A good event planner
will help you create and then stick to your budget. Now, you must be wondering,
how will they help me create a budget? I mean, before planning an event, a
person already has some idea of how much money they intend to spend. What they
often do not know is whether their budget is accurate for the type and style of
event that they would like to host. A
good event planner will advise you on ‘actual’ costs.
Event planners –
especially independent planners – know the industry. They purchase catering, book entertainment,
block hotel rooms, and rent props all the time.
Just hearing your ideas will start their internal calculators! They can
easily tally the amount of money that you will need in order to get the type of
event you desire. Once you have a better approximation of the actual costs,
then a good event planner will help you find areas to save money or areas to
boost up spending in order to maximize the overall event experience for you and
your guests.
Perhaps the defining
trait of a good event planner is that they will help you stick to your budget.
More often than not, without a good event planner, people exhaust their budget even
before the planning is done. Who wants that? Significant increases to the
budget only make it more difficult to enjoy your event because your focus
shifts from having a great time to concern over what the whole thing is
costing. A good event planner can prevent that from happening.
They know the “traps”, those sensitive areas where people are most likely to
overspend, as well as the “tricks”, those clever tactics that ensure maximum value
for your dollar. An event planner will
use their knowledge and experience to create and help you stick to an optimized
budget.
One final thought about
budgets… A small budget does not necessarily mean a poorly managed or pitiful event.
If you enlist the services of a good event planner, they will help you realign your
expectations and maximize your budget in order to not only help you save money,
but also design a great event!
ASK LaTonya….
Question: LaTonya, I always have a dollar amount in
mind when I want to plan an event, but it makes me uncomfortable telling my
event planner the budget. I am not cheapskate
but when I look at pictures of other events, they all seem so expensive. I
worry that the money I have to spend will be too little to get what I
want. I fear that my event planner will
look at me like “Have you lost your mind?!”
How do I get over these concerns?
LaTonya: Your budget need not be disclosed to everyone
but it is to your advantage to disclose it to your event planner. I assure you
that planning your event will be a happier experience for all involved when the
elephant in the room (your budget) is duly acknowledged. If it makes things easier for you, then give
a range. You might say, “Ideally, I’d like to do this event for around $$ but,
no matter what, I cannot go over $$.” Or perhaps, “I’ve budgeted $$, but if we
find the perfect [insert your dream thing
here] then, come hell or high water, I’ll find the additional money. It’s
just that important to me.” Lastly, I tend
to stay away from “spend” language. I prefer
to think of your budget as your event investment. So, how much will you invest toward an event that
will be a wonderful, memorable experience for all?
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