Photo by Nick Morrison on Unsplash

Events are so much more than a day, evening, or night of fun. Long after your event is over, your guests will remember and cherish the laughs, memories, and love they shared with friends, family, and colleagues.

From weddings to quinceañeras, whatever you’re planning, you want your event to be the talk of the year.

If that sounds stressful, it’s because it is. Event planning is so stressful that Forbes named event coordinator the fifth most stressful job.

So if you’re feeling the stress of planning the perfect event, don’t worry, you’re not alone. And we’re here to help. While every event is as unique as the event planner, there is an ultimate event planning checklist that will make everything fall into place just right.

We’ve got that event planning checklist for you, right here.

Time to Plan

Starting the event planning process as early as possible can make it less stressful. But with this event planning checklist, you’ll be ready to expertly craft any event whether you’ve got months to work with or are planning an event last minute.

Get Clear About the Purpose of Your Event

The first big step in planning any event is to establish goals and objectives. To do that, answer these questions:

• What is the purpose of your event? (charity, wedding, promotional, etc.)
  • If your event is promotional or charity based – how much profit do you want to make or how much do you want to raise?
• Who’s your target audience or who are your guests? And how many?
• Where will your event take place? (at home, at a venue, indoors, outdoors, etc.)
• What will your event theme be?

Create a Rough Budget

Once you know the “what” and “why” of your event, the next stage of an event planning checklist is creating a rough budget. If you’ve thrown similar events before, use them as a baseline for costs and fill in the blanks with estimates.

If this is your very first event (go you!), then do some research to get a better handle on costs. Call around and get a few price options on venues, entertainment, food, etc.

Pick a Date and Time

When picking a date, remember to keep the season and weather in mind, especially if you want an outdoor event.

Choose a Venue

Once you’ve got your date and time, find that perfect venue and secure it. Make sure:

• The venue size is enough for all your expected guests
• The venue works with your established theme
• The venue provides the right amenities for your event

Snacks, Food, and Drinks

When you know how many people will be at your event and what your theme is, you can figure out what you’re going to serve. While an event like a wedding means well thought out and expertly crafted meals, a birthday party might only need to focus on finger foods.

If your venue also provides catering, then that’s one less step for you. If not, this step of the event planning checklist is finding the perfect caterer. No matter what the event, everyone loves to indulge in food and drinks, so keep it creative and delicious.

Excellent Entertainment

For most events, live music entertainment is a must, especially if you’re planning a wedding, bar or bat mitzvah, sweet 16, birthday, holiday party, etc. The right live music entertainment can completely transcend an event.

Choose the type of music entertainment you want at your event, and make sure to find experienced musical talent that knows how to use music to make your event unforgettable.

Get the Word out

Guests will be anticipating your event from the moment they get their invitation, so make sure it has it all. Your invitations will set the tone and expectations for your event, and they should reflect your theme and goals.

The amount of time between your invites and your event will vary. While wedding invitations are generally sent out six to eight weeks in advance, a bar or bat mitzvah invitation-only needs four to six weeks of notice.

There are so many ways to send out invitations, from traditional paper invites to digital ones.  However you send out invitations, they should include:

• Date, time, place
• Directions
• Dress code
• RSVP cards

Make a Schedule

Last, plan out how your event will go from start to finish.

What will the moment of arrival be like for your guests? When will the cocktail hour start? When will you serve food? (remember, you don’t want any hangry guests). How will the music change throughout the event?

Plan it all, so when your big event arrives, you don’t have to worry about a thing.

Planning Your Way to an Unforgettable Event

Every event is unique, and ever event planner from professionals to first-timers deliver a personal touch. With this event planning checklist, you’ll be sure to cover all the essential components of any event.

And while we can’t plan your whole event for you, at SPN Events, we can take care of the music entertainment so you can have the peace of mind of one big-ticket item checked off your event planning checklist. Contact us today and see how we can help make any event unforgettable.