Or ever think about getting into it?
My mom is now convinced I should consider doing this... Idk though. Going into business for myself scares the poo out of me (even though I saw my mom start & succeed in multiple self businesses).
Just wondering if anyone else has done/does this. We don't live in a big city so it would stay a relatively small thing keeping it from getting too overwhelming.... I think.
Any wisdom?
(wasn't sure if this would go in parties/showers or work so I put it in work).
GOLD / wonderful pomegranate / 28905 posts
@runsyellowlites: A lot of people have told me this.
No, thank you! Planning my own parties is fun but I don't want to deal with the nueroticness (is that even a word?) of other people!
GOLD / eggplant / 11517 posts
I've worked as a wedding planning assistant and loved it.
I also really really enjoy small party planning and take great joy in planning and hosting my own parties.
I've thought about doing it for a living, but don't want to ruin my hobby 
grapefruit / 4817 posts
I've been told this a lot, too, as has my SIL, but we both have a good friend who is an event planner, and she'll be the first to tell you to plan on giving up every single weekend if you want to be really successful. That was also the reason my husband's grandmother sold her (very large and prosperous) party rental business. That's my biggest turn off and I can't look past it at this point.
bananas / 9229 posts
What about starting something on Etsy? Having printables and other creative things for parties.
wonderful pear / 26210 posts
I think the main thing a planner brings to the table is relationships with vendors and being able to bring them all together.
What would be your service package? Printables are all over and it's hard to make money off that.
kiwi / 526 posts
@runsyellowlites I am a professional event planner/own my own business. My focus is mostly weddings but I do some other social/corporate/non-profit events each year as well. Feel free to wall me if you have any specific questions!
pomegranate / 3917 posts
I do events (not so much parties) for my work, plus after planning my own wedding, it totally turned me off of wanting to do it for a career.
On the side? Maybe! Day of co-ordinator? For sure! I don't have it in me to deal with other people's crazy.
coconut / 8234 posts
People have told me this, too, but the market is pretty saturated here so I'm not going to. I do help my friends out with their parties/events though and I used to do event planning as part of my former job.
Can you start by planning a couple of events for friends/family/acquaintances? Then you could see if it's something that you really want to do.
coconut / 8305 posts
Thanks for the input ladies!
@mrsjazz: That's kinda what I was thinking. I already plan the events for our ministry, this would just be more for fun b/c business events aren't all that fun to plan. lol
@looch: I know very FEW people that would really plan birthdays/showers using alot of vendors here. For the most part that's left to weddings & I already know I don't want to get into that (crazy brides? no thank you). Mostly it would be the organizing & executing that most don't like doing. The majority of people we know do parties at like chuckie cheese, or just buy a birthday banner b/c they don't want to worry about the other aspects even though they like them.
@LindsayInNY: I considered etsy, but I don't like the listing/posted picture costs. That's really turned me off going that direction for party decorations.
@BananaPancakes: It would be really small, so "successful" for me would just be 1 or 2 things a month or even every couple of month. Definitely not needed to "make a living".
@alie: I'll keep that noted so if I do head that direction!
bananas / 9229 posts
@runsyellowlites: Ooh, didn't know they imposed costs! That's garbage.
coconut / 8305 posts
@LindsayInNY: Yea there's a cost per pic after the first, a charge for listing, and then paypal always has it's own charge on sales. I just felt I'd have to do quite a bit of sales to offset just the selling cost. womp womp. lol
coconut / 8305 posts
@looch: Hmm... Yea, all the aspects of menu/party design/making, decor/favors/etc, cake (maybe, haven't decided if I like doing cakes yet), setup, & day of itenerary for activities, etc..
It'd really just be a hobby I could make a few extra bucks doing. Lol
eggplant / 11824 posts
@runsyellowlites: Etsy does not charge for using more than 1 photo in a listing. You get 5 photos included in each listing. Etsy only charges $.20 for the listing + 3.5% of the sale price.
I sell a lot on Etsy and have never paid anything other than the above fees, which are the ones they list on Etsy as well (I double checked to make sure they didn't change any rules!)
coconut / 8305 posts
@yoursilverlining: Oops. That's good to know though... Maybe I'll consider that route for some other things. Don't think I currently make anything etsy worthy. Lol
Maybe that was eBay? I can't remember, just something I thought I saw/heard when talking with DH.
Or something I read wrong.
Lol
wonderful pea / 17279 posts
I thought about it. I wanted to major in Hospitality Management with an emphasis on events. After researching programs I went another route, but my local university offers continuing ed certificates. I took a course in Event Management, it was 30-40 hours of instruction. Room blocking and contract was the most interesting part of it.
Although I love to plan parties I am horrible at making decisons. Main reason I didn't have a large wedding. The whole process was overwhelming. But, I am the go to person for helping with other people's events.
coconut / 8305 posts
@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: That sounds really interesting!!! Wonder if our college here has anything like that... probably not. boo.
I don't think I'd ever want to do weddings. Actually I know I wouldn't, brides to be scare me! lol
clementine / 943 posts
If you do not want to work with "crazy brides", then you won't like "crazy moms", "crazy sisters", or "crazy grandmothers" either.
I work in the Catering Sales Dept for a 5 star hotel. I can tell you from experience working with party/wedding planners, as well as from working with clients, that clients come in all shapes and levels of crazy. If you don't LOVE people, love their quirks and craziness and all that comes with it, then event planning is SO not for you. I've had more high-maintenance clients planning bat mitzvahs or birthday parties- our brides are actually really sweet and nice, for the most part. I actually love them- they're so sweet and excited, and 90% of them have never heard of WB and therefore are not crazy psycho-obsessed about everything :).
From what you've said, I would not make this a business but would just keep it as a volunteer hobby, something you do for friends and people you actually know you like. I think you'll maintain the "fun" aspect of it that way, vs making it into a business where you might *gasp* have to work with "crazy people", "brides", or "boring corporate events" (which ARE boring but are nice money makers).
pomelo / 5041 posts
During college and a short time afterward I worked as a corporate event planner. At the same time I started my own event planning blog for fun. As time went on, friends and family learned about my experience and asked me to coordinate events for them (usually weddings). I took on events as I could afford to in my spare time for extra money. It's really a lot more work than it seems and now that I'm beginning my family I have stopped doing event planning. Maybe start out offering to help friends and family for free to see if it's for you and to gain experience and references and then that will help you build a business if you decide it's for you.
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