Planning an event can be a very time consuming process. Especially in the beginning stages, where you are still trying to understand your needs and desires for your special occasion.
Most people hire an event planner for their bridal shower, baby shower, or birthday event to avoid the trouble of handling all the details. Though hiring an event planner is a spectacular idea that helps you with managing your event, I think it is also very important for you as a client to understand what are some of the processes of event planners.
One of the most important parts of planning an event is budgeting. Without a reasonable budget, it can be very easy for costs to spiral out of control. Event budgeting is a forecast of all expenditures that will be generated from your event. This is essential for managing and estimating costs in order to have a successful event experience.
For event planners, staying within your budget is necessary. That's why having a detailed budget that you and your event planner agree on can allow you to fulfill all of you needs and desires for your event. Some important costs to consider for events include the following:
Food & Beverage - Catering Cost
Entertainment & Equipment Fees - A/V, Entertainers, Speakers
Venue Rentals
Decor Expenses
Hidden Fees - Vendor Delivery & Set Up, Credit Card Fees
An event planner's goal is to create an experience that stimulates our five senses. From the quality and aroma of the food (smell & taste), to lighting (sight), to music (hearing), and the luxurious feel of the decor (touch), event planners want to keep your guest and attendees engaged and excited to interact at your event. The above expenses directly tie into your budget and are vital in creating the perfect event space depending on your theme or occasion.
Now that you understand some aspects about budgeting, you can begin to map out your individual line item needs. Today, I wanted to show you what different kinds of budgets can accomplish for your special event. We will start by looking at what budgets around $1000 to $5000 can get you for an event.
A $1000 Event
If $1000 is your starting point:
Let's say you want to plan a bridal shower for 20 guests. With $1000 as your budget you will need to limit any excess spending. For example, instead of renting a venue (which can be from $150 an hour upwards), try utilizing your backyard or home as the venue.
As for Food & Beverage, it would be best to try going to your local grocery store to get snack and treats for your guests. Catering can be costly, especially for 20 guests. Jump to Pinterest to find cute bridal shower snack and cocktails that you can DIY with your family and friends before the event.
Decorations are essentials for any bridal shower to spark the pre-wedding excitement from your close friends and family. Depending on the theme, you can find inexpensive decor items on Amazon, Efavormart, or craft stores. You will most likely have to hand-make some of the decor items as well to keep costs in check.
If you desire to rent large popular decor items such as floral walls, photo booths, backdrops, tents, or balloon garlands, this can put a big dent in your budget. These items likely come from event vendors or suppliers, so they can charge you for these items plus set up, delivery, breakdown, and pickup fees. Though they would be beautiful additions to your event, we want to focus on the more vital decor options like tableware, linens, table & chair rentals, small floral arrangements, and centerpieces for this budget.
With $1000, you are looking at more of a DIY event. If you need some help from a professional, booking a consultation with an event planner can help you get some ideas or find vendors to start you in the right direction with planning your own event.
A $2000 - $3000 Event
If your starting budget is $2000-$3000:
Let's say your planning a birthday dinner party for 15-20 guests. With $2000-$3000, you can have more flexibility to get the most out of you event. At this range, you can hire an event planner for day of coordination to facilitate the flow or the day, so you won't need to worry about a thing the day of.
Food & Beverage can be catered to ease the stress on you for your birthday. For instance, if you wanted to have a nice meal for you and your guests, you can find a catering company to provide one meal at a range of $15-$25 per person. This will still leave you with a large portion of your budget.
At $2000-$3000, you may also considering booking a small venue. Venues such as art galleries, Airbnbs, and restaurants are cheaper to rent for small parties. If you choose to use the restaurant event space, food and beverage will be easily provided to you along with renting the space.
Your decorations can be larger and more detailed. This budget allows you to focus more on the look and feel you want for your event. So if you birthday dinner is a black tie masquerade theme you can surely find elements that compliment this theme within your budget. This is also where you can hire an event planning to go through their resources of vendors and suppliers to find you exactly want you need to create the perfect ambience for your event.
A $4000-$5000 Event
If your budget is $4000-$5000:
At this range you have much more room to plan a high quality small event. An event planner can take care of juggling all the tasks required to accomplish your event within this budget.
Suppose you want to plan a baby shower with a circus theme for 25 guests. An Event planner can bring your visions to life through structuring and coordinating all the moving parts of your event. Hiring an event planner allows you to focus on having a good time and our services provide you with professional results.
This budget can accommodate small venue rentals, catering, and decor very easily for at least 20-25 guests. $4000 to $5000 gives your event planner more room to source high quality vendors and suppliers. You will have the flexibility to create a specific theme with the finest event elements. In the industry, this budget is standard to provide full service event planning for small events.