Pro Tips For Stress-Free Hosting
Why is it easy to feel overwhelmed by hosting, even with a small event?
“Even a small event requires a lot of thought and there are many moving parts – the food, décor, music and more. Social media only adds to the pressure, and there’s this expectation that we should all know how to host, but it requires a lot of expertise.”
“Stress can really take away from the enjoyment of an event, whatever the size, because you’re not able to be present. Organisation is key. We love a list, a spreadsheet and, of course, moodboards. And outsource where you can – you don’t have to do everything yourself. At The Mood we make vendor suggestions from our established network to relieve the hours spent sourcing suppliers.” – Leila
What’s the secret to making an event work?
“We’d recommend choosing a theme or colour palette through which to curate the aesthetic. Be considered in your choices – from the chairs to the linens, crockery, cutlery, glassware, menus, florals and décor. Make it harmonious with the surroundings. We’re working on an Italian wedding right now in a grand, classical location. Something cool and modern just wouldn’t look right.”
“You don’t need to spend a lot of money to make an event look beautiful. We love to find decorative elements in charity shops, markets and by borrowing from friends. Handmade details can also add to the character and charm – think handwritten menus, name places or using flowers from your garden.”
“Get creative – we love to use fruit and veg as part of a tablescape, bowls as vessels for floral arrangements with a simple flower pin, or ribbons to tie bows with long trailing lace. And do think about the little things, such as whether your tablecloths are long enough and if you need to steam them.” – India
Beyond the table, how do you create the right atmosphere?
“Music is essential for setting the mood – we’ve curated a playlist that we use for our events. Scent can be great, but we tend not to use it around food as it can be overpowering. Instead, we like to use scented candles in entryways and bathrooms.”
“Lighting can totally change the feel of an event. We love to use candlelight and sometimes add lamps around the space (avoid spotlights and overhead lights if possible). Dinner candles and pillar candles are perfect because they have plenty of burn time.”
“It’s important to remember that candles will need to be sheltered anywhere with wind – this can be done with a hurricane vase or, alternatively, you could use battery-powered lanterns. There are so many lovely options available now.” – Leila
What's the best way to make an event flow?
“We’ll typically suggest a standing drinks reception, even if it’s short, while guests arrive. You can have nibbles set up on arrival and, ideally, different locations where guests will be drinking and eating.” – India
Are there any food trends you’ve noticed recently?
“For drinks and nibbles, really abundant tables are trending – think butter whipped up into towers, modern charcuterie, croquembouche and XXL desserts. For a recent sit-down dinner, we ordered in burnt Basque cheesecakes and served them with a berry coulis – there’s no shame in not cooking every single thing. For larger parties, we’re seeing things like pies, and fish and chips, enjoying a renaissance. Serve them alongside martinis and champagne for a touch of modern decadence. For drinks, a margarita or vermouth and tonic is our go-to right now. A chic garnish can really elevate a drink. For non-alcoholic options, we love NON wine or Botivo.” – India
How do you set the table?
“If we’re in a blank event space, we’ll start with the table and chair configuration. We like long, single-width tables as there’s plenty of opportunity for conversation. Our preference is typically to use a linen tablecloth, which we’ll steam the big creases out of (a little creasing is natural).”
“Next, we’ll lay up one place to decide on the placement of the crockery, cutlery, glassware, menus, name places and napkins. Once we’re happy, we’ll repeat this until every place is laid. Following that, it’s the decorative elements – the flower arrangements, candles and anything else you’re using as décor. We’ll finish with water jugs and any food set on the table, such as salt and pepper shakers, and bread and butter etc.” – Leila
And how about dressing the room?
“This really depends on the space – some need more décor than others. If it’s a sit-down dinner, then we love to make the table the focal point. You can decide how much to dial up the table décor depending on the surroundings and the vibe you want.”
“We like to extend elements of the tablescape around the room, such as dotting candles and vases across the space, on window ledges and other surfaces. How you serve food and drinks can be decorative in itself, such as using vintage silverware for serving or laying out nibbles.” – India
Any tips for getting the ‘wow’ factor on a small budget?
“We’d recommend using your budget for a block-colour tablecloth (you could just find some cheap fabric), flowers and candles, and a standout course that your guests will remember. This doesn’t have to be extravagant or expensive.”
“If you can afford it, we’d recommend help with serving and cleaning for events larger than 12 people, and even with fewer, if you’re renting a space it’s always preferable not to be cleaning it yourself after all your guests have left!”
“You can also do memorable things that don’t cost anything like having your guests move for each course. Most people go wrong trying to do too much, focusing on elements that guests may not remember, creating a menu that’s too complicated, and bringing in too many colours.” – Leila
Tell us more about The Mood and how it came to be…
“We’ve been styling events for as long as we can remember. Leila has produced events for over ten years in the fashion and beauty space, and I have always loved hosting – in the last few years I’ve planned my wedding, which was featured in Vogue, and styled and hosted a number of brand events. The Mood is really a culmination of our expertise across our industries, and through producing, styling and attending events.”
“We first hosted an event together in 2018 – it was a supper club, which we evolved into a series as our first venture together. Leila did the styling and I did the cooking. We’ve actually been friends since our teens and we worked at the same company, LTK, for four years.” – India
What are clients coming to you for?
“People often it hard to find support either with the initial planning or bringing together the specific elements of an event. We wanted to fill this gap, offering our expertise and little black book of vendors through one-on-one consultations and bespoke moodboards. Our aim is to ensure people enjoy the process, to make elevated event styling more accessible and to simplify the planning process.”
“The beauty of The Mood is that we can jump in at any stage – for example, we might work with a bride just after they get engaged to source a venue, or a bride a month out who just needs help with their tablescaping and styling.”
“We consult on events of all sizes, personal and professional – weddings, parties, intimate celebrations, small and large-scale brand events, trips, hens and more. We’ve had clients come to us to organise everything from an intimate proposal to a ten-person baby shower, a 200-person wedding and brand events of all sizes – we have knowledge and a network for every occasion.” – Leila
So, how does it work?
“Our clients book in for a digital consultation, which typically lasts 30 minutes where we learn as much as we can about their event. Following this we share a number of moodboards of their choice such as for the overall mood, décor, flowers, tablescapes, invites, colour schemes and more. Each will have imagery and notes.”
“We also offer an option to also share vendor recommendations to bring these moodboards to life. Everything – everything from florists to, caterers and decordécor suppliers to illustrators, embroiderers and stylists. We’ll help curate a unique and unforgettable event that is reflective of our client, their brand or whoever they are celebrating with ideas and inspiration they won’t find elsewhere.” – India
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