Party planning checklist for Trinidad: tents, rentals, permits, bar

A good party in Trinidad and Tobago comes down to booking things in the right order: date and venue first, then tent and rentals, power, permits, the bar and ice, music and a rain plan. This checklist works for a backyard birthday, christening, anniversary, family day or office lime. Use it as written, or hand it to your event planner.

8 weeks out: the big decisions

• Pick the date. The Met Service describes the dry season as January to May and the wet season as June to December. An outdoor party in the wet season needs a solid rain plan.
• Set the guest list and budget. Headcount drives everything else.
• Choose the venue: your yard, a family home, a community centre, a hall or a rented villa.
• Decide if you need an event planner. For 100-plus guests, several vendors or a venue you don't know, a planner or coordinator saves stress. They handle bookings, deliveries and the run-sheet, and they are the person vendors call on the day. For a small family lime, this checklist is usually enough.
• Book the bar team if you are using one. Our guide to open bar, cash bar and consignment helps you choose a format.

Tent and party rentals in Trinidad

Most rental companies supply tents, tables, chairs, linens and lighting, and some add dance floors, décor, coolers and portable toilets. Prices vary by size, distance and season, so get two or three quotes.

Tip: Ask every rental company the same three questions: delivery time, collection time, and what happens if it rains on set-up day.

For the bar side, our guide to glassware for events covers how many glasses per guest and whether to rent or buy.

Power: generator, venue or T&TEC?

Count what needs power: lights, sound, blenders, chillers, fans, phone charging and the caterer's warmers. Then choose a source:

• The venue's own supply, if it can handle the load. Ask where the outlets are.
• A generator, sized by a professional for your total load, placed away from the tent and the bar, with fuel stored safely.
• A T&TEC temporary supply. At the time of writing, T&TEC lists a direct single-phase temporary supply at TT$3,024.70 and three-phase at TT$5,718.41, VAT inclusive, on rates revised from January 2023. It notes these supplies are typically for construction sites, so for a one-night party a generator is usually the practical choice.

Use a qualified electrician for anything beyond a plug and an extension cord, and tape or cover cables where guests walk.

Permits, noise and the neighbours

• Noise variation. If the music will exceed the standards in the Noise Pollution Control Rules, the EMA says you must first apply for and receive a noise variation. Fees are TT$250 for a single event and TT$1,000 for multiple events, and applications can be emailed to noise@ema.co.tt.
• Public notice. Under the 2022 rules reported by the Guardian, a public notice had to run in a daily newspaper on two consecutive days, at least 35 days before the event. Check current requirements early.
• Selling drinks. If guests will pay for drinks, the sale must be covered by a liquor licence, such as a venue licence or an occasional licence under the Liquor Licences Act.
• Tell the neighbours. A note with your end time and a phone number heads off most complaints.

Note: This is general information, not legal advice. Check with the EMA and the Licensing Committee at the Magistrates' Court for your district.

The bar, drinks and ice

• Estimate drinks: one drink per drinking guest per hour. Our guide on how much alcohol you need has ready-made tables.
• Plan ice generously. Heat melts it fast, so order more than you think and store it in coolers out of the sun.
• Mocktails and soft drinks for children, drivers and guests who don't drink.
• Water, free and cold, all night.
• Age. Alcohol may not be sold to anyone under 18 under the Liquor Licences Act.

Music and entertainment

• Agree the DJ or band's set times and the music end time before the day.
• Give the sound system its own power, separate from the bar's chillers.
• Keep speakers pointed away from neighbours where you can.

Your rain plan

The wet season brings heavy showers, and showers happen in the dry season too. Plan for:

• tent sides and enough cover for the bar, food and sound
• flooring or mats where the ground turns to mud
• cables off the ground and away from puddles
• a covered route between the tent, toilets and parking if possible
• towels and a mop for the bar and dance floor

Setting a realistic party budget

Rental, food and bar quotes all scale with your guest count, so fix the headcount before you collect quotes. Then add a contingency of 5 to 10% for the extras that always appear: more ice, an extra extension cord, a tent side when the sky turns grey, or a late finish. Ask every supplier whether prices include VAT, and whether delivery and collection are extra.

Party day checklist

1. Rentals delivered and checked against the order
2. Tent up, sides ready, power tested
3. Ice and drinks delivered and chilling
4. Bar set up, menu sign out, water station filled
5. Sound check done
6. First-aid kit, torches and spare extension cords on hand
7. Rides home arranged for anyone drinking

The day after

• Count drinks. On consignment, unopened bottles go back.
• Return rentals clean and on time.
• Clear the site, including bottle caps and cable ties in the grass.
• Thank the neighbours.

Next steps

Send us your date, venue and guest count through the quote form, and we will take the bar, ice and glassware off your list.