As soon as you start thinking about a big event, it can sometimes be hard not to go into full planning mode! Or maybe you’re one of those people that does the exact opposite… You procrastinate until the very end, you get overwhelmed, or maybe the planning process just doesn’t get you excited.

No matter which way you lean with event planning, we have a few suggestions that we make when preparing for any type of event. In theory, every event follows the same pattern. Here are a few tips we recommend when getting started!

1.Start Early

Like we said above, you may be a master procrastinator. But when it comes to planning an event, especially an event with a large guest count such as a wedding, planning early is key. The more time in advance your vendors have to prepare, the better. You’re also going to get your choice of vendors if you start early.

By waiting until the last second to plan, you’ll likely have to pay higher prices in order to rush ship or accommodate vendors for their quick turnaround time. You’ll also run the risk of not getting all of the products you need to pull off your event, leaving it to look haphazard and unfinished. We always like to follow a minimum 12 week timeline for special events, and a 1 year timeline for weddings and galas.

2. Set a Budget

You’re going to hear us harp on this a lot. And that is not only because we have studied the market and trends for event planning costs over the years in order to create a really great budgeting system, but because this is the step that will help you decide how you truly want your event to pan out. Whether you budget is big or small, knowing where to spend your money helps you plan more easily. Plain and simple!

3. Choose the right venue

When we say venue, we don’t always mean public space. A venue can be a large event space or it could be your own cozy dining room or backyard. The venue is the main factor that will set the vibe for your event. If you are wanting to host a farm animal themed first birthday party, a wedding hall in a hotel probably isn’t the place to go, even if you need a lot of space for your guests. But if you’re wanting an intimate, summer garden wedding, setting up in your backyard or a family member’s property would be a perfect place for your designer to bring your vision to life.

These are the four main things to think about when choosing a venue:

• Guest count (How much space do you need?)

• Overall mood/theme (Are you wanting black tie wedding or airy spring wedding? Etc.)

• Again - BUDGET

• Amenities (What does the venue include?)

You can read our blog How to Choose Your Venue for even more details!

4. Create a Timeline

Most people think that only weddings or corporate galas need a timeline. But that’s where most people would be wrong. EVERY event needs a timeline, even for a first birthday party, bridal shower, or corporate fundraiser. I mean think about it - How many times have you been to a baby shower and it gets a little awkward because no one knows when they can start to eat or when it’s time to open gifts? Creating timeline can help you avoid that awkwardness!

Another reason a timeline is important is to make sure you give yourself enough time to set up, cook, clean, etc. We mention in our blog post about mistakes to avoid that one of the biggest mistakes that is made is not giving yourself enough time to set up. You wouldn’t want to prepare for a party 2 hours beforehand when it takes 2 hours to cook, 2 hours to set up, and 1 hour to change your clothes! Everyone would arrive and you wouldn’t be ready. So we recommend a full day timeline just to keep yourself and anyone else involved in the planning process on time.

5. Plan for the unexpected

This truly isn’t a plug to hire an event coordinator, but this is the exact thing that a professional in the field will do. They have worked the industry and have seen just about anything and everything that could go wrong. So they are the people that have a plan when things don’t go to plan.

If you chose not to hire an event coordinator or planner, think about how your day will play out. And then think about roadblocks that could be thrown up and how to avoid them. And not only how to avoid them, but how you would plan to correct it if it was unavoidable. It can be hard to plan for the unexpected, but knowing to have a plan B, plan C, or even D, E, or F can make handling roadblocks a lot less stressful.

If you have any questions on where to start planning, take a look at more of our website! We love posting about tips and tricks and also how we can help! If you’re a bride or groom looking at starting the wedding planning process, our wedding group is a great place to start! We will post updates, new blog posts, and you’ll get to hear from others that are going through the same process as you! Check it out by clicking the button below!