VENUE TIPS FOR THE BEST PARTY VIBES

If you're reading this, you might be in the process of planning a big event and hunting for the venue of your dreams. Maybe you'll be captivated by a dramatic, Bridgerton-esque entrance hall; you might fall in love with the potential in a blank canvas spot hidden in the woods; or fantasise about the architectural remnants in an effortlessly cool old warehouse.

Wherever you find 'the one', you might already be able to picture that moment when your guests are fed and watered, your DJ kicks off the night with everyone's favourite tunes, and absolutely nothing will stop the crowd from popping all night. Right?

Strategically placed decor can help to deflect sound and reduce reverb. Photo credit: Amy Faith Photography

Even with all the right components, spaces can come with unexpected barriers to reaching those ultimate, dancing on the ceiling moments.

If a lively party is a priority for you, then read on for essential tips to take on your venue viewings. Just a couple of these little tweaks will help your guests feel more comfortable and eager to gravitate towards the (crystal clear) call from the dancefloor.

If you've already chosen your venue, don't panic! There are plenty of things you can do with your dream location to ensure maximum party vibes.

The room where it happens

When you look around reception rooms, think about the potential for two things: sound quality and flow within the space.

Sound Quality

Your DJ or band should be using top-notch sound equipment, and perform a sound check to make sure everything is calibrated and ready to go. But there are factors out of their control, like the size of the room, which will also affect how the music sounds when it reaches your ears.

A big, cavernous room formed of solid hard materials (i.e. stone, ceramics, finished wood, glass and metal) can cause reverberation as the sound bounces off walls and floors. Not only will that sound echo-y and a bit rubbish, but loud noise can be uncomfortable and unpleasant for the listener if the room doesn't have any absorbent or deflecting materials like curtains, thick fabrics or furniture.

You can check room acoustics yourself without fancy monitoring devices - you essentially need to make some noise and see what happens. This article features lots of simple tips for detecting and managing sound reflection which you can try when you visit your venue.

It's important to ask your venue whether they have a volume limiter in place, especially if you're thinking of hiring a band. These sneaky devices will measure volume in the room, and can trigger a power cut if the noise goes over a certain level. Your band or DJ will want to know about this, and the upper decibel limit your venue has set, so they can plan accordingly.

If you're not sure how to interpret the number you've been given by your venue (it's often around the 90Db mark), here's a link to a handy chart to explain how they translate to real-world scenarios - and a reminder to protect your hearing if you're planning on cranking the music up!

Tackling stone architecture with high speakers and soft textiles. Photo credit: Claire McClean Photo

How to get better sound

Remember that the room acoustics will change once it's filled with furniture, decor and people, but if the echoes are particularly noticeable you can enlist your venue and suppliers to introduce textiles and other sound-absorbing materials into the space (even tablecloths will help).

The way your DJ/band place their speakers will also make a difference - they could use multiple smaller speakers, using a stand, poles or even rugs so they're not resting on a hard floor, and avoid setting up in a tight corner if possible. A band might have other ways to reduce some of the surplus noise their instruments make.

Are you hiring a marquee or tipi for a festival feel? Woven flooring or grass is ideal for sound dampening, but without walls some of your precious noise will escape into the atmosphere. It's important at outdoor venues to make sure your speakers are powerful enough to compensate for this, so make sure your band, DJ or sound engineer is prepared.

Flow

This is all about the way your guests will move around and use the space. Ideally, everything will be in the same room as the music, to avoid drawing people away for too long: the dancefloor, food and drinks, seating, and entertainers e.g. your photobooth or similar.

Quirky props give your guests more excuses to have fun while they dance. Photo credit: Amy Faith Photography

If your venue layout covers multiple rooms, here are some things you can do to make the dancefloor as inviting as possible:

• You could ask any non-musical entertainers to set-up in the main room, if they're comfortable doing so

• Make sure the house lights are off once the night starts: low, atmospheric lighting in the reception room (plus any colourful lights from your DJ or band) will set the tone and help self-conscious guests feel more comfortable dancing

• Consider doing the opposite in the bar: lights on full should mean your guests don't loiter there for too long!

• You could also put props (like fancy dress or glow sticks) nearby. It's silly fun, gives great photos, and is helpful for folks who feel awkward dancing without a cause

• Ask your venue to serve evening food in the reception room if possible

• Some tables might be cleared away, but seating and a table or two close to the dancefloor will mean guests don't have to go far for a little rest. This also means people can put their drinks down nearby while they dance

Here's another thing... the more reasons for your guests to congregate outside, the more likely your dancefloor will take a hit. You might have a gorgeous outdoor space and put lots of effort into it with food vans, fire pits and lawn games, or just be lucky enough to have good weather on the night. In this case, hopefully you'll embrace the joy of being out there too, but you can also lead the way back to the party once the temperature drops - just remember to spend as much time up dancing as you can, and your guests should follow.

And if you feel comfortable, tell people in advance that they can slip away quietly when they're ready to leave, as long goodbyes will disrupt your flow.

It's also a good idea to make sure your guests can take a moment in a calm, quiet spot if they need to. You could also consider providing ear plugs or defenders just in case anyone prefers to use them.

Happy venue hunting, and if you have any other tips to share then please comment below!