Trimming Event Costs

Posted by Cat Virca in Planning, Tips

Great cost-cutting tips that still allow you to deliver a great event! 

We are always on the lookout for ideas that help you create an event with an eye on savings without sacrificing value.  Trimming your costs a little here and there can save your event and most won’t even notice a difference.  However, be sure not to short-change the experience.  In the end, you want everyone to leave saying they had a fabulous time.

If you’ve got champagne tastes on a beer budget, you can still throw an enviable soiree with these cost-cutting tricks:

• Go back to school – Live music adds an elegant touch, but professional musicians can cost you thousands, depending on the size of the group. Contact nearby music schools for the names of student ensembles that work private parties – almost pros for a fraction of the price. Before you hire, review a performance tape and get references from recent events where the group has played.

• Limit the libations – Cut your liquor bill by 20 percent or more by reining in choice. Instead of a full mixed bar, Los Angeles event planner Cara Kleinhaut suggests serving wine, champagne and one signature cocktail (a vodka-based drink usually goes over best). If your party has a theme, you can tie the specialty drink to it (say, calling a martini an Anniversatini if it’s a party to celebrate your 25th).

• Don’t do dinner A sit-down meal is the hardest and most expensive to pull off for a crowd – you’ll have to serve heftier portions of heartier food and you’ll need a bigger waitstaff to dish it all out. Consider going instead with a daytime buffet brunch or an evening cocktail party with fancy hors d’oeuvres. Chances are your guests will have more fun too if they’re able to mix and mingle.

Excerpt from Plan the Perfect Party; CNN Money by Denise Topolnicki