Before you go all ‘Bridget Jones’ on your turkey or ‘Meet Joe Black’ on your company conference or, even, the ‘Hangover Part III’ on your barmie, hold up a minute. At FineLine Events we are pretty particular about capping a special occasion with just the right amount of class and cool to keep your guests as far away from the judgy bathroom banter as possible.  

These days you’ll find just about any hipster slash metro slash just-in-from-New York décor and theme ideas bombarding the party. Personally, we blame Pinterest for the over stimulus, creating a smorgasbord of A-MaY-zing things to create that we just never know where to start, or what to pick –  so we default to the dreaded no-no of any event… All. Of. It.

Don’t throw the farm at it, people. It’s not cool nor is it classy nor is profesh. If you want to pull off the double-C like a B.O.S.S then the golden rule is: Classy is less and Cool is more. That’s it. Repeat. Share. Repeat again. Set a reminder right now. Classy-Cool is the new party pip, and yes, you can now have both at your function without the tacky threat.     

There’s no rule book on just how many flower arrangements one needs on the gift table or how many props at the photo booth to ensure your occasion is on par with the Jones’s and with Instagram. But there are a good few tricks we can vouch for that will help you keep it collect, and avoid the over-kill paraphernalia.

Here’s how:

The best way to go about balancing the benchmark is to start by dividing your vision board into 3 main categories: 

  1. The Arrival
  2. The In Between
  3. The Take Away

Once you have these, deciding how much of anything is too much or too little, will make it easier on the bigger picture – and the budget. This we promise.

Hack 1:  The Arrival

This is the intro scene, the curtain raiser, the window dresser, the first impression. However, setting the stage for great expectations is not the way to go. Don’t oversell your do upfront. Less is more here, with a splash of cool. Play the C-C card to your advantage with a gentle mix of either of these combinations.    

  1. Canapes (classy) + Signature Cocktails (cool)
  2. OR Human Photographer (classy) + Personalised Instagram Frame (Cool)
  3. OR Sax Player (classy) inside luminescent Glass Bubble (cool)          

Hack 2: The In Between

By this stage in the day Aunty Philomena has polished off a gin named ‘Hokey Pokey’ and she’s ready for your #next. Let’s not disappoint. The In Between half of your occasion is where the entertainment factor kicks in. Here, you want a little more cool than class, to keep the vibration high.

The secret to nailing it is to not have too many activations. Choose one, or two at the most that deliver on your C-C precisely.   

  1. A flash mob dressed in suits and shades (classy-cool)
  2. A Caricature Artist (classy-cool)
  3. Giant Jenga / Giant Chess on the lawn (classy-cool)

Hack 3: The Take Away  

Don’t go shy on the hearty-classy outcome for this part of your big day; leaving your guests with a little something something is always a win. We highly recommend authenticity to lead the way here. Nothing quite does it like a personalised “thank you” gift. You’d like to make sure the take-away represents a piece of who you are, at a soul level, and that it is memorable – and at the very least, biodegradable (classy again!).

  1. An engraved letter opener (old school classy)   
  2. A wood-carved USB (new age classy)
  3. A miniature pot plant (that takes care of itself – super classy!)

And there you have it. Three fail proof hacks from your F.L.E tag team to keep it classy, cool and clicked-on. Gone are the days of having one or the other: a classy-cool collab is totally possible, if you simply remind yourself that too little or too much of anything could land your function in the fire. Unless, of course, the fire pit is there on purpose.

For any kind of tips, tricks and trade secrets for your special occasion, chat with FineLine Events or ask Aimee.