“What do event planners actually do?”
Well, a lot!
We hear this question quite often and wanted to compile a list of 50 things that event planners do, that you may not know we do. If we were to list out every single item that we manage in our contracts, well – you’d be reading pages upon pages. Just like the many nuances to a successful event, there are that many nuances (and more) to how we work and what we do to ensure a seamless experience. In addition to this 50, there are hundreds more!
Here’s a snapshot into what makes an event planner’s role uniquely different from other event professionals…
We…
1. Confirm every detail and delivery. We have multiple touch points with your vendors along the way, and always confirm everything over the phone with them the week of your event.
2. Think through public events and how the time of year will affect travel for you and your guests. Think parades, protests, construction, and road closures.
3. Create a plan for power. Especially for tented celebrations, private homes and estates, ensuring there’s enough sources to power up your event and working with all vendors to determine what those power needs are.
4. Stagger your vendor arrivals so that load-in times don’t conflict.
5. Put just the right amount of extra linens, tables, and chairs on your rental orders – AND double check to make sure it’s all accounted for upon delivery.
6. Think through childcare and pet care. Are you planning to have kids and pups at your wedding? You’ll want to consider childcare and pet care options so that everyone stays stress free and can enjoy their time with you.
7. Design the best floor plan for YOUR event. We design every floor plan (and rain plan) from scratch so that it’s arranged perfectly for your unique event.
8. Talk through the nuances of your wedding day timeline. Toasts before salads? After entrees? A first look? How much time will everything realistically take? We think through all of that with you and create a timeline that is custom to you, not with a cookie cutter template. Our timelines are multi-page documents that cover every nuance of the day, down to the minute.
9. Buffer extra time so that you don’t feel rushed. Everything always takes longer than you think.
10. Navigate family dynamics. Have an opinionated aunt or high maintenance bridesmaid? We help you handle these dynamics with grace and without stress.
11. Look for opportunities to make the most of your reception decor. Beautiful ceremony pieces? We move them to your reception site, perhaps near your sweetheart table or framing your DJ or band so you get a second use.
12. Travel with an emergency kit. No more worrying about who has advil, bandaids, bobby pins, or spray deodorant. We’ve got you covered. We also pack items like extension cords, umbrellas, zip ties, and gaff tape.
13. Are on fashion duty – we fluff your train, bustle your dress, and minimize stains.
14. Cue everyone and everything. Your family, friends (and even vendors) may not have the timeline memorized, but we sure do.
15. Dim the lights. We care a lot about lighting and the feel of your event, so you better believe we’ll be on light dimming once it’s time to hit the dance floor!
16. Document your day. Our #1 priority is a seamless day, but if there’s a moment to capture some video of the dance floor or snap a quick photo of your sweetheart table, we jump at the opportunity so that you have photos and videos to look at the next day.
17. Watch the weather. We track the weather forecast like nobody’s business and stay on top of changing up plans should the forecast shift the day-of.
18. Make sure you eat. The day flies by and you want to maximize your time with your loved ones, so one of our biggest priorities is that you get to enjoy everything from your menu while doing so.
19. Manage your wedding party so you don’t have to. While family and friends can mean well, wedding parties are a lot to wrangle. We keep everyone informed and on time so that you don’t have to worry about your crew.
20. Think through your menu with you so that you can satisfy a diverse range of tastes and still stick with something you’ll love.
21. Share our vast knowledge of rental inventory and at what price points, so you don’t spend hours shopping online only to find out a chair that you fell in love with on Pinterest is $15 per chair.
22. Advise on how to cut a wedding cake and what accessories are needed to do so.
23. Schedule hair and makeup services so that you have a relaxed morning and no fears of running behind.
24. Manage transportation schedules and how to best get everyone from A to B to C. It’s harder than you may think, and bus drivers have been known to go rogue.
25. Design the party of your dreams without breaking your budget. You don’t need $10,000 worth of flowers, luxury linens, or fancy chargers to wow your guests and create a beautiful ambiance.
26. Help you select a venue that logistically works and doesn’t unexpectedly blow your budget out of proportion. Venue is the #1 thing that will set you up for success or failure with regard to sticking to your budget.
27. Create a reception timeline that feels natural and flows seamlessly. A lot of couples overlook the flow of formalities and underestimate the time they will take.
28. Monitor HVAC, especially for tented weddings. No one should be sweating profusely or freezing on your wedding day!
29. Advise on floral selections to try and help manage expectations when it comes time to meet with your florist. We don’t want you falling in love with something out of season or out of budget.
30. Think through all the tiny little details of decor and how to add special touches that make your event design distinct and a reflection of you.
31. Make adjustments to tables, chairs, and linen placement to make sure the room setup looks polished and intentional.
32. Monitor food service so that your reception flow stays on time and the evening’s events can run on schedule.
33. Coordinate with your photographer and videographer so that they never miss any formalities or key moments to capture.
34. Help manage last minute changes to your guest list and how to adjust your seating plan.
35. Review the run of show with your DJ or band. We make sure the order of formalities are correct and all names are pronounced correctly.
36. Keep track of personal items. We make sure your bouquet is taken care of, and that your gifts and cards get put away in a safe location.
37. Prevent you from unknowingly doubling your wedding costs. Oh yeah, many couples underestimate their wedding costs by as much as 50%.
38. Advise on invitation etiquette and best practices for assembling and mailing your invites.
39. Know popular bar selections and how to create a bar menu that your guests will love.
40. Organize and direct your ceremony and rehearsal. Processing down an aisle may seem simple enough, but when it comes to the wedding day it’s common to get nervous and draw a blank. We’re there by your side to ensure the ceremony is fluid and seamless.
41. Pivot and adjust. No wedding day goes 100% as planned, and a bit of improvisation is always necessary.
42. Keep you from having to make wedding day decisions. Unless it has financial impact, we keep you from having to answer questions and make micro decisions on your wedding day. We want you to be 100% present as a guest, not a director.
43. Know the best umbrellas to order for your wedding day that will look great in photos. You can still get amazing outdoor photos even with a little rain!
44. Allow your vendors to focus on their craft. Your photographer, caterer, and DJ can focus on the quality of their work first and foremost and leave the logistics to us. You’ll get their absolute best work when you allow a planner to lead the charge for managing the overall day.
45. Make sure your vendors eat at the right time so that they don’t miss key moments of your reception.
46. Work with your photographer to ensure all your wedding day details like invitation, rings, and accessories are styled and documented.
47. Ensure that you’ve covered all service gratuities and help advise on how to approach tipping your wedding vendors.
48. Often have a small inventory of specialty rentals that you can take advantage of, at a cost that’s competitive to other sources.
49. Monitor vendor load-outs so that everything gets broken down properly and you don’t incur any overtime costs from your venue or vendors.
50. Simply put: we make sure your wedding day is exactly what you envisioned it would be. We protect your experience, look after your interests and priorities, and make sure the dozens of collaborators on-site for your wedding day are set up for success.
Interested in working with a wedding planner for your big day? We offer full-service wedding planning services, wedding design consultations, as well as wedding management services! Get in touch below to connect and learn more!
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