Dinner format
- Long tables suit groups up to around 40 and create one shared conversation.
- Round tables scale better past 50 and let guests move between courses.
- Sharing-style service works well in a tropical setting and reduces the pressure on a temporary kitchen.
Lighting is the design
After sunset, the venue you chose disappears and the lighting becomes the room. Festoon lines, candlelight at table level and a small amount of uplighting on planting will do more for the photographs than any additional floral spend.
Ask for a lighting plan, not a quantity of bulbs.
Heat, air and insects
Evening temperatures stay warm. Fans matter, particularly for a seated dinner with no breeze. On green sites, insect treatment on the day is standard, and citronella at the perimeter helps.
Sound
Open air absorbs sound. Speeches need microphones even for 30 people, and a beachfront ceremony needs amplification against surf. Confirm the venue's curfew and decibel limit before booking a band; many villas permit amplified music only until a fixed hour.