Your Questions About Event Planning

The Expert answers:

They don’t design invitations. Usually the person holding the party picks the design they want. The planner literally plans. Your job is extreme organization. Calling in orders, planning times to meet, shipping, receiving. You are just an organizer – doing all the headaches that the person throwing the party/wedding does not want to do. It is not glorious like in the movies. You are someone’s bitch. And there is always tension, no matter how well you do.

The Expert answers:

Here are site that migh help you:
party planner job description, career as a party planner, salary, employment-definition and nature of the work, education and training requirements, getting the job

http://careers.stateuniversity.com/pages/535/Party-Planner.html

same description, etc for photographer

http://careeers.stateuniversity.com/pages/110/Photographer.html

hope these help!
Or if you are actually looking in the want ads for a job as party planner or photographer go to http://www.hotjobs.com and look up the jobs

The Expert answers:

Hook up with catering companies for banquet, private party or wedding work.
Do banquet work for hotels.
Take an internship in a catering department, event planning company, or the events department at a large company.
Get a job as a prep cook or any job in a commercial kitchen (hey, event planning is food, and if the foods not good, everything else suffers!).
Get a job with a party rental company.
Work for a restaurant that does events/wedding receptions.
Talk to private clubs that do events and do weekend work for them.
Start networking with wedding planners to see if you can intern with them (paid or unpaid)
Go to the local Chamber of Commerce and ask for the list of Event Planners and call every one of them for information, a job or internship
Work for the Chamber and get to know the members – especially the restaurants, event/wedding planners, caterers.
Network, network, network!

The Expert answers:

Well, go to college and major in design and/or business. In the wedding industry, you need to have a creative eye and be talented with designs, colors, styles. But, you also need business sense. You need to know how to run a business efficiently and how to deal with people in other industries (such a vendors, reading contracts, legal rights, etc)

However, when I get to college, I’d speak with an adviser and ask them what are some possible internship options. Some schools require you use their internship opportunities. Other schools allow you to find your own internship opportunities. If you can find your own, start researching local wedding planners. Also, consider getting a part-time job in a bridal shop, at a reception venue or at a wedding florist. Just some place that’s involved with the industry. When it’s time for you internship, write those local planners and ask about interning.

I don’t think any typical 4-year colleges offer wedding planning/party planning as a major. Maybe a design, fashion or techinal school? But, I don’t think you need a degree in Wedding Planning. You just need related experience and good knowledge in business.

The Expert answers:

Check local laws regarding small businesses. In some areas, you’ll be required to have a license, in others you won’t. Consult a tax attorney to ensure that once you begin making money, you’re following IRS tax code requirements.

You can specialize in children’s birthday parties. Birthday party image by DXfoto.com from Fotolia.com

Choose an area to specialize in. Many of the most successful party planners have chosen a specific niche. For example, you might choose to focus on children’s birthday parties, adult birthday parties or destination birthday parties.

Create a business plan. This will include your rates, your capital investment, information on investors and a specific marketing plan.

Market your business by having business cards made, designing a website and creating flyers. Network among current friends and family members to get your first paid job.

Target a specific demographic. According to Jeff Goldblatt, the founding director of the Event Management Program at George Washington University, clients are unlikely to look for party planners in the Yellow Pages. Market directly to potential clients by placing ads in school newspapers, local papers and online.

The Expert answers:

Glad she is ambitios…you can start her out by helping friends/family/extended familys planning parties. See how well these go for her and if things are working out well, possiby conact a perfesional planner and see what areas she should specialize in and show her how the business is done. I think it is great the she already knows what she wants todo. Best of luck toher.

The Expert answers:

No I don’t think an adult would give a 13 year old the responsibility of planning their party. People usually look for people with a degree in Communications.

The Expert answers:

Work for a large hotel that does alot of weddings and conventions.

The Expert answers:

You need to really know people and be able to read them well. What do they like? What rings their chimes and excites them? How do they interact? You need to analyse your client and his/her group of friends/family etc. So a degree in communication and/or psychology could be of great help.

You need to be creative and willing to take risks. You need to have good taste and know what is “in” and then follow the rules. Then you need to know how to throw out the rules!

You need to be organized and able to direct others in an organized manner. You need a sense of time and how long people’s attention can be held before you move on to something else.

You need to know your competitors and you need to know some business skills or have the ability to hire someone who is trustworthy to run the financial end of things. A degree or minor in business and marketing could be a plus.

Most of all you need to know how to have fun and share that twinkle in your heart w everyone around you. Your attitude will have a lot to do with how happy your customers are!