In life, many occasions and milestones call for a party. Many such examples of personal events are covered in this article.
Examples ranging from birthdays to family reunions are covered in this article. We don’t just mention them, we will also be giving you actionable tips to organize them.
In addition to telling the many shapes and forms personal events come in, you’ll also get some important questions answered.
Put an end to all your curiosities regarding examples of personal events with this article.
A. What are personal events?
Personal events are events that celebrate individual milestones and significant life moments. These moments are often personal to the person. Due to their nature, they have some nuanced intricacies that most other events don’t.
Personal events require a deep understanding of client preferences and personal touch. From selecting the perfect event venue to curating a memorable experience, use this personal event planning guide.
There are lots of personal events ranging from birthdays to weddings. This article covers all such events. These examples of personal events will educate you more about the field of personal event planning.
B. Examples of personal events
Now, let’s get to the part you looked up this article for. Here are some examples of personal events you can start organizing:
1. Birthdays
Birthdays are personal events that can be both small and large scale. Milestone birthdays like the 18th, 25th, 50th, and 100th are often large-scale events.
In birthday events, you must accommodate all interests and preferences of the individual. Don’t forget to ask about their personality traits and interests to create a relevant theme for the birthday.
Incorporate personalized decorations, favors, and a unique birthday cake.
2. Graduation party
This personal event fits the list as long as the friends and family of the graduate are behind this event. We’re not talking about graduation ceremonies hosted by schools and colleges.
Based on the number of guests, you can think of hosting a house party or renting a venue outside.
It’s a good idea to have speeches and decor highlighting the academic journey of the individual.
End the event with a gift ceremony and a toast to the new graduate.
3. Engagement party
In engagement parties, you don’t just need to understand one client, but two.
Engagement parties are slightly more intimate as compared to weddings. So be sure not to miss out on any people in the invitations.
Know that there are formal and informal elements to engagement events. Strike a balance between the two with all rituals and some fun activities.
The highlight of the day is going to be the ring ceremony. Therefore, you need to make sure that there are a lot of smaller events leading up to the big highlight.
4. Weddings
Weddings will challenge your event-planning skills even more. Instead of two people as clients, you’ll be accommodating the needs of two families.
Wedding planning begins months in advance. Here are all the vendor details and wedding planning checklists that you need.
To ensure everything runs smoothly, you’ll need a detailed timeline for all the tasks you have to complete. Top it up with good communication with clients and vendors. This will ensure that you have minimum hurdles on the day of the event.
5. Baby shower
In countries abroad, the baby’s gender is known. Thus, baby showers often surround the gender of the baby. Color schemes are chosen accordingly.
However, in countries like India, the baby shower is mother-centric. Here, baby shower events are to make the mother feel pampered.
The gift registry is curated to make raising the child easy in the first few months.
Here, an event planner is not just expected to manage the theme, gift registry, and guest lists. They also have to organize some fun games for everybody to enjoy.
6. Anniversary celebrations
You’ll find a lot of event planning similarities in organizing birthday and anniversary parties.
However, anniversaries have an added layer of planning. You’re expected to focus on the needs and preferences of two individuals instead of just one.
An event planner must also realize the significance of such events.
Add elements of the couple’s relationship in the form of photos and meaningful decor.
7. Retirement parties
Retirement parties are a bittersweet event. For people who love their jobs and for those who are happy to relax and retire, experiences vary vastly.
Nonetheless, once you pinpoint their views about retirement, you can come up with a suitable event.
As part of your retirement party planning, make sure you highlight the career achievements of the retiree.
This event calls for a relaxed atmosphere. Use the decor to make the experience more nostalgic. End the event with meaningful gifts and a toast.
8. Housewarming party
Getting your own place in this economy is an achievement nowadays. Needless to say, people want this milestone to be a celebration everyone remembers.
Housewarming parties may or may not include certain rituals from a religious aspect. But other than that, it has a lot of event planning elements like guest management and games.
With these two being variable elements, do ensure that you have an hour-long tour as part of the event experience. After all, the whole event is about the new house!
9. Family reunion
With families turning more and more nuclear, family reunion events are on the rise. It’s a nice market to tap if you’re an event planner.
Families love to make a grand show of their house, achievements, and bonds to their distant relatives. Family reunion events are an excellent way to showcase these.
These may be more intimate than most events, but they’re often extravagant too. Such examples of personal events require you to come up with family bonding ideas.
You can do this by gathering and showcasing memorabilia and also through certain games.
Additionally, you’ll need to arrange for accommodation for guests traveling long distances for the event.
10. Examples of personal events on holidays
Events like Christmas, Diwali, and New Year often take the shape of personal events. These holiday-centric events are usually only for family and friends, making it a personal event.
It’s different from commercial festival event planning due to its smaller scale and level of personalization.
Since most of the festivals are embedded in different cultures and religions, you’ll need to study it thoroughly. Ask people from these cultures to know the integral elements of such events. For example, you can’t miss eggnog on Christmas and Gujiya on Holi.
Your understanding of the culture as well as your client’s expectations is key to acing these types of events.
11. Vow renewal ceremonies
If you want to step into the world of wedding planning, start with vow renewal ceremonies. These are often organized on special anniversaries like the 25th or 50th.
Here, the already married couple exchanges their vows (or equivalent in other cultures) again. It’s a mini-version of what their wedding was like.
It’s a very personal and emotional event, so treat it like a wedding (but with a much smaller budget).
Don’t shy away from investing in a good photographer here as memories of this event are important.
12. Bachelor/bachelorette party
These are examples of fun personal events. One’s bachelor/bachelorette party is often seen as their last day of freedom as a single person. It’s celebrated with close friends and family, usually of the same gender.
As a result, they want to pack as much fun as they can on this day. It’s also a good practice to have an element of surprise in the celebration.
Keep in mind that your load of managing logistics will increase considerably if you plan a destination party.
According to Maggie Rester, the founder of BASH, a professional bachelor and bachelorette party planning service in Austin, Texas— the best time to organize such events is 1-3 months before the wedding.
13. Funerals and memorials
These are examples of personal events which are morose or serious. An event planner must take up this job with utmost respect and sensitivity.
Make sure you keep your money-related discussions to a minimum. Bother the grieving family as little as possible.
You should provide a well-designed event budget with options during the initial discussion itself. Ask all your follow-up questions in the first few meetings.
Then, you can take up the event planning process in your hand. Your behavior should make your clients feel that they have one less thing to worry about.
Your event flow will include speeches, tributes, and the last rites. Then, all the grieving guests are to enjoy meals. The meals are curated to the deceased person’s preferences.
Make sure there’s ample seating for all the guests. Ensure an overall comfortable experience for all the guests.
14. Recovery milestones
Recovery milestones can celebrate an individual’s journey through hardships. For example, Robin wants to have a get-together after successfully beating cancer.
Such examples of personal events highlight how events can be organized for the most meaningful reasons.
It’s a good practice to keep the event as simple as possible. Get entertainers of the person’s (who recovered) choice. Rest, let speeches and toasts do the magic.
The guest list must consist of the entire support system that a person had during their recovery.
15. Pet celebrations
According to Arpit Kapur, the owner of Doggie Bazaar, and a successful pet event planner, pet events are really important. He says a lot of people miss out on events and festivals because of the fear of leaving their furry friends behind. So, he began organizing his own unique pet events like a dog themed Valentine’s event.
Don’t be surprised but pet birthdays are getting more popular day by day. Here are some tips to organize parties for your pet:
- There are lots of pet-friendly venues available. Book them to accommodate your furry friends and their owners
- Plan activities not just for people but also the pets
- There needs to be a separate menu curated for the furry ones
- Putting up pictures of pets and special moments with them is a good idea
For more tips and guidance on pulling off a pet-friendly event, read the linked article.
16. Bon voyage parties
This is one of the less-occurring examples of personal events, but they do exist.
You’ll see that year-long travels or difficult expeditions are becoming increasingly common. It’s a major life decision.
To encourage fellow travelers and bid farewell to them, friends and family organize this event.
The theme majorly has to do with the destination or something of the traveler’s choice. You can incorporate maps, globes, and decision-specific elements.
Giving travel-friendly gifts is a good addition to have at the event. Include speeches and toasts by loved ones as it is also an emotional event for many.
17. Promotion party
Like other examples of personal events that celebrate personal achievements, this one is no different.
It’s simpler to plan if it’s an informal party. For formal promotion parties, you’d have to incorporate networking opportunities and speeches by seniors.
C. FAQ
1. Which types of events are easy to organize for beginners?
For beginners, some of the easiest events to organize are personal and corporate events. Examples of personal events include birthday parties, family gatherings, and simple corporate meetings.
Due to their size and nature, there are fewer logistics and contingencies to consider. They’re a good stepping stone for a career in event planning.
2. What skills do you need to become an event planner?
The key skills for becoming an event planner are:
- Negotiation skills
- Vendor management
- Adaptability
- Organizational skills
- Creative
- Effective communication
Realize that these soft skills develop with ample experience. Do take up volunteering and internships in the initial stages of your career.
3. What are some of the biggest challenges while organizing personal events?
Personal events are emotional. Thus, going right and wrong often results in strong reactions. You need to be prepared for both.
There’s often more than one person you have to please. Thus, you also have the added responsibility of meeting the expectations of multiple clients at once.
You have to manage all of it, while also staying under budget.
By offering a personalized experience and adapting to unforeseen issues, you can mitigate most problems.
D. Concluding examples of personal events
Personal events demand a really good understanding of client preferences. Details and personal touches can set your event apart.
These examples of personal events will help you build your career in event planning. By having these insights, you can choose your specializations accordingly.
We hope we were able to cover the intricacies of each celebration. Remember, that with each personal event, you are creating lifelong memories for your client and their loved ones.
We’re grateful to have played a role in it.
To give back to our readers, we have a free knowledge-sharing space on LinkedIn. It’s open to all event planners and we hope to see you there.
