Event Planning Tips

With every event comes lots of planning. No one wants to do it (except the crazy ones), yet we all must. So what comes with planning? Believe it or not, it actually is beneficial to plan outyourplan when it comes to big events. People often get overwhelmed with the details, so laying out a foundation for what must be done is vital if you want to pull off a great event – and ease your stress in doing so.

1. Create a Hashtag

          By creating a #hashtag for your event, you are making your event social media friendly. In today’s day and age, social media is everywhere. Whether it is Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, etc., guests can now utilize your custom hashtag to post videos and/or pictures of your event – making it one that won’t be forgotten anytime soon.

Not only that, but hashtags also allow you to be able to go back and view all the pictures and videos your guests were taking during the event! Hashtags provide a great way to reminiscence on the special day.

2. Make a Checklist

          Checklists seem like a no brainer, but can often be forgotten. Making a checklist will help you see how much needs to get done, and gives you a sense of accomplishment when you check things off one by one. It’s the little victories in life, isn’t it?

Laying out a list of things to accomplish allows you to see everything that needs to be done in real time, eliminating the stress of having to remember everything. The goal is to trim down those potential stressors one bit at a time, and a checklist allows you to do this.

3. Communication With all Involved is Key

          With some many moving parts with big events, keeping everyone on the same page is never easy. Your venue, DJ, photo booth, live musicians, florists and any other vendors should be in communication at all times leading up to your event. It may fall on you at times to be the middle (wo)man, but that’s ok. Make sure everyone gets their questions answered, and knows who is doing what. This will allow for each individual to know his or her responsibility from the start and will help in creating a smoothly run event.

4.  Don’t Send Out Invitations Late

          RSVP!  Send out invitations as early as possible leading up to event, as this will make your life a lot easier. For the tech-savvy guests, maybe also think about sending invites via Google Calendar, or any other calendar planning system, so a reminder is set for them prior.

Don’t allow guests to have any excuses as to why they didn’t know this event was happening. Believe me, potential guests will come up with some interesting reasons as to why they “never got an invite.” Don’t leave it up to chance, send them early and make sure people got them. A follow-up email a few days before isn’t a bad idea either!

5. Plan for (Almost) Everything

          Obviously, things will come up that are beyond your control. But the more you can plan for, the more effectively you can run your event. Try to have extra supplies, party favors, food etc. ready to go at a moment’s notice. You never know when something may go wrong, and being in this business for 20+ years we’ve seen it all.

Of course, all of us at Ultimate Entertainment do our best to help with these unforeseen events, but preparing for things like this allows you to have your own peace of mind as well. From last minute cancellations, to packages not arriving on time, just be ready to have things.

6. Start the Planning Process Early

          When it comes to planning out your events, the earlier the better! Weddings, Mitzvahs, Sweet 16s, and many other events require numerous hours of planning, so starting this process quicker makes your event run more efficiently later on.

Planning out things ahead of time will give you a leg up on the competition in terms of booking your vendors (many are booked for months in advance), and gives yourself time to check off every detail you need to have the best event possible. Get a head start on your planning, and your future self will thank yourself for doing so.

7. Watch Out for Holidays

          Planning your event far from significant holidays will make your life easier, and lead to greater attendance at your events. While this may seem obvious, many people overlook this simple thing. They get so caught up in planning their event that they don’t think about how their event is four days before Thanksgiving.

When looking at dates, make sure you check your calendar for national holidays and how far they are from the theoretical day of your event. Maximize your event capacity by not having your date close to major holidays.

8. Do Not Stress

          With all we’re telling you about getting your stress under control, it may seem like an oxymoron to then tell you not to stress. It’s probably impossible to never stress, but working on eliminating it as much as possible can make your life easier and your event run more smoothly.

It’s your party, don’t stress the little things! There will always be those minute details that will possibly keep you up at night. Don’t stress about them, you’ll be surprised about how little will even notice them. When was the last time you thought a party was ruined because the punch bowl ran out with thirty minutes to go in the party? Exactly. Stay calm, keep your composure, and most of all enjoy yourself.

9.  The DO NOT Play list

          Some DJs forget to ask you for this, but we feel at Ultimate Entertainment that a “Do-Not-Play” List is a necessity. Sometimes this list is even more important than a list of song requests. These types of lists helps the DJs determine where they can go in and out of dance sets throughout your night.

Letting DJs know which songs aren’t good to play help them read the crowd better, and allow your events to run more efficiently. Even if it’s one song, or 25 songs, a “Do-Not-Play” List will lead to the music being better and make for a better party.

10. Ask Questions

          Finally, we’ve saved the best point of event planning for last. So many times, the people who are throwing these events are afraid to ask questions. If they have a question about the food, or a song request they want played at a certain part of the night - they hesitate. Don’t be like them. Always feel free to confide in your vendors. They want to hear your requests, and if they don’t than they’re probably not good vendors ?

Vendors are professionals and do this everyday. The good ones should provide you with helpful insight and be there to answer any questions you might have. Ask questions on your mind that will ease the planning process, and make your life easier. We are here to help! So ask away.