Nowadays everyone is and does everything! If you colored in grammar school, you’re an artist. If you take really great pictures with your camera phone, you’re a photographer. If you apply really cool eye shadow, you guessed it, you’re a makeup artist! Well, just because you believe you throw nice parties doesn’t make you a successful and/or professional planner.
NOTE: Every event— from the smallest birthday party to the grandest wedding— requires some planning and organization. How well you manage the details determines whether you have an outstanding event or just an average one. Regardless of the type of event you are planning, here are a few tips to help ensure your event is successful and your planning process is fun and stress-free.
I Wish I May I Wish I Might
STOP! Before you run off sending out invites and such, have an idea of what kind of event you want to have. Even more importantly, how much you want it to cost? Write down every idea no matter how ridiculous it may seem, this will be the start of your WISH list. In addition, write down your stakeholders (those that who have a a key interest in the outcome).
As you’re wishing, be sure not to lose sight of the following: (who, what, where, why, when)
- Who are you inviting? What is your target audience? What memories do you want to have as you look back on the event a few years from now?
- What kind of atmosphere do you want to create? Are you going to have a theme? What’s the attire?
- Where do you want to hold your event? Indoors or outdoors?
- Why are you hosting the event? Is it for a cause or simply just because?
- When do you want your event to take place? Have 2 or 3 dates that will work for your event, especially if coordinating with others.
I always recommend prioritizing your wish list before moving further.
Whoa, I’m Loaded!! (or not)
The Big “B’ ….For many people, this is the most difficult phase because we all tend to want to do more than we can afford. If you haven’t created a VENDOR LIST…. you should have 
This step in the planning process will tell you how many of those vendors you can actually afford. I didn’t bother to list vendors because you don’t even know how much you can spend and you haven’t found a venue.
When talking budget, be true to yourself! That’s it… that’s all! You’ll need to come up with an approximate total cost for your event. How does it compare to the figure you had in mind while wishing? Can you afford to do everything you want?
Ponder that until Part II where we will dive into two tips that can be a little more fun!
“Love & Laughter – Simply Shay”
