Introduction:

Ah! The question that one asks themselves before thinking of planning or hosting an event. It could be any event; a dinner party, a friend’s bachelor party, brother’s birthday, parent’s anniversary, the list is endless. Now the real question is, do you need an event planner, or can you do it yourself? 

Well, did you know that there are event planning services in Dubai like EventStan – a marketplace app that supports your entire planning journey by connecting you with vendors across the market? You can now be your own event planner and plan your entire event, how cool is that? 

This is the digital approach to planning events, however, if we talk about the more traditional route, you can either hire an event planner or do the event yourself. The first option can be quite pricy and the latter is often extremely exhausting. Let’s dig deeper to understand the opportunities and challenges of both.

Event Managers & Event Planning:

So, what exactly does an event planner do? Well typically an event planner is invested in your event right from the beginning until it wraps up. This would include multiple discussions around booking your venue, selecting your caterer, and planning your themed decoration. You may also need assistance finding the best ways to keep your guests entertained and possibly giving out party favors.

While this sounds great to plan the perfect event, there are some catches. First would be the extra cost involved in hiring an event planner. As we may already know, they always charge a percentage apart from the costs involved in acquiring the vendors. Secondly, all event planners do not possess the same level of competency. This means that it is not possible to know if the event will pan out exactly or even closely to how you’d pictured it. 

In addition, hiring an event planner has a significant impact on your budget and may not be feasible for every event host. After the pandemic, the concept of planning events has switched from rather large gatherings to smaller focused crowds. This has made planning events more manageable, thus eliminating the need to hire an event planner altogether.

As event planners often handle multiple events simultaneously, it may result in confusion or a generic event. It is important to get an event planner who understands the culture of your guest list and the goals of the event, to tailor it to be just perfect for your audience. However, finding such an event planner is easier said than done. It requires a great deal of research, and trust and in fact, finding the right event planner can be even more tedious than individually searching for vendors that fit your time and budget. 

Moreover, not all events may require an event planner; birthdays, baby showers and other festive occasions are usually best planned by oneself to get a personalized feel. So, does this mean that planning your own event would be a better option?

DIY Event Planning:

In some ways perhaps, DIY event planning is the more feasible option. You can directly talk to your vendors and negotiate prices without paying any commission. Additionally, planning your own event can lead to creating a unique event by creative ideas and themes that may have not been used so commonly before. 

So yes, you can say that your wallet would be considerably fuller and your event a touch more unique. However, the question now is that if you can plan an event with your own personalized touch, why doesn’t everyone? Well, it’s because what you save in dimes goes in time.

Planning your event would require you to search for different vendors/ sources to procure your event requirements, starting the tedious task of gathering contact details and having repetitive conversations. Even after finalizing your vendors and booking them, you will probably still need to keep following up with each vendor to ensure they deliver as promised.

Conclusion:

Events and planning them can be stressful, but in the end, they are always worth it! Are you already thinking about your next party? You can check out the Ultimate Guide to Party Planning to easily start planning.