Jacquie’s Gourmet Catering

Do I really need an event planner?

Well, you may not need an event planner if you:

• Have planned hundreds of highly successful parties
• Understand what issues your chosen venue tends to have
• Know what age group prefers which alcoholic beverages
• How to light your stage and mic your band
• Know ins and outs of alcohol licenses and event insurance

In other words, if you know you can anticipate every type of event-related problem, and fix them easily – without disrupting your party, you don’t need an event planner. Ahhhh, if only life ran smoothly like that!

Having an experienced event planner will remove a lot of the stress from your event – before (logistics, planning, buying, timing), during (so you can enjoy the evening), and afterwards (clean up, shutdown and vendor invoicing). Yep, event planners take care of all that for you.

Hiring an event planner “is worth every penny,” say those who use them. “They make the difference between a party that is remembered for what went wrong to one that delighted all that went.”

Event planners will know what should be ordered, from whom and when, as well as what to avoid and why, as well as what each will cost, such as:

• Negotiating contracts and managing budgets
• Hiring and supervising vendors
• Handling interior event traffic patterns
• Working with bands, emcees, and electricians
• Setting up wedding cakes and guest tables
• Securing appropriate licenses
• Anticipating the right equipment
• Decorating, and clean up!

How expensive are they? Event planners structure their fees in several different ways. Some charge a flat rate, while others set up an hourly rate based on what specific services you need.

For large or commercial events, some planners get paid based on a percentage of what you spend.

Ask Jacquies Gourmet Catering for a recommendation geared to the type of event you are considering. We can point you in the right direction.