With so many decisions, big & small, involved in planning an event/party steps can be taken to make it a smoother process. Steps like; creating a budget, coming up with a well thought out timeline, and being focused on details are key for a smooth progression of events leading up to the event. When organizing a formal event, big or small, it’s easy to fall prey to the difficulties of planning for all the details involved, expected & unexpected. Anyone who has spent even just one day coordinating an event knows it takes a great amount of organization.
- ESTABLISH A BUDGET – Coming up with a budget based on income level, savings, and possible family contributions for social events, will help narrow your choices as far as venue and other vendors and will help avoid falling in love with venues and vendors that are unaffordable, therefore, avoid the disappointment of not being able to hire them. On the corporate level, budgets are dictated and allotted by upper management so having a budget range to work with will help point you in the right direction as far as venue, options, etc.
- COME UP WITH A GUEST LIST – Coming up with a tentative guest list will provide the approximate number guests attending your event and help you aim for a venue that can comfortably accommodate your number of invited guests. Once the right size venue within your budget is booked, you can consider other vendors to decorate & work at your venue logistically ie: florists, DJ with production services, photographers/videographer etc.
- CREATE A WORKABLE TIMELINE WHEN PICKING A WEDDING DATE – With hectic work schedules, family obligations, holidays, unexpected life issues, etc. pick a workable time line to plan your event so it doesn’t become a stressful process. The event/party day does sneak up on you and it should be a process shared & enjoyed with immediate family & friends.
- RESEARCH/INTERVIEW VENDORS WHO WILL WORK BEST WITH YOUR PERSONALITY – To avoid stressful situations hire the right group of vendors who work best with your personality. This will help fulfill your vision for your wedding day. By having these prelim discussions with possible vendors early, it will help set the tone of the planning process.
- HIRE AN EVENT PLANNER – Even though an additional cost, hiring an event planner from the get go can help you attain your event visions while working within your budget. In this day & age of hectic schedules, it will benefit most people planning an event/party with having an event planner throughout the whole process. An experienced event planner has relationships with many vendors and can point you in the right direction of vendors that fit your budget and personality. Most clients planning an event claim the week before the event day is the most stressful. That’s when problems with unexpected details come up, leaving some clients stressing & overly coordinating instead of enjoying time with family & friends. Hiring a “week of” or even “day of” event planner is an option that can help handle last-minute vendor meetings and unexpected situations.
