Having an event planning checklist is essential to ensuring that your event or party goes off without a hitch.
Your checklist does not even have to be complex, you can simplify a pre-event checklist to cover a wide variety of different aspects that you need to remember.
Of course, if you would like to create a complex list then feel free, however this may be more confusing than helpful so we recommend a simple, straightforward event setup checklist. From venues to catering, we have you covered.
1 – Give Yourself Time
Perhaps the most important thing to consider when setting up your event planning checklist is that you ensure you give yourself plenty of time to get everything you need to get done, done.
For many events, you may need a few weeks or a month to plan everything you want, but in some cases you could possibly require longer. For example, the average wedding takes between 12 to 18 months to fully plan.
2 – Establish What You Want to Achieve
You will also need to know exactly what it is that you are looking to achieve from your event. For some corporate events, the end goal will be to network with clients or customers in order to build relationships and networks.
For parties or social events, the aim will be for your guests to have a good time.
3 – Understand Your Budget
Once you know exactly what you are trying to achieve with your event you should then begin to consider the possible costs that you will have to spend.
Now that you have understood your budget you can begin to work through the more practical elements on your event planning checklist.
4 – Sort Out a Venue
One of these practical elements is sorting out the venue for your event. Now you have gained an understanding of what your want to achieve and how much money you have to spend you are able to find a suitable venue.
There are many things that you should consider when sourcing a venue including how many guests you are planning on having, how much parking you need and how much space you will need in order to fit in all of your decorations.
5 – Organise Catering and Catering Equipment
Perhaps the most important element of planning an event for guests is catering. Having good food and drink can be a deal-breaker for many guests when deciding if the event was good or not.
On your pre-event checklist you should ensure that you have plenty of food and drink to keep guests topped up throughout your event, nobody likes an empty glass.
You need to also consider catering equipment that you will need as well as other things such as crockery and cutlery. These may seem like a rather inconspicuous thing to include in an event setup checklist, but without them your event could be greatly affected.
6 – Organise Entertainment or Music
For some events you may wish to organise some form of entertainment or live music in order to keep guests entertained and engaged.
While this is not always imperative, more often than not it will be a good idea to have at least a DJ or a live band in order to keep guests entertained during the event.
An event without music is often a poorly planned event. Even if your entertainment is simply hiring some speakers and connecting your phone via an AUX cord, it’s better than nothing.
7 – Source Decorations
This may not apply to every single event, but for events and parties with a theme you will want to decorate appropriately.
For example, for a pirate-themed party you will want to find pirate decorations such as palm trees, inflatable ships or plastic parrots.
For events without a theme it can be dependent on your venue on whether or not you wish to decorate. Some event venues will already be suitable, whereas others could do with a little bit of work.
8 – Send Out Invites to Guests
Once you have sorted your food and drink, entertainment and decorations it is time to actually fill your event with people.
Something people often miss on event planning checklists is actually inviting their guests. You can send out simple invitations via email or by creating a group on Facebook.
Or, if your event is a little more upmarket, you may wish to send out written invitations through the post. This is often the choice for weddings as it provides a more personal touch.
9 – Setup Your Event
The day of your event is here and you have ticked off everything on your pre-event checklist. It is time to get your venue ready.
Once your catering equipment has been delivered, your food is ready and your decorations are up you can begin preparing for your guests.
Some last-minute checks you can make to ensure your event goes smoothly include checking there is plenty of parking, having an itinerary that has points you need to cover during the event on, and doing a quick table and chair count to ensure there is plenty to cover your guests.
10 – Enjoy Your Event!
All that is left to do now is enjoy your event. By following this event planning checklist you will have covered all of the bases that you needed to, you will now be able to sit back and watch as your event goes exactly as you imagined!
Download our full event planning checklist as a pdf below to ensure you are organised for your next event.