To some surprise, event planning is not always the most luxurious job. Planners are met with high expectations, long hours, and tedious amounts of creativity, scheduling and budgeting. The moving parts can become confusing and chaotic at times, but planners are self-starters.
While we advise hiring an event planner, we also understand budget limitations, so we would like to lend a helping hand to those who are trying to plan things on their own.
Here are our tips for your endeavors.
Be cautious of favors.
Everyone has a family friend who can “take care of it.” Sometimes, those favors turn out just fine, but most of the time, there are problems. Miscommunications happen, expectations are not met, and in the end, things can fall apart.
Beyond monetary reasons, people will still use family or friends to help out with the event. Take it from a professional in the event business. It is risky and many times does not work out for the host.
Hiring out for small tasks can be cheap and easy. The best part is that you and all your guests can enjoy the night without additional responsibilities.
Be transparent.
Vendors are always appreciative of a transparent client. The more your vendor knows, the better your services will be. Don’t feel pressure to provide all of the event information. Most of the time, all we need is times for load-in, and load-out, but the more we know, the more we are able to help provide the best services we have to offer.
This goes for most vendors in the event business. For example, oftentimes, we are hired for lighting rentals. We can come set up the lighting, set the color requested, but if we know and understand the theme, we might be able to make suggestions for better lighting choices. This can be as simple as a color change, or a change in lighting type.
Many times, we have entered spaces without dimmable lighting, meaning our rental lights are meant to light the whole area. If initially, things don’t work out on the lighting side, we can add more, or get strategic with placement all while sticking to the theme and vision of the event.
Transparency with vendors goes beyond numbers and times. Let your vendors know your vision and let them help you design the event of your dreams.
Stay true to your imagination.
You name it, someone can deliver it. Your dream event is not always that far from reach. Express your creative ability into your event. Focus on the details, and plan the appropriate photoshoots. Your Instagramable evening can happen with some focus and dedication, but what makes imaginative events come to life, is when there is an expected margin of error.
Things are not always perfect when planning an event, but the right person can do it justice by setting attainable goals, staying positive, being transparent, and making it easy for people to enjoy the night.
These are just some of the planning tips we have for those willing to take on the project themselves. We do advise for larger size events, to hire a professional. There is a point where a host and their crew will no longer enjoy the event because of the amount of responsibility it requires to coordinate.
For questions about event rentals, services, or planning, please contact us at (615) 444-6835 or info@faddsevents.com.