All Posts Tagged ‘low-cost weddings’

When you’re getting ready to plan an event, whether it’s your wedding, company holiday party, charity event or an anniversary party, there are key things you need to know to prepare and protect yourself when negotiating with your venue, caterer and/or vendors. Here at FantaSea Yachts & Yacht Club we have helped hundreds of brides, event planners, party planners and first time coordinators plan the best, most cost effective events. Here are some useful tips I’ve learned about the negotiating table!

1. Be Prepared. The three most important things about negotiation are preparation, preparation, preparation.  Learn as much as possible. The internet and magazines are a great resource to see what the competition is doing and what’s popular. I recommend creating a file with photos and articles that you have collected. This will help communicate your vision when working with your florist, caterer and other vendors as well as narrow down your choices.
2. Know What You Need. Now that you have a sense of style and vision, the next step is to zero in on your needs.
   1. What is your date?
   2. What is the time of your event? Afternoon, Evening, Lunch or dinner?
   3. How many guests? You don’t need an exact count, but a good ‘guestimate’ (example 25-50 or 150-175)
   4. What is your budget?  Many times my clients say, “I don’t have a budget, I’m just investigating right now.” The truth is, everyone has a comfort range. Is it between $3,000 -  $5,000? $8,000 – $10,000? $15,000 – $20,000?
   5. Do you want a buffet, a plated meal or appetizers?
   6. What kind of bar do you want? A cash bar or hosted bar?
   7. Know What’s Most Important To You.  If you have followed steps one through three you have a good idea of what you want.  Now you need to figure out what’s most important. Is it price? Date? Special décor? A combination of everything? You need to narrow down what’s most important in order to negotiate the best deal.
   8. Be Flexible with Your Date & Time. If budget is most important, then your ability to be flexible is key to negotiating the best price.  Just like a hotel or airline, most catering prices are based on supply and demand. If you’re planning your company’s holiday party, you’ll get more bang for your buck if you’re willing to have a week day evening or weekend daytime event than if you try for a prime Saturday night. By choosing off-times & off-season, you can negotiate 30% – 40% off a prime time, allowing you more money to throw a great party!
   9. Utilize The Venues Resources. Here at FantaSea Yachts & Yacht Club we are a full service event company. We will help you plan your event from invitation wording to liaising with vendors. Because we do so many parties and events, we can make money saving recommendations for anything you need. We are your event planners so you don’t have to spend money on outsourcing one. We want you to make use of our expertise!
   10. Understand the difference between bargaining & negotiating. Bargaining is a quid pro quo affair – it’s this for that, tit for tat. Negotiating is about psychology and building trusting relationships – it is really a mutual education.

So, When you are ready to plan your next event I’ll be here waiting for you on the other side of the of the negotiating table. I promise, by following the six steps outlined above, we will both leave the conference room with a smile!

I have been in the party business for a long time and am fortunate to work in one of the most beautiful venues in Los Angeles, but it takes more than a great view to be successful in this business, clients demand value. Price is the most important factor in party planning and today those of us in the event business are working harder than ever to provide value for our guests.

At my company, I work with people from all walks of life and rich or not, they all have a budget. Fortunately, I have learned a lot over the years and I consider myself an expert at creating something special for all of my clients… it really comes down to listening, being resourceful and exceeding expectations.

Here are some tips for planning your next event – beautifully and affordably:

1. Get referrals. Ask friends and family about venue and vendor recommendations. Chances are someone you know has a great lead for you. Next, check them all out (online and in person) and don’t be shy about asking for client recommendations. And please don’t judge a venue by the outside of the building. You never know when you will come across a hidden gem. The majority of our business is word-of-mouth which is great because our new clients already have a sense of trust when they first walk in the door.
2. Share your vision. Be very vocal about what you want and how it looks in your mind. Choose a planner who understands your vision and never stops communicating. A real pro (like me ) will not only “get” your vision, she will take it to new levels!
3. Shop and compare. Did you know that an event on our luxury yachts is comparable in price to a hotel ballroom? Don’t dismiss any idea because you assume it will cost more money.
4. Be open to change. Things happen, so be open to compromise. If you’re in good hands and have communicated well with your planner, she will always have great ideas when it’s time to make adjustments.
5. Work with experienced professionals! I can’t stress this enough. I have nearly 30 years of resources at my fingertips, which allows me to provide value and expertise to all my clients. If your party is in the hands of experts, you can be sure that every detail will be tended too from start to finish. You should always be able to expect this level of service from your event team.
6. Think about your guests. What will their experience be like? Do you have a variety of menu items for all tastes? Will they be comfortable? What will they remember about your event? Again, your professional event planner can provide tons of ideas to “wow” your guests based on years of experience.

Value can be demonstrated in many ways, from cost and level of service to uniqueness and overall experience. No matter what your budget, there are ways to skimp here, save their and make it look like you spent twice the price. My job has always been to make you look great and feel even better throughout the process!

So, now that you are armed with all of this knowledge, aren’t you ready to plan your next event with FantaSea?