Event planning is largely considered one of the most stressful activities you can undertake. It makes sense—you have a lot riding on your event and, in order to pull it off, you need to successfully manage a great amount of detail and work.
In order to make planning your event a smoother journey, there are five things you can do.
1. Start Early
The more time you give yourself when it comes to planning your event, the better. A lot of people don’t realize just how much advance many venues and caterers need during the booking process. Especially in a city like Toronto, where there are always events happening on the weekends, venues and caterers can get booked up really fast. If you are looking for a specific venue or date, planning early is a must.
The general rule of thumb is booking between 9 to 18 months in advance. Not only will this help ensure you get the venue and caterer you want, it’ll also give you plenty of time to make your event the very best that it can be.
2. Make a Checklist
A checklist is a powerful tool; it’s important to remember that organization is always key when it comes to planning your event. One of the first things you should do is sit down and make a list of all the things that need to be accomplished in order for the party to go off without a hitch.
Don’t focus just on the general—include the smaller details in your checklist as well. Then, put them in order of priority. Accomplishing tasks item by item can help everything go much smoother. If you are working with a committee, assign each person tasks to accomplish on the checklist and keep them to their deadline dates.
3. Set a Firm Budget
This tip is essential. Planning your event can get expensive quickly. If you don’t start off with a firm budget in mind, then things can quickly spiral out of control. Throughout the planning process, you’ll be meeting with a lot of different service providers. Going in without a figure in mind is dangerous because you may end up making rash decisions that you can’t actually afford. Don’t forget to factor in a contingency budget for any last minute or emergency items that may pop up to take a bite out of your budget.
Money is the number-one cause of stress when it comes to planning an event, but if you establish a budget early on then you can ensure that this doesn’t become a problem.
4. Work with an Event Planner
Event planning is actually very difficult; you have to juggle so many different concerns at once. For big events, event planning can start to feel like a full-time job in and of itself. Yet, most people don’t have that kind of time to commit to planning an event. Work and life gets in the way.
Event planners make it their full-time job to see that everything goes according to plan. They know how to deal with multiple tasks at once, and they have a lot of experience pulling off extraordinary events. Hiring an event planner doesn’t mean relinquishing creative control; it means working with a trained professional to ensure that your vision comes to life. They bring their expertise and contacts to the table and may have many ideas that will help you bring your vision to life, within your budget.
5. Work with a Venue That Does More
One of the best ways you can streamline the event planning process is by seeking out a venue that does more than just provide a space for your event. While many venues provide the basics, such as the space and the necessary accommodations for that space, there are many which go above and beyond when it comes to helping their clients pull off their events.
Certain venue will provide day-of organizers, event décor and DJs, and they often can give you a list of established and talented caterers they’ve worked with in the past. This can be a great benefit. The companies they recommend have experience working with the venue and know exactly how to cater to the space.