What to Consider when Planning an Event

Planning an event can seem a daunting idea to many of us. Everyone is so busy organising their own lives and juggling work with the children and family life, who has got the time to throw planning an event into all of that!? But, hopefully with a little guidance it won’t seem as bad as you first thought and it may convince you that it really is possible.

Read on for my first 5 steps on how to make a start in planning your dream event…

So, the first question you need to ask yourself is when do you plan on holding your event? Obviously if it is your birthday or anniversary, then you don’t have much choice in what month it will be held, unless you are happy to have an early or late celebration. But, if you are getting married or planning a christening where you can choose, then there are several things you might like to consider…

• Holding an event in August always sounds a lovely idea as you pray for warmer weather but you may find many of your guests might be on holiday.
  
• Check the date you have chosen doesn’t clash with any major event or public holiday such as, Easter, bank holidays or even the final of major sporting events. Sadly this may prevent guests from turning up!
  
• Does the weather really matter to you? This question will depend mainly on whether you want an indoor or an outdoor event.
  
• It is also a good idea to have 2 dates pencilled in, maybe a week either side, just in case your venue and entertainment aren’t available on your first choice of date.
  

I know it seems like there are a lots of things to think about when choosing the right date, but once you have decided you can then set about organising everything else…so, on to step two!

Before choosing your venue it is important to work out how many guests you want to invite. There is no point booking a venue that has a capacity for 80 people when your guest list is for 150! I would recommend sitting down with a cup of tea (I would suggest a glass of wine but you may end up having to re-do it!) and writing down everyone you plan to invite. Remember the plus ones, the children (if you are inviting children) and of course don’t forget Great Aunt Mabel!

When writing a list you will probably be surprised at just how many people you know and also how many children there might be. In doing this, you can be certain your guests wont be squashed into a tiny space shoulder to shoulder, and when it comes to the evening, there will be enough space for your guests to get their groove on!

Now your guest-list is finalised you can start to think about your venue … 

With so many different options to choose from when picking a venue, it will depend whether you want to organise everything yourself or you want a venue that can hold your hand and guide you through each step. If you decide to hold a D.I.Y event you might hire a marquee, a renovated mill, maybe a barn or even a community hall.

For those people afraid of planning it themselves then a hotel or venue with an on-site co-ordinator may be the best option. Whichever type of venue you choose make sure it can accommodate your guest-list that you prepared earlier (Blue Peter style!) and also that it is available on your chosen date…then, GET IT BOOKED!

Be sure to check with the venue owners whether your venue will be decorated for you. If the answer is NO then make a note of how big the venue is so you can buy suitable decorations to fill it. There is nothing worse than having just a handful of balloons scattered across a large seating area and dance floor!

Everyone looks forward to the food at an event, so you need to make the right choices when you get to this bit! How much food and drink to put on will greatly depend on what type of event you are holding. If you are getting married then you would normally have a wedding breakfast for your guests, which may be a sit down meal or it could be a self-service hog roast & barbeque. You would then put on something different for your evening guests.

Whatever type of event you are holding if you want to organise the catering yourself you need to check with the venue that you are allowed to bring your own food or caterers in. Some venues, such as hotels wont allow you to do this and they will offer you a list of their preferred caterers for you to choose from. Once you have chosen your caterer be certain to ask whether they provide waiting staff, you don’t want to end up serving everyone!

If you are holding a D.I.Y event then of course you can bring in whoever you like and hire an ‘on the day’ event co-ordinator to ensure everything runs smoothly. For some people, in particular those on a strict budget this might be the best option not only that, but also you haven’t got anyone telling you what you can and can’t do! Remember though, with this option you will have to think about whether you need to hire glasses, crockery and cutlery. Eating a roast dinner and ice-cream with your hands isn’t the easiest thing to do!

Most caterers will offer lots of different options to fit your budget, so be sure to sit down with them to find out how they can help you and of course, don’t be scared to ask for a tasting session!

One of the most important factors to your event will be the entertainment, it can be the making or the flopping of your event! With so many talented entertainers out there it is hard to choose between all of them. Depending on what your event is you may need different types of entertainment for the various different stages. For example, you might have a harpist playing or a soloist singing when your guests arrive, and in the evening you may have a singer impersonator or black jack tables for the casino feel. You might want a magician, a live band or a DJ but, whatever you choose, make sure you have seen or heard them perform. It is all very well ‘googling’ the local entertainment but it is a big risk if you don’t know how good or professional they are!

Once you have decided who to use you must check they have availability on the date you have chosen. If they are available it is a good idea to book them straightaway, good entertainers get booked up months and sometimes years in advance.

If there are lots of children coming and you want to make sure the adults have a good time, then I would provide separate entertainment for the kids. For indoor events you can hire face-painters, kids entertainers, even hire a crèche service so they are being properly supervised. For outdoor events, you could hire a bouncy castle which would keep the kids entertained for hours (although remember the health & safety aspects and the possibility of injury!). A quieter idea would be jumbo sized garden games such as Jenga, Connect 4 and Twister, just be careful they don’t get knotted up together!

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Hopefully this has given you some pointers on how to get started when planning an event. At first it may seem scary, but once you get started you will realise it is not as frightening as you first thought. You never know you may actually enjoy organising everything and putting your own personal touch to your event!

After all this hard work, you now need to relax and enjoy it!

Using an ‘on the day’ event co-ordinator will ensure you have a fabulous time and your special day is a happy memory you will never forget. On the day event co-ordinators take all the pressure away, ensuring everything runs smoothly so you don’t need to worry about a thing…who wouldn’t want to hire one?!