There is no doubt that planning an event no matter how large or small will bring a certain amount of stress along with it which can cause you to sometimes forget to prepare for certain aspects of the party. Hiring a professional event planner can alleviate many of your stressful obstacles and being a good reminder for things during the planning process but no matter which route you choose, throwing a party solo or having the help from an event consultant, things will be forgotten or missing guaranteed. To prevent these occurrences from taking place it is best to have an organized event checklist that can be synced or shared with a team that is involved in the event.

Food for Thought

When choosing food options for your event, there are more considerations to make than just selecting an appetizer, entrée, or dessert.  It may come to a surprise that many of your guests are vegan or have another type of food substitution for guests with allergies and knowing this information before planning the food choices will help to eliminate any additional costs if needing to find alternatives last minute. Not only should your guests be taken into consideration, but also your volunteers or vendors that are working throughout the event to keep them fueled and allow the event to run smoothly from start to finish. If alcohol is being served at an event, it is important to research the venue or location is permitted to allow for it. Licensing laws vary by state and if needing a put in request for permit, this can take additional time that is not always planned for ahead of time.

Communication Is Key

From the moment you begin the event planning process, it is imperative to have written agreements from all vendors, venue, and any other correspondences involved in the event. This will avoid any confusion during the road of planning to all be under the same impression of expectations and guidelines to follow for timelines. Also communicating with attendees is very important so that proper planning and scheduling can be completed on their end as well. Simple ways to communicate with your guests is by formal invitations with the provided details or the newest form of communication is creating an event website or social media group for further interactions.

Prepare for The Unexpected

Having the best planning in the world will not stop mishaps from occurring during your event. There are certain aspects that will always be out of a person’s control such as weather conditions, unexpected health issues, and more. A professional event planner is always prepared for event changes so that the event will continue to go as smoothly as it was designed, even when some of the details have to be manipulated. Having a mindset that is relaxed and flexible will make the event more enjoyable not only for the party host, but everyone involved. It is wise to have a type of emergency kit accessible with first aid, extra supplies, and especially a back up plan in case things need to be changed with little to no notice.

Event Planning DC provides full event planning, partial event planning, wedding planning, month-of (day-of) event coordination, event styling/design and decorating services throughout DC, Maryland, and Virginia, with access to local and national vendors who may provide additional services suitable for your event and budget.  We pride ourselves on providing only the highest quality event coordination, giving you and your guests the perfect day, no matter what the occasion including exclusive corporate and non-profit eventsweddingsBar & Bat Mitzvahs, community events and milestone celebrations.  More information can be found online at https://www.eventplanningdc.com.