Hey there! Can we talk?? I was asked recently why I haven’t been planning events lately, and of course they were referring to our pre-pandemic days. I paused and was going to give some text book professional answer but on this day I had TIME. Instead I said “Honestly? People don’t want to pay you what you’re worth!”. She gave me the biggest grin and said “OMG! We stay trying to hustle somebody for a deal!”

So this piece goes out to all the Creative Professionals, Event Planners, Event Decorators, Caterers, Photographers, DJ’s and anybody else who can relate. In my journey as an Event Planner, I have had more than my fair share of wasted consultations, can I get a hook up, I want the red carpet but I can only afford a red throw rug type of inquiries. On January 1, 2018 I began to officially turn down business. I was done wasting my time. I have a full time job already so anything on top of that is a luxury. Every so often I feel generous and do things out of kindness but people seriously don’t understand what goes into planning and executing an event. Sooooooo, I have come up with three helpful tips to remind you when you DO NOT need to hire an Event Professional.

1. When Your Budget is Struggling

   I’m a very visually inspired person so I know and love the appeal of having an event so perfectly curated with whimsy that its a thrill to attend. I love it! BUT if you are penny pinching, please have realistic expectations on what you expect to receive. When you hire the professional you’re paying for their creativity, time, labor, logistics, and their team of helpers. After you get through that list, then you begin to touch on costs for your actual event supplies and props. This is the reason the rates are pretty elevated. You’re paying for the convenience of letting a professional handle the event. When you shrink the budget or short change your professional, you are compromising their reputation and the outcome of your event. When people ask who decorated they immediately associate what they see with the abilities of the decorator. They never think “oh well maybe the budget was inadequate”. This is the main reason I say no. We are only as good as the budget you provide. I can’t risk my reputation any longer. Been there, done that, too many times. I would rather throw my own events for publicity then accept an event that is under budget. Please think twice before wasting that professionals time if you know you really can’t afford that dream event. There are several other routes you can take and cut out the middle man which saves your budget. Hmmm maybe that will be my next blog post.

2. When You Must be Involved in Every Creative Detail

   You’ve hired your professional right? You’re excited! Now you inquire daily on progress and schedules and budget and whatever. THIS IS ANNOYING! This actually stifles the creative process. You’re paying us for our creativity and expertise. It’s perfectly normal to meet and talk about what you would like to see for your event, but once you both have an understanding of what those expectations are let the creative juices flow. The more changes, additions, and redirection that occurs, the less we’re able to do our job successfully. If you want the best product, you have to allow the professional room to make decisions that work best for the space and the budget you’ve provided.

3. When You Have the Talent and the Time

   This is exactly how I got started in the event decor arena. If you have a knack for making things pretty, you’re organized and enjoy doing this type of stuff, why on earth would you hire someone so you can question every decision they make secretly thinking…”I could have done that!” Don’t waste your money on a planner if you can totally handle pulling together an event that’s just as great. Especially if you are guilty of numbers 1. and 2. Take your time, pace yourself, do your research and execute your plan. There are tons of resources and inspiration online, especially Pinterest and YouTube. I do have another piece of advice though, DO NOT experiment with extremely large or significant events like weddings. Leave that to the professionals.

There you have it. Thanks for listening to me rant and I hope this shed a little light on how to approach the idea of hiring any event professional. It doesn’t take a huge budget to pull off a nice event but be clear and upfront about your budget and your expectations to create a positive experience you and your hired talent.

Until next time,

-K