So you reach that moment when you realize you need a professional who can strategize with you about how to bring your extravagant dream for the next party to life… First step: establishing expectations and determining what’s financially doable.
So often people come to me with grandiose ideas that they want me to carry out, which is totally fine with me; it’s kind of what I live for! However, along with those grandiose ideas, people should also have the understanding that the more elaborate an event, the more expensive it will be. That’s why I wanted to offer some suggestions and my insight about this crucial stage in event planning – the budgeting process. If you’re determined to stay on a smaller scaled budget and have a certain price point in mind, recognize that some aspects of an ostentatious vision likely will have to be forfeited. Before you get discouraged, know the key is prioritizing appropriately and getting professional advice on what to eliminate so that quality is not. A savvy event stylist will know how to cut costs without cutting corners and/or offer creative alternatives. It’s not necessarily about having an enormous budget; it’s about having the RIGHT elements within a budget, which takes an eye for design to determine. Many event planners have a set price point package, based on an event. For example, a birthday party package may cost a specific amount vs. a baby shower. I personally don’t like that approach because my belief is that the client should feel like his/her vision became a reality, not like his/her personal celebration could (or even should) fit a “cookie cutter’” event package like any other.
In my opinion, event design is magical.
And it’s just not plausible to design an idiosyncratic event experience when you’re trying to fit into a pre-determined package with rigid limitations on décor already set. So here are my most basic but most important suggestions…
*Bonus Tip particularly when planning a business event: budget to avoid incurring a loss. In other words, have a plan that at least will ensure you break even. With that in mind, realize overly optimistic predictions regarding guests and outcomes often lead to financial loss for an event.*
Ultimately, trying to do it all on your own without a professional can mean the difference between a wonky event and a swanky one. It’s critical to have the vision as well as the expertise to see the design as a whole with so many tiny pieces that must fit together and also fit in a budget. Once the event budget has been developed, the hostess/coordinator can exercise control over the event expenditures and make sound financial decisions about specifics.
That’s why having clear and honest expectations between the client and event planner is imperative.
Those are my suggestions. Additional thoughts? Specific questions? Please share in the comments below.
