10 things to do to get the best from your party planner

Our industry is one which is totally dependent on power but there are still ways that we can reduce the impact we have on the environment. Here at APS, we always think carefully about the implications of our actions with regards to waste, the environment and climate change.

A magnificent marquee (provided by the best in the business - our friends from Covered Occasions), delicious food, superb wines and guests from around the world. Add lighting by APS and you have the party of the year in beautiful, rural E.Sussex.

APS were approached by our very good friends Covered Occasions Marquees to light their marquee so that the space could be made to provide a different ambience for the different stages in the celebration, from initial reception to the wedding breakfast and, later on, partying. The clients got all that they asked for and more...

We are based in a music-loving community but we realised that there was little or no opportunity for young musicians to perform their own music to an audience. Hence a collective (including Richard Alexander of APS Ltd) started the free ‘Silchester Music Festival’ to give them a platform to perform on. 

Annabel and Jane (world renowned party planners also known as Queenie & Belles) engaged APS to help design and deliver a sensational Ibiza themed party / birthday celebration. Working closely with them and other suppliers including the marquee providers (our friends at Lulu’s of Henley), caterers, DJs and so forth, our role covered all aspects of the lighting, sound and power requirements.

There was little in the way of understatement when it came to the fashions of this era, with Donna Summer, Earth, Wind & Fire and Glam Rock.  Once again, we were called in by our friends Covered Occasions  - they supply excellent marquees and, more importantly, are really nice people.  Working with the many suppliers involved, including florists and interior designers, APS were charged with designing and delivering lighting to support this theme.

Nothing can be more romantic than to get married in a woodland clearing surrounded by beautiful countryside.  APS’s brief was to make this happen.

First the venue.  Our clients decided on The Wasing Estate near Aldermaston in Berkshire.  This really fitted the bill with ancient woods and a lake creating a beautiful setting, and other features, such as firepits, which would work well with their ‘festival’ theme.

South African based manufacturers Freeform® Tents  has pioneered the development of the extraordinary stretch tent concept to create tents that deliver unmatched value to event rental businesses and commercial spaces across the globe.

An indoor riding school is not an obvious or easy space to transform into a great party venue.  Despite being weatherproof, the soft and deep sand/chipped rubber floor surface, the agricultural construction and even the slight ‘eau-de-livestock’ along with a limited budget all offered their own challenges. APS were engaged to transform the space; designing, installing and operating the lighting systems, as well as rigging the staging and trussing and all aspects of power generation and distribution.