Entertaining is vital at every gathering. We want to thrill and excite our guests while also creating an experience that nobody will ever forget. Unfortunately, knowing you need to hire live entertainment, and hiring someone, are very different things. Here are some basic things to consider that will keep this process most accessible for everyone involved!
Budget
How much money are you willing to spend on entertainment? Before you start looking at entertainers, you must know your top limit for budget. The amount you’re ready to spend on entertainment decides what kind of entertainment you can hire, how long they can be there, and what level of artist you can employ. If you can’t afford an artist, don’t try to underpay them or bargain them down, these professionals deserve to be paid what they’re worth.
Location
Where are you throwing the event? If you’re throwing a large party, you don’t want to hire one singular musician in a vast dining hall, just like you wouldn’t want to hire a big swing band for a small gathering in a tight space. Consider how much space you’ll have and how you can utilize it best with entertainers.
This rule can be broken, of course, for some kinds of entertainers. Comedians like Chaunte Wayans can keep a whole crowd happy on their own, and a string quartet might not be too much for a romantic dinner. Pick what applies to you.
Theme
What’s the theme of your party? Some pieces lend themselves better to certain kinds of entertainers. A throwback party will want to cover artists from the era that the party is based in, just like a pirate party will work well with pirate cosplayers or real-life mermaids. If your party doesn’t have a specific theme, think about what the party is being thrown for. Is it a birthday? A wedding party? A bar mitzvah? Everything can have a fun tie-in that will help create memories that will be ingrained for life.
Guests
Think about what type of guest you’re inviting to the party. Younger guests will want more lively and current entertainment, while older or quieter guests will wish for a performance that they can admire without interacting. You don’t want to hire go-go dancers for your parent’s 50th-anniversary party, just like you wouldn’t hire a concert jazz pianist to play for a two-year-old’s birthday party.
Take the time to look over your guest list, consider who’s coming and what would excite them the most. Of course, you can overlook most of the guests if it’s a birthday party since the guest of honor will have the final say! What matters is that people have a good time and the entertainers get to shine.
Personal Taste
Although all of the above should apply to what you consider, if your tastes, or the guest of honor’s preferences, are entirely different, it’s okay to vary from the plan. Think about what will be most memorable and fun, and ensure the entertainers are OK with this. Some people put in their will that they want their funeral to be a wild party, and you can honor this! Just remember to ensure the dancers you hire are comfortable with this setting!