Why should you hire a party planner?

Written by Kiddie Party Library

Wednesday, 19 March 2008 23:18

There are a lot of party planning services out there, but older generations would probably reject them and tell you to plan the party instead, that you don't need them. This may be true if you're just having a small family get-together/dinner or treating your child's schoolmates during recess time. But in most cases, hiring a party organizer may be well worth it. Here are some tips in knowing whether or not hiring a planner is right for you.

What do they do? Aside from the obvious, party planners are first and foremost specialists-slash-consultants. They have experience and/or are trained to know a thing or two about parties; thus they can help you conceptualize your party from start-to-finish. They'll listen and accommodate your ideas for your parties and collaborate with you. Plus, they have connections; they know who to call or where to go if you need something. But while you can do these two things (conceptualize and contact the right people), there's one thing they're good at that most of us are not: execution. Preparing for a party can be exhausting, even if you say that it's just for a child. The things you have in mind may be flawless in paper, but once you get around to realizing them, they can turn out to be a disaster. Party planners, on the other hand, would be the ones to design and print your invitations (I'm not sure if they send them out too, but that would be nice), shop for the things in your lootbags, coordinate with the caterer and other suppliers, arrange the entertainment program and look for performers, and set up the decorations in your venue. That's a lot of work, and usually for busy moms, the best thing to do is just show up.

In other words, you'll only need to be present before the planning process begins (during consultation and conceptualization) and during the day of the party. Good organizers, however, check with you from time-to-time to make sure that you know things are going according to plan.

Should I hire a party planner? There really isn't a yes or no answer to this one. It depends on the type of party you're having, and it depends on you: your personality/interests, needs, and the time you have. Hire an organizer if:

You're having an extravagant event. Seeing that you'll be inviting more or less a hundred of guests, it would be better to leave the planning to professionals, to make sure that no guest is left behind. Besides, this is not just an ordinary party, where you entertain your guests with food, chat, and drinks. This is a kiddie party; the VIPs are children, and you must make sure that they'll have a great time and not get bored or left out.
You don't have the strength, interest, or capability to plan the party, no matter how big or small. Don't sweat the "small" stuff; let them do it.
You have big dreams for your party, but you don't know where to start. By "big dreams", I mean you have a particular theme that you'd like to have. Having a party organizer can help you execute this, since they'd know where to get hard-to-find items that will fit your theme (or they'll make one for you).
You're running late. Be considerate though. Party planning is still a business and party organizers have other clients as well. Don't come to their store a week or two before the date of your party and make high or unrealistic demands.

In most cases, hiring a party planner is best when you're not having the party at your house. However, if the party will be held at a restaurant that offers kiddie party packages (like Max's or McDonalds), then obviously there's no need for party planner. The restaurant will be your party planner. However, your options may be limited to the packages they offer; their packages are often not customizable to suit your needs.

If you are having your party at home, hiring a planner still isn't that bad. After all, there's still a lot of work especially with providing tables and chairs for the guests, planning the menu and cooking the meals, finding great performers, decorating the place, etc. When you hire a planner, they'll do all these stuff, plus the clean-up too. But if party planners are not in your budget, there are also a lot of cost-cutting ways for throwing a kiddie party at home.

How do I know the planner I'm hiring is good? Most party planning services rely on word-of-mouth advertising, so the best way to start would be to ask around. You can ask your friends, or read forums like Female Network's GIRLTalk and Smart Parenting . You'd be surprised to see how cooperative and helpful member parents there can get. Another factor I would consider is the length of experience; I always ask how long they've been around because like many websites, the older they are (the business, not the age of the planner!), the better.

Just remember, your child's party should be fun - during, before, and after. You don't need to feel guilty that you're not the one doing the dirty work for your child's party; I mean if it's just going to cause you stress and make you resent the occasion, then don't do it and hire a planner instead.

You will find a lot of great party planners that offer affordable party packages in the Party Organizers section of the KPL Directory. Start browsing and making some calls!