The SALIFE Awards’ guide to throwing an unforgettable party
Ready to transform your next party from good to absolutely unforgettable? We share pro tips from Out in the Paddock, the event managers for the SALIFE Awards, presented by Brand South Australia.
If you’ve ever found yourself overwhelmed by the intricate details of hosting a stellar party, breathe easy.
Ray Dahdah, the creative director behind Out in the Paddock – South Australia’s only full-service events company – is about to become your new party-planning guardian angel.
With insider knowledge that spans everything from mouthwatering catering to show-stopping styling, Ray is here to demystify the art of event management and equip you with pro tips that will have your guests talking long after the last dance.
Beyond the practical stuff, like food et cetera, what makes a good party unforgettable?
It comes back to the overall feeling… It’s the hospitality component, so the staffing and team. It’s the feel of the space, which can be done through florals, lighting and the entertainment. And then obviously, making sure your food is spot on and you’re catering for different needs and focusing on good, local, quality produce.
It’s also the personal touches to show the thought you’ve put into your event to make your guests feel special.
As soon as you enter one of our events, there’s an ambience with something different on arrival that will follow through the entire event. Whether it’s a quartet playing or ballerinas dancing around, or even our beautifully dressed staff holding a tray of drinks – we make sure that people are made to feel special.
Photograph: Brad Griffin
What are some of the trends in party and event styling that have captured your imagination?
Our team likes to make sure we’re at the forefront of trends and always keeping up with the latest ones. The fruit that you’re seeing now in florals, for example, we did that about three years ago for an event. While big, overlapping drapings are also really in now.
But trends always change – whether it’s florals, whether it’s colour tones, whether it’s styling elements. To stay ahead a little bit, we’re paring it back now, with a simpler approach but still creating a beautiful space with really striking elements.
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The thing is, when you say simple, there’s a lot more to it. Creating that celebratory feeling and the overall space, there’s a lot that goes into that. Even though it’s simple, it’s not easy to do, there’s still a lot involved.
What was the most challenging event you’ve managed and how did you pull it off?
The most challenging would be a wedding that we hosted in McLaren Vale. It was bucketing down with rain and the client had organised one of those teepees. The rain was coming in sideways and with the teepee being outdoors, it didn’t quite work or go to plan.
We ended up changing plans – still having dinner outside in the teepee and then moved inside for dancing and drinks afterwards in the cellar door.
What’s the most unusual venue you’ve used?
Probably going back to one of our earliest ones, it was in the caves at Port Willunga. They’re quite iconic and located down near the Star of Greece.
We hosted a baby shower there, many years ago, and it was literally 16 people sitting inside what used to be a boat shed, but is one of the empty caves now, and we catered for them there.
That was quite a special, a really unique experience for those guests, and it came about by accident. It was meant to be out on the sand on the beach, but rain was predicted. So, we thought, why not? The client was quite happy and open to the change.
When the sun started setting, the weather cleared, the sky was blue, and they came out and were having drinks on the sand. It was very magical.
Do you have any advice when it comes to scoping out a location?
It’s quite personal and depends on what atmosphere you’re wanting to create. Generally, start with that with the feeling you want for your event. So, whether it’s an outdoor event, indoors, a garden party vibe, more modern, or even industrial.
We’ve done a birthday 18th in a big, private, underground car park. And we’ve hosted a real estate awards night in a very similar underground car park as well, but then we do all the beautiful, outdoor garden weddings.
When we’re hosting our company’s own events, we’re always looking for venues that haven’t been activated before, and certainly not activated in the way we activate them. We’re looking at spaces that are unusual.
The best advice, really, is to get someone who knows what they’re doing. Our Out in the Paddock team can set up an event practically anywhere. You can have a blank canvas, with no toilets or no kitchen, and we can set all that up. If you’re going for a venue that’s unusual, you just need to have the right team working with you to make it all happen and put them all together.
Ray Dahdah and Ally Aoukar have been bringing together fabulous events across the state for decades. Photograph: Brad Griffin
How do you create events that are memorable for guests and Instaworthy?
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Making things memorable comes down to the overall feel of the event. If it’s a bigger space, making it feel warm and welcoming and adding little elements along the way that really get guests excited from the beginning. As soon as they step in there, they know it’s going to be a great night.
If it’s our company’s own event, we’ll always have an epic moment that’s perfect for photos. Our last Christmas event, we had a massive champagne tower with little cherries in it. It was a photo moment, but it was also usable, with champagne poured for people to drink.
We like to create these usable, easy photo moments through the whole space – and that could be a backdrop with some lounges in front or it could be adding other elements to make a great photo opportunity.
How can people plan a celebration that uniquely reflects who they are?
From our perspective as event planners, it’s important to spend time with the clients and get to know them well. If it’s a private event, like a birthday or special celebration, we like to know what their favourite foods are, their favourite colours, their favourite flower, as well as what they want to achieve.
For a wedding, most people will say they want it to be a party rather than all formalities. So, we try to get through those as quickly as possible and get them out on the dance floor and there are ways for us to do that.
Getting to know the clients is really a big, important part of what we do.
Photograph: Brad Griffin
Do you have any advice for throwing an amazing party if you’re doing it all yourself?
Think about your guests… Things like the convenience of the location and whether it’s going to be hot or cold and accommodating for that. You’ve got to think about the weather and have a backup plan.
Think about creating a personal touch somewhere… A little note for them on their place setting, or a favourite drink or cocktail. If it’s a wedding, it could be individual messages for each guest that might focus on a special bond you have with them.
And remember the small things that show you’ve thought about your guests and gone that little bit further, like having beautiful linens and napkins or a nicely set table.
The SALIFE Awards, presented by Brand South Australia, are on 6pm Wednesday, December 4 at The Piccadilly, North Adelaide.
Everyone is invited – purchase your ticket here.
The SALIFE Awards would like to thank:
Event partners – Bird In Hand, Bickfords, Vale Ale, 23rd Street Distillery, The Piccadilly, Eos by SkyCity, Out in the Paddock, Adelaide BMW, Finsbury Green, White Marquee, Bottega Gelateria and Novatech Creative Event Technology
Program partners – Terrace Floors + Furnishings, South Pacific Aluminium Windows and Doors, Humanee, Super Studio, University Senior College and Bell & Brunt
Broadcast partner – Network 10
Hosts – Tiffany Warne & Josh Webster, Network 10
