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5 Event Planning Ideas For A Very Tight Budget

By: Susan Chiang Throwing a party can be great fun. However it is easy to get carried away with event planning that you barely realize you are running way over what you can afford. It is quite a skill trying to balance between planning a successful event and keeping expenses within a reasonable budget.

If you are concerned about your finances and cannot afford the services of a professional event planner, there are plenty of affordable planning options and ideas to make your event just as memorable and fun. Here are a few ideas:

One easy way you can cut cost is the time of day you decide to have your event. For events such as weddings or birthdays or baby showers, holding them in the afternoon definitely puts less of a dent to your pocketbook. You would definitely have lower expenses for afternoon events which require less food and catering such as light snacks and beverages such as punch or tea or coffee, as opposed to full course meals and full bar for evening events.

Another factor to consider for event planning is whether you need to hire a caterer. For small events, you could probably get away with most of the planning and cooking by yourself. However, for bigger sized events, caterers can provide invaluable assistance.

If your event planning budget is really tight, then probably the best idea for slashing cost in the food area is to host a potluck where every guest supplies either food or drinks, with some bringing salad or entrée, and others bringing soda or wine. The event planner needs to communicate and coordinate closely with the guests so that there is a nice variety of food and drinks with something for everyone, and also so that guests do not bring similar dishes. This is a wonderful way to include all the guests in the event planning process, and guests usually delight in the fact that they are able to contribute and be a part of the party.

Food is not the only area where you can save on. You can also focus on other areas such as the entertainment or the decoration. For example, for children's birthday parties you can ask parents, friends or relatives to entertain the kids with simple songs or magic tricks, or to make balloon animals or to hold water fights.

Decorations also do not have to break the bank. For example, for children's parties you can buy a bunch of balloons and streamers. Or for a garden party, instead of buying expensive outdoor lighting that you probably will never use again, you can buy a couple of outdoor torches and use the outdoor lights that usually adorn your trees and bushes on special occasions in your garden to create beautiful, soft lighting. Your guests will never know the difference between expensive and cheap lighting, and probably won't even care as long as the ambience is cozy and the party fun.

Putting careful thought into planning the event would allow your dollar to go a long way yet still allow you to hold an event that is great fun for everyone.