Tips for planning your event the right way

In addition to our real estate agency services, did you know both of our locations double as an event rental space for baby showers, wedding receptions, birthday parties, and corporate events?

With modern flagship designs unlike anything else, ADA-compliant spaces, and central locations, our Augusta venue and/or Fernandina Beach venue have likely hosted what you’re hoping to have!

So … how do you make your event just right – with bonus tips for our space? Read on for tips and tricks!

Visualize the event within the space

If you can map out where everything should be places, how it flows together, where seating should be, etc. then it makes everything so much smoother.

Typically, you can stop by in-person or at worst take a virtual tour online to get a real sense of the space – and yes, both of our locations offer these.

Then, you can ask venue-specific questions that provide exact answers and help hone in on the finer details.

Define roles and deadlines

Are you planning this alone? See how the venue’s staff can assist and take some burden off of you! Then, with a healthy checklist, you’ll be in good shapre.

But if others are helping (think decorations, food, or even picking the venue itself) then it’s helpful to have a running list of who’s in charge of what.

And more importantly: their deadlines.

Not everyone is built for project management, but that’s exactly what you’re doing when planning an event! So having a running list of when items should be accomplished keeps everything running smoothly leading up to the big day.

Ask the venue how they’ve hosted your event in the past

For example, our offices work best in different ways for a corporate meeting vs. a birthday party or baby shower.

One may leverage the downstairs space more, including conference rooms, while others have an enhanced experience with the rooftop area. We have plenty of experience with multiple events and can walk you through what others have done in the Summer House Realty offices that worked well!

Venue-specific questions to ask

These will save you potential headaches on the day of your event.

What audio/visual capabilities are there – and how easy are they to setup and use?

For instance, can you plug in a phone or laptop to a cable and play whatever playlist you want through the venue’s speaker system? Or are other steps required to have background music you want?

Understanding requirements for what to put on TVs (photos? videos? Just a graphic for the occasion?) and your options to make them happen – plus any additional costs – is a must.

How much decorating will you need to do?

Some venues (like ours) provide a certain look and feel, which requires less work to create a particular atmosphere.

Other spaces are more of a blank canvas – this gives you more flexibility for a theme or particular look, but also requires work on your part to turn the space into what you’re hoping to bring to life.

In short, how much time do you want to spend decorating? That does factor into a decision!

When can you begin decorating the space?

Sometimes, the venue’s staff can handle setup – or even provide the decor if needed. Understanding your options and scheduling choices makes sure there’s no surprises.

With us, there is some flexibility depending on schedules. It’s why we’ll talk you through it all!

What is the traffic like during the time of your event?

If you know the area well, you may have the answer already. But if not, the staff will and can help you let guests know what to expect before they arrive … or if there’s any other local events nearby that might add a bit of travel time.

How much parking is available?

Knowing what’s reserved for your guests and what might be available for overflow options if needed is always helpful to communicate in advance.

You get our dedicated parking spaces, with some overflow possibilities nearby depending on time of year.

Curious to find out more about renting our space? Look into the Augusta and Amelia Island spaces now!