Keep The Joy In The Events You Plan

 

Laura Ferrick, owner of Eclectic Affairs, is here today as a contributor to the AllSeated blog to discuss how planners should keep the joy in the events that they plan. Thanks Laura!

In the world of event planning, everything is a large detail. The smallest of missed details are magnified under the stress of the day of the event. We often joke that the crazy behind the curtain would send the average person running in tears away from planning another event in their life.

Once I dropped a wedding cake which is probably making you cringe as you read. I had a moment and then kicked into cake replacement before the bride arrived.

We are event planners, we will fix the issue even if extreme action is needed.

There are moments that you cannot prepare for at just about every event. They become badge of honor moments that you and your team will laugh about later. The tools we use as professional coordinators will also help even the most inexperienced person who is trying to pull together an event.

The key is to be the calm voice during any problem of the day by being armed with all of the information and back up you can have. My team utilizes a toolbox of processes to assure a smooth event for everyone. We have top notch vendors who we take very good care of and we arm ourselves with organized information on every aspect of the event.

Our vendors are the backbone of our event so we assure they are happy, well fed, hydrated and given the gratitude they deserve. We then move on to creating binders of information such as contract, small detail set up and the big one, layout. Take the time to measure the room, the furnishings, the vendor areas and every detail in the room. This will ensure each vendor can set up without an issue as well as give a detailed picture of the day and the spacing of each piece.

There are lots of people involved in the flow of the day so we feel a duty list and schedule is needed for everyone involved. If it is a wedding it includes the bride, groom, maid of honor, best man, parents, each vendor and our staff. Everyone knows what they need to do and when so there is no confusion on responsibility. We find that is makes everyone feel better to just have a list to look at rather than working off of memory. We try to assure that the actual day of the event involves a lot of smiles and laughter.

It’s a celebration, we want to have that vibe all day! One big way to assure this is that we insist everyone working take the time to each lunch with us, rest and stay hydrated. It seems like a small thing but people get caught up in the buildup and forget to care for themselves.

Be sure to make time to put your feet up as you go through the day. It can catch up with you, with your guests of honor and the vendors you are depending on. It can change the entire mood of the crew if you do not schedule this in.

Lastly, keep the joy of the event you are planning in your mind as you work. I think about the excitement of the day, how each of these tools simplifies our lives so we can enjoy the event as well as set up the details. If we lose the joy of what we do then it truly will show in our work.

Thank everyone who showed up to make it happen and be sure to stand back during the event to survey the beautiful event you have created.

Cheers!

Laura Ferrick

Owner of Eclectic Affairs