1. Failing to create a detailed timeline for the family & vendors. Your caterer is focused on the food being hot and served at it’s best. Your DJ is focused on keeping the dance floor rocking. Do you need the photo booth at the beginning or the end, or all night? How about the magician? Having a master timeline for the night that everyone agrees upon is essential to a successful event.
2. Forgetting to bring critical items for services, candle lighting and the rest of your celebration. You have carefully crafted a meaningful candle lighting speech, but now you can’t find it. Arghhhh! And now you realize that you forgot that special candle Aunt Sarah gave you for the ceremony, too. You know you bought some markers for that sign in board, but where did they go? Having a comprehensive list of items you will need at the party is incredibly helpful.
3. Not having an accurate master seating chart with table assignments and special dietary requirements. Cousin Jacob just arrived WITH A DATE, but had RSVP’d as just one. Can the caterer squeeze in one more chair at his table? The kitchen has carefully prepared that gluten free vegan entre, but who is it for and where is she sitting? This should all be communicated to your caterer in advance.
4. Neglecting to prepare tips and payments for your vendors in advance of the party. Sitting down to write checks at the end of the party just changes the tone of the night. Your vendors are all working hard to make your day memorable., and you should tip them accordingly. Plan in advance who you will tip, and how much, and put it into envelopes labeled for each vendor. This will remind you of who you should tip, even if you’ve had a few drinks and now want to be overly generous.
5. Not preparing a day of celebration emergency kit. Murphy’s law applies to parties too. Your emergency kit should include a sewing kit with small scissors, band aids, aspirin or pain relievers, body tape, safety pins, chalk to cover stains, breath mints, hair spray, lipstick, makeup, deodorant, anti-static spray, lint brush, contact solution, medications, wet wipes, and a comfortable pair of shoes. You should also have emergency contact numbers for all of your vendors.
6. Not having a written plan or shot list for the photographer. Are you planning to have family come before the party for group photos? Prepare a detailed, well thought out list of just who you want in each photo. Now is the time to plan meaningful photos of all the cousins, or four generations, or your sorority sisters. List their names, and designate some family member to be the photo sergeant, rounding them up as needed.
7. Designating a family member or close friend as your Go-To person, and expecting them to handle the inevitable crisis, when they would rather be celebrating with you! All event planners know that about 10% of things will go wrong at any event. The really organized and experience parents and planners get that down to 5%. So, be prepared, something will go wrong. The real question is who will handle the crisis? Day of the Party Coordinators are there to manage the details behind the scenes and ensure that your family and friends fully enjoy the celebration. They come trained and equipped to handle everything from a broken zipper to sore feet to a missing hora chair. Long after the dancing stops and your guests have gone, the Day of the Party Coordinator is packing up your treasures and making sure they get home safely.
