"I claim not to have controlled events, but confess plainly that events have controlled me" - Abraham Lincoln
Of course, Abraham Lincoln was referring to World events and not parties, but this statement could apply. How many times have you been knee deep in planning an event and thought to yourself, why did I start this anyway?
You are the victim of a runaway event. How do you know if your event has run away from you? Here are some clues:
- Your guest/attendees list is out of control.
- You have no idea who is coming and who isn't.
- Your bank balance is getting smaller by the second.
How can you get your event back on track and under your control?
- The first step is to get your guest list under control. Your guest list controls everything that effects your budget. It determines how many invitations you need, the amount of food and drink, etc. This is the most common cause of runaway events. Like that infomercial says, set it and forget it! Set the number for your event and stick to it. No matter how many people your mom wants to invite from her job.
- Next, make sure that those who are on the list, understand who is included in the invitation. Is there whole family invited or just mom and dad. For a work related event, are spouses and children included as well? Be clear or you will end up with more people than you bargained for and lots of confusion.
- Finally, keeping your guest list under control will do a lot to help your bank balance stay intact. You also need to be realistic about what you can afford. Many of us have champagne taste but sadly, beer budgets. Remember, to k.i.s.s. it! Keep it simple, sweeties! A simple event can still be an elegant event.
If you have any problem implementing things, call in a professional planner to help you get everything under control.
Until next time!
Eventfully yours
