Events / Event Planning Steps To Remember
There are a multitude of event planning steps to remember when planning your special day. It can be overwhelming at times to figure out and tackle all of the event planning steps on your list, not to mention, hard to know exactly when the steps need to be addressed during the process.
Establish your guest list and budget early.
Planning a wedding or event should be fun but there are important, and sometimes controversial, topics that must be addressed at the start of the process in order to plan effectively.
One of the most important event planning steps is to establish your guest list and budget early on in your planning process.
We drill this topic over and over here at Allseated because it’s pretty much impossible to effectively plan your event without knowing how much money you have to spend and how many guests may be in attendance.
In order to properly select the venue for your event, you must know how many guests you need the room to hold and how much money you have to spend to make it possible! Think about it like this – You cannot select a venue that holds 100 people if you are inviting 250 and you cannot invite 250 guests if you cannot afford the per plate price at the specific venue.
“A good way to decide on a realistic budget for your wedding is to seek out advice from friends who have already planned their own weddings and events. Let them know what you loved about their wedding and ask for their help in determining what certain things cost to figure out your budget.” – James Berglie, Be Photography
Allseated Guest List
Provide your clients with the added value of utilizing Allseated’s guest list. The guest list allows you to manage guest name and mailing addresses which can easily stored alphabetically, with the option to filter for into specific categories based upon the event’s needs. Guest names can be entered manually or imported from Facebook or Excel. The guest list also includes sections for notes, meal type information, and RSVP tracking.
Give yourself time to plan the details.
No matter how big or small a wedding or event will be, it is going to require an investment of time, organization, and decision making in order to ensure a smooth-running, seamless affair.
It takes time to understand your event vision and only once you begin the planning process do you fully grasp your desires. Before you begin the planning process, you may think you know what style you are going for but only once you begin to work with vendors on your vision do you realize what is truly interesting to you for your event.
Start your planning early in order to give yourself time to make educated decisions. You don’t want a situation where you feel rushed which can lead to forced decisions, a lack of organization and added stress.
Do a detailed venue and vendor research.
Even though you think you found the right venue or vendor for your event, do the research. Compare pricing from at least two other similar venues and vendors and if possible, read reviews written by previous event hosts.
Sometimes what we initially think is a great deal really isn’t that special. Exploring all options may also help in finding a venue and/or vendor that best matches your needs.
“Ask for help! Whether it’s hiring a wedding planner, bringing on your friends and family or a mixture of both, you do not need to go through the planning process process alone. Put together your wedding team to avoid undue stress – you’ll be glad you did when your big day comes!” – Kevin Dennis, Fantasy Sound Event Services
Understand the differences in pricing before making decisions.
While the pricing may vary greatly between venues and vendors with some offering you more bells and whistles than others, sometimes what it will take you to bring in the extras on your own can add up both financially and emotionally.
If you are going to need to bring price arrange to bring in the chairs, lighting, and other “extras” on your own in addition to the usual décor and entertainment, it may be worth exploring the full service catering halls and venues. At first glance their pricing may seem high but actually may work out to the same price as the cheaper, less inclusive venue when all is said and done.
“Think about your overall vision for your wedding or event. Then, consider what your lighting and decor needs may be. You don’t have to jump into shopping yet, but it’s good to have a solid idea of your dream wedding as you start looking for the right event planning companies, venues and vendors for your special day.” – Audrey Isaac, 100 Candles.
Ask Important Questions
As you go through your search, remember to continue to ask questions. Getting back to pricing information, when meeting for example with a caterer, be sure to specifically ask what the pricing structure is, and what is included. Most caterers (and other vendors as well) will provide you with a list of packages available at various price points. If something is not clear, ask for clarification. Vendors are happy to answer your questions!
Other questions you may wish to ask vendors may include:
Who would be my contact throughout the planning process? Is that the same contact on the day of my event or will I have a day-of contact person?
You may meet with the owner of the company but who will be the contact during the planning process and on the day of the event? This is an important question to ask so that you know who you will be working with during the process and the day of.
If there are a few people involved on your event, you may want to schedule some time to speak with them directly while also getting all contact information in advance of your event. If you are looking to serve alcohol at your event, it’s important to ask the venue or caterer if they have a Liquor License Liability/Certificate of Insurance.
Payment Schedules.
What is the payment schedule? How do I handle tipping? How do you like to receive payments?
It’s best to knock out the payment schedule and structure early on in your process so that you are financially prepared for the day of your event. Planning and organizing in advance reduces stress and scrambling later on!
Address Hidden Costs.
Sometimes we do not think about, know about, or count the secondary details but they can add up! Be sure to outline all details with your vendors early on in your planning process so that nothing pops up for you towards the end that you were not aware of from the start.
Stay organized with timelines.
Allseated offers you the ability to build multiple event timelines which provides an extra level of organization. List and detail your event planning steps and appointments to keep you organized and on task throughout the planning process. Set up a day-of timeline for your beauty appointments and create a vendor timeline to keep your vendors collaborating, up to date on details and all operating on the same page.
Allseated’s latest Virtual Reality technology, Allseated Vision, is the event industry’s first/only genuine virtual reality capability. With Allseated Vision, easily sell a venue on the go and allow clients to visualize events before they happen. Save time, enhance client experience, and close more business by virtually transporting clients to a venue no matter where they are in the world.
Prospects can tour an event space in a 360 degree view from anywhere at anytime, eliminating need to be on-site and increasing the ability to plan destination weddings from afar. Learn more about Allseated Vision here.
