There's a saying that goes, " A day late, A dollar short." Since I am indeed behind on this post I thought it would be the perfect introduction in to today's party planning topic.
This Week - Budgets!
I know this isn't a topic that's of much interest to people, as I know that the budgeting process at my 9-5 illicits headaches and groans throughout the company. However, the budget, and how you keep track of it is KEY to your party's success and you/your clients' bank account.
Worksheets and resources run the gamut around the web, but my approach is to use a simple spreadsheet method to keep my budget organized, creating a simple tabbed layout that's separated by different aspects of the event - so you can keep track of each area and adjust easily if needed. Then, I add one final tab that brings all of the costs together in one place.
I suggest creating the following tabs:
- Venue - here you can add the main rental costs, any licencing/permit fees, and any staff you might be utilizing that go above and beyond the baseline cost.
- Food - clearly this is the catering budget, but make sure to keep it separate from the venue tab, even if the venue supplies catering on premises.
- Beverage - If you create a beverage package where it's a certain fee per person, this section will become a lot easier!
- Decor - themed decor, lighting, any linen, tent or rentals (chairs, tables, etc) are found within this tab
- Music/Entertainment - DJ and lighting costs fall within this section.
- Invitations - design, postage and printing
- THE FINAL TAB to bring it all together - This is where you'll place each section's total costs to create your total party budget.
I consider this a fool-proof way to track costs for parties, and I think this could apply to weddings and larger events - you'd just need to add more tabs!
Ok, enough business speak for today! As we head in to the weekend, I hope that you have some fabulous plans ahead of you - we're off to a great start here in Chicago!
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