Planning fraternity and sorority formals is no easy feat! There are many ingredients that go into successfully planning your fraternity formal in New Orleans.
Without a doubt, planning a formal is a semester-long project, which can be overwhelming if you’re extremely busy taking a heavy school load, doing Greek life extracurriculars, or currently holding a job, too. It can be a challenge to effectively plan your fraternity formal with everything going on because you need to have dedicated time set aside to properly plan out every aspect of your trip so that you, your brothers, and your dates have an amazing trip without any mishaps.
If you want to have an awesome fraternity formal in New Orleans, then read our tips below to understand the basic fundamentals of what you’ll need.
1. Hotels: Where is everyone going to stay?
One of the biggest considerations you’ll need to think about is where you and your fraternity are going to stay.
Not only will you need to find a hotel that’s within your budget, you’ll also need to consider whether or not they’ll be able to accommodate a group of your size and the location of the hotel itself. Is it near places your group would like to visit? Is the hotel in a safe area and within a decent distance of the venue you pick?
It’s also important to keep in mind that hotels can be very expensive due to on-going weekend events and professional conventions. Planning your formal early is a must for New Orleans, especially if you plan to go in April. There are other school Spring Breaks, and both the Jazz Fest and the French Quarter Fest occur in April and May.
This also means that hotels can get quickly booked up during those months, so we recommend traveling in the Fall Semester in November, or if you’re really set on Spring Semester, then plan to go at the beginning of the semester in late January to the end of February.
These hotels are our top 3 picks for New Orleans: Hyatt Regency, Virgin Hotels, and Ace Hotel.
2. Venues: Where is everyone going to have fun?
Obviously, you want a fun place to party and dance the night away, right? Picking the venue where you and your brothers have fun is the next crucial step to planning your trip.
There are three main things you’ll want to think about when it comes to picking your venue:
The size of the venue. Can it hold everyone in your group? Will there be enough room for entertainment and dancing?
Catering services. Does the venue provide catering so that no one in your group is worried about what they're going to eat for the night?
Security procedures. Do you have a good understanding of the space you’re occupying and the security procedures?
Your venue is going to provide a night of memories, entertainment, and more, so be sure to pick one that suits your fraternity the best!
Here are venues we love in New Orleans: Riverview Room, Nopsi, and The Cannery.
3. Transportation: How is everyone going to get there?
Of course, your group needs to get to the formal, so you want to ensure that you’ve coordinated good transportation so everyone can get there safely. This includes getting to the hotel, getting from the hotel to the venue and getting back to the hotel after a night of fun.
Some things you’ll want to consider here are drop off and loading zones. Does the hotel and the venue have these areas? Is there space big enough for the bus to drop everyone off and park?
You’ll also want to make sure that the transportation company you choose is reliable and has a good reputation so you know you and your group will arrive on time. Do they have good reviews? What are others saying about this transportation company?
Our top pick for New Orleans is Transportation New Orleans Luxury Limos where you’re sure to arrive in style!
4. Logistics and Other Challenges: Do you have everything ready to go?
There’s a lot to think about and consider when planning your fraternity formal, and sometimes, this means small details (or even big ones) can slip through the cracks.
The biggest thing you’ll want to keep in mind is your budget for the whole event.
What is your budget?
Who will be keeping track of payments? Are the payments being made on time?
Are you overpaying for certain items?
Are you or anyone else comfortable negotiating contracts with sales managers?
And although your budget is the biggest concern, there are other details you’ll want to be mindful of such as planning out your formal far in advance. For example, if you’re planning your fraternity formal for Spring semester, then you’ll want to have everything booked and in place no later than Thanksgiving.
Is someone going to volunteer to be the point person for everything, and handle all the details? If so, will they miss out on any of the fun because they’re too busy making sure everything is going to plan?
If this sounds overwhelming, we completely understand! Planning an amazing formal that you and your brothers are sure to remember for a lifetime is hard work, and it can be a lot to do for those of you who are studying, working, and living the fraternity life.
Often, fraternity formal planning companies like BigDaddy Formals already have reliable connections with preferred hotels and venues that they work with, which will not only get you much better pricing, it will also ensure that you’re getting safe and dependable places to stay and have a good time. Having a third party between your fraternity and the resort, venue, and transportation companies is a win all around.
Working with a company like BigDaddy Formals can help remove the stress, give you access to exclusive discounts, and seamlessly plan all the elements of your trip for you. Schedule a time to speak with the team regarding your upcoming fraternity formal in New Orleans here.
Want to see what a formal in New Orleans with BigDaddy Formals looks like? Check out our video below!