Formal event planning can definitely be stressful and messy, if not entirely overwhelming. The list of tasks and to-do’s piles up quickly, and if you don’t know how to approach it, planning can get overly complex and success can be very difficult to achieve. If you’re looking to plan a memorable formal event, here are some tips to guide you through it, and help you turn your stressful responsibilities into a successful result.
• When in Doubt, List it Out
Lists are a fantastic and practically foolproof way to organize everything you need to take care of. Make a to do list for yourself so you know what you have to handle before the party. Make a guest list and use it to keep track of whom has RSVP’d and what they said. Make a list of food and decorations you need to buy. Make any lists you think will be helpful for you, as long as you keep them neat, refer to them often, and update them as needed, you’re bound to be glad you had them.
• Know Your Audience
When you’re planning a formal event, it’s crucial that you know exactly who will be attending and how you can best impress them. For example, for extremely formal corporate events, you need to make sure the décor, the food, and everything else is appropriate for the occasion. In addition, make sure everyone you hire to help with the party including event planners, valet parkers, etc., even if their roles are small, knows exactly what’s expected of them and they are clear on the nature of the event.
• Get an Early Start
Procrastination has never lead to success, and it’s especially detrimental when it comes to formal events. If you’re trying to put forth a professional image of yourself or impress higher ups, you need to make sure it’s obvious that you put a lot of effort into planning the event. If you don’t want things to look like they were thrown together at the last minute, then don’t throw them together at the last minute!
Give yourself plenty of time to get organized and plan everything out. You should probably give yourself more time than you think you’ll need, as things go wrong sometimes and you may need time to recover from a setback.
Ask for Help
If you’ve never planned a formal event before and feel truly overwhelmed by it, you might want to consider hiring an event planner, or even just enlisting the help of a friend for backup. Having someone else on board to bounce ideas off can be a better choice than you might think. You’ll have someone to tweak your ideas, tell you when something isn’t likely to work out, and support you when the process gets stressful.
Send out Invitations
When you’re dealing with a formal event, it’s best to keep everything as formal as possible, not just the event itself. If at all possible, send out invitations to each guest individually. Make sure the colors are neutral and appealing, and that the design of the postcard is clean and professional. The devil is in the details, so don’t neglect the small things!
Planning a formal event can being tiring and stressful. If you feel it would be better left to a professional, don’t hesitant to call one. They can save you time, money, and sanity.