{"id":1066,"date":"2018-03-22T14:39:51","date_gmt":"2018-03-22T14:39:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/shaneblack.ie\/?p=1066"},"modified":"2021-01-19T17:08:44","modified_gmt":"2021-01-19T17:08:44","slug":"mistakes-to-avoid-planning-wedding-corporate-event","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shaneblack.ie\/blog\/mistakes-to-avoid-planning-wedding-corporate-event\/","title":{"rendered":"4 Big Mistakes To Avoid When Planning A Wedding Or Corporate Event"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-av_heading-4d0abffd9ebc5f249babadbe22736ca6\">\n#top .av-special-heading.av-av_heading-4d0abffd9ebc5f249babadbe22736ca6{\npadding-bottom:10px;\n}\nbody .av-special-heading.av-av_heading-4d0abffd9ebc5f249babadbe22736ca6 .av-special-heading-tag .heading-char{\nfont-size:25px;\n}\n.av-special-heading.av-av_heading-4d0abffd9ebc5f249babadbe22736ca6 .av-subheading{\nfont-size:15px;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='av-special-heading av-av_heading-4d0abffd9ebc5f249babadbe22736ca6 av-special-heading-h1 blockquote modern-quote  avia-builder-el-0  el_before_av_image  avia-builder-el-first '><h1 class='av-special-heading-tag'  itemprop=\"headline\"  >4 Big Mistakes To Avoid When Planning A Wedding Or Corporate Event<\/h1><div class=\"special-heading-border\"><div class=\"special-heading-inner-border\"><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-k2xebrj2-88284ce2b483f91014bd660ef58ba8b5\">\n.avia-image-container.av-k2xebrj2-88284ce2b483f91014bd660ef58ba8b5 img.avia_image{\nbox-shadow:none;\n}\n.avia-image-container.av-k2xebrj2-88284ce2b483f91014bd660ef58ba8b5 .av-image-caption-overlay-center{\ncolor:#ffffff;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='avia-image-container av-k2xebrj2-88284ce2b483f91014bd660ef58ba8b5 av-styling- avia-align-center  avia-builder-el-1  el_after_av_heading  el_before_av_textblock '   itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\" ><div class=\"avia-image-container-inner\"><div class=\"avia-image-overlay-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" class='wp-image-5980 avia-img-lazy-loading-not-5980 avia_image ' src=\"https:\/\/shaneblack.ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/corporate-entertainment-event-shane-black-blog-4-mistakes.jpg\" alt='Corporate Entertainer Ireland - Shane Black' title='corporate-entertainment-event-shane-black-blog-4-mistakes'  height=\"687\" width=\"1030\"  itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\" srcset=\"https:\/\/shaneblack.ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/corporate-entertainment-event-shane-black-blog-4-mistakes.jpg 1030w, https:\/\/shaneblack.ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/corporate-entertainment-event-shane-black-blog-4-mistakes-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/shaneblack.ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/corporate-entertainment-event-shane-black-blog-4-mistakes-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/shaneblack.ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/corporate-entertainment-event-shane-black-blog-4-mistakes-705x470.jpg 705w, https:\/\/shaneblack.ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/corporate-entertainment-event-shane-black-blog-4-mistakes-450x300.jpg 450w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1030px) 100vw, 1030px\" \/><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<section  class='av_textblock_section av-1zkjga-b919c525a667038db7e9c7ad04461344'  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock'  itemprop=\"text\" ><p>If you\u2019ve been charged with the task of <a href=\"http:\/\/shaneblack.ie\/weddings\/\">organising a wedding<\/a> or corporate event, there are some absolute \u2018must avoid\u2019 elements to be aware of. As an entertainer with over 15 years\u2019 experience, I have performed as a mentalist and <a href=\"http:\/\/shaneblack.ie\/\">magician<\/a> at literally thousands of weddings and corporate events.<\/p>\n<p>Leaving aside my own personal involvement, it&#8217;s fair to say that some were great, some were terrible, and the vast majority were somewhere in the middle. Fine \u2013 but not particularly inspiring. So with that in mind, here are my five biggest mistakes when it comes to creating a wedding or corporate event that will have people talking for months afterwards \u2013 and for the right reasons!<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><strong>1. IF YOU DON&#8217;T KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE, YOU DON&#8217;T KNOW HOW TO ENTERTAIN THEM.<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>This may sound blindingly obvious, but it&#8217;s amazing how many times I\u2019ve seen totally inappropriate entertainment booked for a wedding or corporate event. I\u2019ve seen comedians telling \u2018blue jokes\u2019 to an audience that was very obviously quite conservative and unreceptive to this form of humour. Equally, I\u2019ve seen DJ\u2019s or wedding bands continue to play up-tempo music when it was as clear as a bell that an older cohort of guests wanted a bit of good old-fashioned waltzing or jiving.<\/p>\n<p>So how can you guard against this? The answer is research \u2013 and lots of it. If you&#8217;re planning a wedding, for example, here\u2019s a simple exercise you can carry out. Go through your guest list and put an approximate age beside each one. Don\u2019t worry if you&#8217;re not exactly sure how old Aunty Mary is. Now tot up all those ages, and divide by your number of guests. This is your average guest age, and it should be one of the primary drivers for deciding what sort of DJ, what sort of wedding band \u2013 and what sort of magician you should hire.<\/p>\n<p>Make sure that they\u2019re age-appropriate, and that they\u2019re unlikely to offend any sensibilities of your audience. An hour or two spent on this exercise can save a lot of red faces. Similarly, if it&#8217;s a corporate event and you&#8217;re <a href=\"http:\/\/shaneblack.ie\/corporate\/\">booking corporate entertainment<\/a>\u00a0knowing your audience is vital. If you&#8217;re planning it for your own staff, you can be a tad risqu\u00e9, but if clients are attending, it&#8217;s infinitely better to play it safe.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-7122\" src=\"http:\/\/shaneblack.ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/65460995_10156513011436699_3703819950272544768_o-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1440\" height=\"960\" srcset=\"https:\/\/shaneblack.ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/65460995_10156513011436699_3703819950272544768_o-1.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/shaneblack.ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/65460995_10156513011436699_3703819950272544768_o-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/shaneblack.ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/65460995_10156513011436699_3703819950272544768_o-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/shaneblack.ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/65460995_10156513011436699_3703819950272544768_o-1-1030x687.jpg 1030w, https:\/\/shaneblack.ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/65460995_10156513011436699_3703819950272544768_o-1-705x470.jpg 705w, https:\/\/shaneblack.ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/65460995_10156513011436699_3703819950272544768_o-1-450x300.jpg 450w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1440px) 100vw, 1440px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><strong>2. REMEMBER THAT NOT EVERYONE WHO ATTENDS A PARTY IS A PARTY ANIMAL.<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>It can often be tempting to assume that everyone who attends your wedding or corporate event is out to have a really good time and will easily enter into the spirit of the occasion. Lots of people are shy, or not into parties but feel they have to be there, or perhaps they\u2019re non-drinkers who won\u2019t get the extra injection of party juice that alcohol can offer.<\/p>\n<p>So what\u2019s the learning from this? It\u2019s very simple \u2013 make sure that your entertainers work hard at getting people involved. This can be anything from having a band who actively seek requests, or having a magician who works the room in such a manner as to get people talking to each other.<\/p>\n<p>And remember that many guests at a wedding, or many of your company staff, may not know each other, so there\u2019s a very definitely a layer of ice to be broken, hence the need to choose your corporate entertainment or wedding entertainment with great care.<\/p>\n<h2><strong><span style=\"color: #ff9900;\">3. BE CAREFUL OF THOSE &#8216;DEAD ZONES&#8217;.<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Whether it&#8217;s a corporate party that follows a day-long working seminar or a wedding, one of the most annoying things that most guests comment on is those \u2018boring bits\u2019 in the middle where nothing seems to be happening.<\/p>\n<p>For example, your wedding guests may be waiting around for over two hours between arriving back at your hotel to sitting down for dinner. They may well want to have a drink or two, but when it goes beyond the hour mark, they can become impatient to know when is dinner, and where have the bride and groom disappeared to.<\/p>\n<p>Similarly, many corporate celebrations often have a drinks reception before the main event. There\u2019s nothing wrong with this, of course, but there\u2019s a very definite limit to how long people can make small talk for (particularly when it\u2019s with the boss!)<\/p>\n<p>The solution to this can often lie with two key actions. First of all, make every attempt to create a detailed time schedule. It may not go exactly according to plan, but at least you\u2019ll be within ten or fifteen minutes of where you should be at any given tie Secondly, stay in close contact with your catering staff. Let them know if you\u2019ll be ready to rock earlier than expected, or warn them if the bride and groom are still having photos taken, so dinner will need to be delayed.<\/p>\n<p>If you get this right, your event will seem like a \u2018seamless whole\u2019 rather than a strong of sections with long delays in between them.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-7123\" src=\"http:\/\/shaneblack.ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/69244469_10156613101181699_2411731489411563520_o-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1440\" height=\"960\" srcset=\"https:\/\/shaneblack.ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/69244469_10156613101181699_2411731489411563520_o-1.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/shaneblack.ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/69244469_10156613101181699_2411731489411563520_o-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/shaneblack.ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/69244469_10156613101181699_2411731489411563520_o-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/shaneblack.ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/69244469_10156613101181699_2411731489411563520_o-1-1030x687.jpg 1030w, https:\/\/shaneblack.ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/69244469_10156613101181699_2411731489411563520_o-1-705x470.jpg 705w, https:\/\/shaneblack.ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/69244469_10156613101181699_2411731489411563520_o-1-450x300.jpg 450w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1440px) 100vw, 1440px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2><strong><span style=\"color: #ff9900;\">4. NEVER LET ONE PERSON BE THE ARBITER OF TASTE FOR YOUR ENTIRE GUEST LIST.\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>We can often fall into the trap of believing that because I love country music, everybody else will love it too. Not true. And the best way to make sure that you don&#8217;t make huge assumptions about the taste of your guests is to talk to a group of six to eight people about what they\u2019d like to see by way of entertainment. That way, you\u2019ll get a much more even spread of opinion, and improve your chances of making sure that everybody is catered for.<\/p>\n<p>And that\u2019s it \u2013 four proven tips that will make sure you don&#8217;t have people talking about your event for all the wrong reasons.<\/p>\n<p>Use them when you&#8217;re planning your next wedding, party or corporate event \u2013 you\u2019ll be glad that you did!<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-ka81djpc-ef4bfa9355c791fa2adbf351a3d0d2ce\">\n.flex_column.av-ka81djpc-ef4bfa9355c791fa2adbf351a3d0d2ce{\n-webkit-border-radius:0px 0px 0px 0px;\n-moz-border-radius:0px 0px 0px 0px;\nborder-radius:0px 0px 0px 0px;\npadding:20px 20px 20px 20px;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div class='flex_column av-ka81djpc-ef4bfa9355c791fa2adbf351a3d0d2ce av_one_full  avia-builder-el-3  el_after_av_textblock  avia-builder-el-last  first flex_column_div column-top-margin'     ><section  class='av_textblock_section av-kahznbg1-317b7f0418c4a61bf6a4aa1bd985a044'  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock'  itemprop=\"text\" ><p><span style=\"color: #ff9900;\">\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-2mz90t-9e6361a1b3f2e2c8edef3c4ef1f09763\">\n.av_font_icon.av-2mz90t-9e6361a1b3f2e2c8edef3c4ef1f09763 .av-icon-char{\nfont-size:30px;\nline-height:30px;\n}\n<\/style>\n<span  class='av_font_icon av-2mz90t-9e6361a1b3f2e2c8edef3c4ef1f09763 avia_animate_when_visible av-icon-style- avia-icon-pos-left av-no-color avia-icon-animate'><a href='http:\/\/shaneblack.ie\/blog'  class='av-icon-char' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue830' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello' ><\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<h3><a href=\"http:\/\/shaneblack.ie\/blog\"><span style=\"color: #ffffff;\">Back to blog.<\/span><\/a><\/h3>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you\u2019ve been charged with the task of organising a wedding or corporate event, there are some absolute \u2018must avoid\u2019 elements to be aware of. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5980,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"4 Big Mistakes To Avoid When Planning a Wedding or Corporate Event","_seopress_titles_desc":"If you\u2019ve been charged with the task of organising a wedding or corporate event, there are some absolute \u2018must avoid\u2019 elements to be aware of. If you&#039;d like to talk some more about this, please feel free to contact Shane.","_seopress_robots_index":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[9,8,15],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/shaneblack.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1066"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/shaneblack.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/shaneblack.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shaneblack.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shaneblack.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1066"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/shaneblack.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1066\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shaneblack.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5980"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/shaneblack.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1066"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shaneblack.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1066"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shaneblack.ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1066"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}