Planning a spa party can be very exciting but also stressful. When planning one, always keep in mind that your guests are who the party is for, and that there will always be something new that you can learn from the experience. Here are my tips for planning a spa party, according to what I have learnt in planning for mine.
1) Guests
This is the most important aspect of planning a spa party, or a party of any kind, for that matter. The first thing you need to get down to is who you’re going to invite for your party and how many people you can cater to. Are you going to be the only host? In that case, you can’t possibly mingle with 500 people all at once. How big would you like your party to be? Would it be OK if you don’t get to speak personally with all of them at the event? Generally speaking, a group of about 20 guests would suffice for a spa party. Also, since this is a spa party, you need to consider whether your guests are the self-pampering kind at all. And finally, what about the guys?
For the spa party I held at Mary Chia Singapore, I had 14 guests excluding myself and they were all girls who could do with some bodily treats, either to de-stress from work or just to enjoy an afternoon of massage and relaxation. I didn’t personally know all of them, but I did most. Those that I hadn’t known before were friends of my friends and I soon got acquainted with them. It’s a good way to expand your social circle!
2) Theme
Setting the theme is pretty fun but can be quite tricky. Refrain from setting a theme that your guests will find hard to dress up for. Set a theme that finds a nice balance between being unique and convenient. If your guests have to turn up in custom-made costumes, many would likely not turn up due to the expenses they would have to incur just to be a part of the party. Finda theme that suits the venue of the party (see next point) so that you won’t have to spend extra on decoration items that would be rendered useless once the drinks are put down.
For the party I held, the theme was set to be “Nautical” and I had my guests come casually dressed according to it. Because they were going for spa treatments during the party, such as a Body Contouring Treatment or a Back Relief Massage, I didn’t want them to go through the hassle of undressing three layers and unbuckling inconvenient footwear. Remember that as the host, you have to dress according to the theme too!
3) Venue
Pick a suitable place to hold your party at. It could be at your home if it’s big enough to house the number of guests you’re inviting. It could also be at a local spa salon, if you’re able to book the place for a couple of hours for your special event. Pick a place that is easy to get to so that your guests can arrive on time without getting lost.
As it’s a spa party, make sure that the environment is relaxing and welcoming. Your guests should not feel like they have to abide by a certain code of conduct because after all, the main aim of a spa party should be that everyone has fun and is able to just be herself.
For my party at Mary Chia Singapore, it was at the spa outlet at Clementi Mall, which is a rather convenient place right beside the train station. The interior of the spa itself fitted nicely with my theme (see pictures here) and the staff was very helpful in ensuring that all my guests were attended to, be it with a cup of tea or directions to the loo.
4) Food
Now, we won’t want anyone’s tummies to get the grumbles, do we? Any spa party needs some kind of munchies and yours is no exception. You could garner the help of your friendly brownie master neighbour (of course, invite her to the party too and then when the other guests compliment on the brownies, let them in on who the chef is), or cater finger food from a reputable food catering company.
Normally, food will take up the majority of your spending so try as much as possible to keep to what you need. However, it’s also crucial to ensure that there is enough to go around and even if some food is left after the party ends, it’s alright. After all, as they say, the party ends when the champagne does and having insufficient bites is a big party spoiler.
When I was planning for my party, there was the option of catering companies that provided real, stomach-filling food, like noodles and pineapple rice. I finally decided on finger food from Delifrance and yummy red velvet cupcakes from Baked by Lace for my own party because I didn’t want my guests to leave smelling like they’d just come from the food court. For a spa party, I’d suggest things like samosas, cake, éclairs and croissants. Do take note that most catering companies require order confirmations in advance, so start planning this early.
{To find out what the rest of the tips I have to share are, head on over to Spa Party Planning Tips (Part 2)!}
TODAY’S RANDOM
Nice quote via Ppck.
Image credits: The Party Dress