloos and a functioning bar. Therefore, making the cost of your event even higher.

Overall you will be paying for a field to rent for over 5 days if you can’t use your back garden, the marquee, a DJ, a mobile bar, portaloos, and you may also have to pay the marquee company for their time putting up and taking down the marquee, which means the nice idea of having a birthday party in a marquee is going to be costly and time consuming.

Size

Marquees come in a variety of sizes which all depends on how many guests you want to attend your party – obviously, the more guests the bigger the marquee. The bigger size marquee you decide to get the more it will cost.

Given that the British weather is very hit and miss, insulation may be necessary as, even in the Summer, temperatures can drop and the rain can lash it down. They aren’t necessarily made for the Winter season as, even when lined with the canvas sides, they will not keep much heat in. As you have to pay extra for the canvas lining, larger marquees will be a lot more expensive to hire out, and even smaller marquees can be costly if the canvas lining is needed.

Style

If you are throwing a party, you want it to be the best and stand out from anyone else’s you have been to or are going to in the future; you want people to remember your party and, sadly, they aren’t going to do that if you use a marquee for your venue.

Marquees are very popular as they are the most known pop up venue that you can have in your garden or a hired field. They all look the same and, unless you spend a lot of money decorating it (if the marquee company allow you), they are pretty dull.

Depending on the marquee company you use, you may end up with a marquee that has previously been used at an agricultural show, therefore, could turn up full of mud and smelling like animals which won’t be pleasant for your guests, but, hey, at least your party will be remembered for smelling like and looking like it’s just come off a farm.

Removal Time

With the setting up time being between 2-3 days, the removal time can take just as long, again that means you may have marquee installers still lingering around 3 days after your party has finished.

After a marquee has been taken down the job doesn’t end there for you. As marquees are set up using poles and lines, your garden will be left looking tattered with large pole hole marks. The marquee company will only remove the marquee they will not tidy up or fix your turf after the party; they see that as not their responsibility.

Are Marquees Waterproof?

A marquee is resistant to rain but with the British weather we can get rain with gail force winds from nowhere. Marquees can stand the odd downpour; however, they are vulnerable to high winds. I’m sure you’ve all seen the You’ve Been Framed Videos of marquees blowing away with traumatised guests inside.

If this Summer season is anything to go off, rain is inevitable even when the sun is supposed to be shining. Do you really want to take that risk and pray there are no high winds the day of your party?

The weather can also affect the setting up process. High winds will prolong the set up time to the point where the party may have to be cancelled due to the fact that the marquee isn’t able to be put up safely and securely.

Marquees Are Commonly Used

Marquees are used a lot for weddings, birthday parties, country fairs, and more. They are a common site across the UK as people don’t really know too much about what else is available. They are good at creating a venue outside for guests to be catered for, dance and have a good time, however if you are looking for something to stand out a marquee isn’t what you are looking for.

Hire An Igloo Disco

When it comes to your birthday party, you will want something different; something that you and your friends will remember for a long time. We have the answer; why not hire an inflatable igloo nightclub for your garden or field. Our igloos come with all the add-ons such as DJ’s, bars, facilities, floors etc and it takes a few hours to set up and take down. There are so many benefits to hiring an igloo disco.

Be like Kem off Love Island and celebrate your big day in an igloo.

If you are still unsure about the types of venues you can have outside and the pros and cons of each, we have created an easy to read eBook which goes into detail about every popular outdoor venue.

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