Ultimate Guide to Stress-Free Family Events

Planning any family event from start to finish, whether it be a large wedding or a small backyard barbecue can be a daunting task. That’s why having an event plan can be so beneficial. 

Let’s discover how to effortlessly plan a memorable family event that allows you to unwind and enjoy quality time with loved ones and friends. But first…

What is an Event Plan?

An event plan is a guide containing all the components of your event. It organizes all of the steps and key information, such as start and end dates (if it’s multiple days)/times, budget, venue, marketing (if needed), attendees and more that goes into planning and running your event. This allows you to create a plan, know all the pieces and potentially create an event that will go off without a hitch. 

Now, regardless of the size of your event, a good event plan will cover the same essential components, and the first step is to know the goals and objectives for your event. 

Step One: Objectives and Goals

Decide what goals you’d like to achieve for/with the event. If it’s just a backyard party, your goal could be that everyone have a good time and to not run out of food/beverages. For larger events that you can gain feedback from others, events such as a neighborhood block party, you may want more specific and SMART goals. 

SMART:

• Specific: Make your goals as specific as possible.
• Measurable: You should be able to gather information to measure how well the event was for your guests. 
• Attainable: It should be realistic enough to achieve within the desired timeframe. 
• Relevant: Your event’s objective should align well with your organization’s long-term goals. If your working with an organization, that is. If not, then your objective should relate to the event’s goals. 
• Time-bound: You should be able to set a realistic timeline for each goal to maintain motivation.

Picture your ideal family event—what does it look like? Is it a cozy backyard barbecue with close friends and family or an elegant dinner at a local venue? Take a moment to dream big and lay the foundation for success. Consider the atmosphere you want to create and the emotions you hope to evoke in your guests. This vision will guide every decision you make moving forward.

Planning the ultimate family event is like crafting a beautiful tapestry, weaving together elements of joy, organization, and personal touch to create unforgettable memories. Whether it’s a birthday party, anniversary celebration, or just a gathering to enjoy each other’s company; thoughtful planning can make all the difference. 

Let’s dive into how you can plan an extraordinary event that will be remembered fondly for years to come.

Step Two: Hire an event planner (or not)

Decide if you would like to hire an event planner to assist in planning your event. What is an event planner, you ask? We’ll I’ll tell you: 

An event planner is someone who makes a living planning events. They can manage various tasks throughout the event planning process. They work closely with clients to understand their event’s objectives, their target audience, and their desired outcomes while doing their best to provide as smooth an execution as possible. 

For example, an event planner organizing a large wedding would be responsible for the following tasks: 

• Sticking to a budget
• Helping with venue selection 
• Creating and negotiating contracts
• Assisting with the design of the wedding
• Creating an event schedule
• Communication with vendors
• Schedule wedding meetings
• Create floor plans
• Handle wedding logistics
• Handles wedding invitation details
• And much more!

They can really be a life saver and keep the stress of the big day off you, ensuring to do their best to create as memorable and smooth event as they can. Of course things my come up and things can happen that are out of their or the main parties control, but you can make a plan for any intangibles you can think of to deal with and they’ll do their best to have a plan in place for those things. 

Step Three: Budget

One of the most important parts of planning an event is creating a solid budget. This budget will allow you to plan your event categories around specific amounts, moving things around when adjustments are needed and the funds are available. Begin with an overall total budget for the event and then break that total down into specific categories.

Some categories you’ll want to include in your event budget are: 

• The Venue: If you are planning the event at a specific venue other than your home, you’ll need to keep in mind the cost for the venue, any necessary insurance, deposit and so on. Search for the best value for your money and decide which is best for you and your event. 
• Food and Beverages: Keep in mind if you’ll be serving a large meal, hors d’oeuvres, alcohol, or just juice, soda, coffee, and water. These prices can be quite substantial depending on the type of event you are holding and the guest list numbers. 
• Entertainment: Whether it’s a live band, a solo violinist, DJ or just your music player, be sure to keep in mind the cost for the type of entertainment and any other compensation that may need to be included. 
• Decorations: Decide on the type and creation of the decorations you would like for the event. Will you be DIY-ing all your decorations or will you hire someone to create them for you? Keep your theme in mind if you have one and be sure to plan pricing accordingly. 
• Staff: Depending on the event, a staff my be included or you’ll need to hire them. Keep in mind any tips, accommodations if needed, transportation costs if necessary, etc. These people are working for you during your event and although that may be their occupation, it’s aways nice to show appreciation especially if they’ve had to deal with something out of the ordinary. 
• Marketing: Will you be promoting the event? Where and how will you be doing that? Will you create a Facebook Event, flyers, even sending invitations could be part of your marketing as they are created to “persuade” your guests to attend. 
• Technology/Equipment: Will you need anything to make this event special? A projector to show a video? A fog machine to set the atmosphere? If there is anything extra in terms of tech and equipment, be sure to allocate funds to the rental/purchase of the items. 
• Miscellaneous/extras: Even the best planned events have additional costs pop up. Creating a category for the unforeseen will not only give you piece of mind, but will allow you to take care of them with ease. You could also use this category or create another one for gifts to others for their service: Your event planner, any staff or helpers, bridesmaids/groomsmen if the event is a wedding, and so on. 

Budgets don’t always have to be fixed in their amounts. If some category items are undecided, the venue for example, place a maximum expense amount in that category to allow you to make a clear decision with the funds available. That also allows you to move money if the venue you chose doesn’t cost quite as much as you allocated for the category. 

If you feel you can’t complete the budget without having all your peeps in place with their positions clear, it can be a work in progress until you have all your pieces in place to make informed decisions about prices and funds. 

Step Four: Choose Your Event Software/Planner

If you choose not to go with an event planner and do things yourself, there are management and planner tools out there to help you keep things organized and flowing as you progress your event’s preparation timeline. 

Do a quick search and I’m sure you’ll find something that will suit your event. Think of a website (if needed), tracking sheets, etc. A few sites you can check out are:

• theknot.com
• withjoy.com
• zola.com

Step Five: Theme and Color Scheme

This is where you can get creative. Like most kid‘s birthday parties that have character themes, you can do the same for your event. Even if it’s a regular backyard barbecue, you could still give it a theme or color scheme. Some ideas are as follows: 

• Weddings: Seasonal color schemes, Favorite colors with shade differences, favorite book series or movie series, etc. 
• Super Bowl: your team colors and decor, football themed, your rival ‘eating items’ to make them messy and have to throw them away, etc.
• Family gatherings: Potlucks with food labels, BBQ theme, Pool party theme (if you have a pool), you could even do Hawaiian or other distant location with or without water. 
• Sister or Girls weekends: There are SO many themes for this. Check out Pinterest for some great ideas. My sisters and I have done a few and we always have an accessory we wear out to make it even more fun:
  • Tea party with pastries (we wore mini hats that clipped in our hair)
  • Hawaiian theme (we wore leis when we went out)
  • Whimsical theme (we wore sparkly headbands with flowing ribbons)
  • Marvel movie/Harry potter movie marathon with themed snacks. 
  • Mardi Gras (We haven’t done this one yet, but we have beads and masks to wear)
• Birthday Parties: Obviously this can be any theme you want. From an array of colors to any movie, game, tv show or interest; there are items you can find for any birthday event. 

No mater the event, you can choose any theme or color scheme you desire to make it stand out or extra special for you attendees. Create an atmosphere your attendees and you will enjoy throughout the event using decorations, table setting, and even your paper materials to accent the theme. 

Step Six – A: Your Team

Any event takes an organized team to handle all the details. Though you may plan it with just a couple people, you can have a whole team to make sure the event goes smoothly. 

Dedicated members can have specific roles within the event which creates a system of accountability as well as support for the area/tasks they are in charge of. 

Some event planning roles could include: 

• Help/coordinate decorations
• Overseeing food set up/replenishment
• Seating coordinator
• Bouncer/Rowdy persons manager
• Main person’s #2 (Ie, maid of honor or a second in command) 
• Marketing expert (if marketing is needed)
• Fundraiser manager (if fundraising is part of your event)

This allows you to delegate tasks so you’re not so stressed out about every aspect of the event. Have regular meetings before the event and after to know where everything is at, confirm roles and what is expected, and discuss how the event went. This last bit of information is an invaluable tool to use for your next event.  

Step Six – B: Volunteers

Within every event there will be those you recruit to volunteer for the small things. Determine how many volunteers you’ll need and what their job will be. Be sure to ask if they are willing to be a volunteer and be clear on what their duty is during the event. 

Some volunteer positions and duties: 

• Set up and tear down the event
• Tech wizards (running any tech related devices for the event)
• Ushers and coat check
• Parking/valets
• Food attendants (if needed)
• Etc.

As the one in charge, it is up to you to decide and recruit your team. Make sure they are people you know will get the job done and have the skills needed to successfully accomplish the tasks. Don’t just choose someone to choose someone. If they need some help with knowing what and how to do something, make sure you are there to teach or give them the resources they need to be successful at the tasks. 

Step Seven: Set the Date

If your event is recurring and happens on the same day/time every so often, then you’re one step ahead, but if you’re planning a new event then a date and time must be set. 

Here are some things to consider when deciding on a final date: 

• Give yourself enough time! Ideally, you should have four to six months, if not a year or longer depending on the event in question. Short notice is doable, but the sooner the better.
• Be aware of holidays and how that would affect your event and guests.
• Check dates with key participants/special guests for availability.

Once you’ve set the date (and time) you can start booking any external staff/vendors/venue you need. (Ie. Caterers, DJ’s, etc)

Step Eight: Create an Event Master Plan and Event Timeline

Once you have a budget and time associated with your event, now is time to get down to the specifics of your event. 

This creation of a master plan and timeline will allow you to track all the things, keep them organized and on track as well as make it easier to coordinate with all who are involved. 

Your event master plan should include all aspects of the event, including: 

• Venue
• Logistics 
• Catering/Food management (Includes alcohol)
• Special guests/presentations
• Agenda/Schedule
• Activities and Entertainment
• Marketing, Publicity, Promotions (Paper, social Media, flyers, etc)
• Volunteer management and responsibilities
• Team Members and their duties
• Decoration and room layouts
• Guest lists
• Gift Registries (If necessary)
• Seating charts
• Day of Processes
• Post event items

Creating a detailed timeline to go along with your event is recommended as it gives you deadlines for specific items and assists in preparations progressing smoothly along. Include a detailed timeline of the day’s events to show how things should go and to stay on track throughout the event. 

One more piece of advice… WRITE IT DOWN! Don’t be one of those people who say, ‘Oh, I’ll remember, don’t worry.” You’ll definitely forget so get that written down and on the calendar so there is no possible way of missing the deadline, forgetting or anything else. You can even take it a step further and keep notes as you go along for each aspect. When you spoke to vendors, where you are in the process of hiring them, what still needs to be done, etc. It hurts nothing to be detailed and have everything down on paper (or tablet).

Use what came before. If you’ve planned something similar to this before, look back on that event(s) for references, ideas, and more. 

Step Nine: Book Your Vendors

Step Nine – A: Book the Venue

Once you have a date and time for your event, now you can begin booking vendors and one of the biggest ones is the venue (unless you plan to use your home – then jot down some things you need to get done to get ready for the event). You may be choosing a venue for a specific location or perhaps it has meaning to you. No matter the reason there are some things to keep in mind when choosing your venue:

• Size: Think of your guest list and the amount you plan to invite. A small event of 50 people and a large event of 500 will have different needs to accommodate for.  Will you need extra rooms for the bridal party (in case of a wedding) or a kitchen if you plan to cook or refrigerate things? 
• Cost: How much is it to book the venue? What is their deposit amount? How much will you get back if you need to cancel? Will there be any additional costs to booking the venue? 
• Accessibility: Does the venue have accessible entrances and elevators if your event is on another floor? Are there washrooms nearby or connected to the room? Etc. 
• Parking: Is there amble parking for your guests and caterers to park and have access to the room/building? 
• Insurance: Will you need to purchase separate insurance for the space? 
• Technology: If your event needs speakers, microphones, or TV’s, make sure they are easy to set up in the space available. (Plugs, extension cords, Wi-Fi connection, etc).

Step Nine – B: Book the Caterer(s) (If necessary)

The next category you’ll want to think about is your meal plan. Whether you’re having food catered in or items delivered from a local store (as is common nowadays), You’ll want to confirm the menu options, keeping in mind any dietary needs. This includes any drinks/alcohol you plan to have available. Some things to keep in mind for your food/beverage options:

• Guest size: Again, think of your guest list and the amount you plan to invite. A small gathering will equal less food/beverages than a larger event. 
• Cost: How much will the catering cost? Will there be any extras that you’ll need to provide? This includes dishes, cups, etc that you will be providing if you plan to use paper and plastic products.
• Accessibility and Space: Will you have a path accessible for the caterer(s) and space to all the things you’ll need and the food/beverages you’ll provide.

Step Nine – C: Plan/Book Entertainment

Entertainment can encompass a lot of things, from the music you play to game and activities you want to provide. Think about your attendees and what would make your event exceptional. Here are somethings to ponder when planning entertainment for your event:

• Music: Will you hire a band or DJ? Or will you play music from your phone/music player through speakers? 

• Games/Activities: What other types of entertainment will you provide? Depending on your event: Will your provide yard games or a treasure hunt? Will you put up a projector for an outdoor movie night with concessions? A bonfire with s’mores? Or will it be more of a mingling atmosphere? Will you have children and will you provide games for them? The decision is yours.

• Cost: How much will the Entertainment cost? Will there be any extras that you’ll need to provide? Will you allow guests to request songs?

• Space: Will you have Enough space to set up your entertainment items? Think about the size and space you’ll need for each activity. 

Step Nine – D: Decorations and Flowers

The question here is: Will your event need decorations of any kind? If it’s a small family gathering, you may not need to decorate. If you have a theme, on the other hand, you’ll probably want to decorate to set the atmosphere for the theme. 

• Minimal or a bit more Extravagant: Decide how much decorating you want to do for your event. Will you a few minimal things to compliment the theme? Will you go all out with the decor? 

• Cost: Keep in mind the cost of the decorations and flowers if you are using flowers. You want to make sure you budget enough to accomplish your event goals. 

• Set Up Plan: To keep things organized, decide what decorations you want where. This will help keep you on budget and not overspend on unneeded items. Think centerpieces, banner locations, balloon arches, etc. Decide where these are going and what decorations you want where. This will allow you to tally what specific decorations you need to make your event atmosphere shine. 

Step Ten: Prepare all Paper/Digital Items

This is anything you will be using to let people know of your event. That includes a website, invitations, facebook event posts, or other social media posts to advertise. This could also include any signs, labels, programs, etc that you may want during your event. 

This would count as marketing and promotion materials. Anything to really get the idea of your event out there to those you would like to invite and attend your event.

Step Eleven: Confirm Any Special Guests

You may wish to have a special guest at your event that some invitees may not know about or you can announce it on your invitations. 

This could be those that make speeches at a wedding, an announcement at a birthday, someone that hasn’t visited in a while or perhaps a surprise soldier coming home. Confirm with your special guests their arrival time, and if they will be making a speech, when it will take place so that everyone is prepared. 

Step Twelve: Safety, Comfort, and the Unexpected

This is often an item that some forget to think about. It’s just good practice to have a first aid kit handy for any incidences that may happen. Children are notorious for getting hurt. I’m not saying they will, but it’s good to have a first aid kit handy. 

If you have guests that may need extra in comfort, perhaps a cushioned chair or space for an oxygen tank, be sure you are able to accommodate them as well as provide ample room to maneuver so that other guests don’t interfere with their equipment. The last thing you need is other guests tripping over and oxygen tank or the like because they were put next to a walkway. 

Another thing that may be difficult to plan for are the unforeseeable surprises. This could be anything from rowdy guests to unexpected changes in the weather. If you know your guests well enough, you may be able to think of some things that may occur that you can plan for to resolve/deescalate the situations before they become larger problems. If your event is outside, plan an indoor space in case the weather changes unexpectedly. This could also be as small as a decoration falling to the floor that you had on a wall. 

Not only do you want a successful event, but you also want your guests to have a good time and planning a head for the unseen, although difficult, will prepare you to handle any situation that arises efficiently and with ease. 

Step Thirteen: Day of Processes

Your event is almost here and one of the last things you may want to do is create an an agenda for the day of the event. Your agenda should walk through the entire day from arrival/setup to cleanup/exit of the building. 

Include any and all details, whatever you feel is going to make this event run smoothly. More is better, I say. If you end up not using some of the details, at least they were there in case you did. 

You could list the events in order or use a timeline with time slots for each item happening at a certain time. You choose how you want to list and keep track of your items to suit you.   

It is also good to list with the tasks who is in charge of that task so you can be sure everything is accounted for during the event. It also gives accountability, a list of things to go over with any helping members to be sure they are on the same page, etc. 

Step Fourteen: Things to Keep in Mind in the Days Leading Up to Your Event

In the days leading up to your event, there are some things you’ll want to check off. 

Here is a list of some things to think about leading up to your event. 

• Send reminders to attendees and check for RSVPs if needed.
• Check the setup of your venue/home and do a walkthrough (or set up if you are doing the setup yourself and can get into the venue early to do so).
• Check the weather forecast and prepare accordingly. Make a plan for unforeseeable changes. The weather can be unpredictable at times.
• Meet with your helpers/team to make sure everyone is clear on their duties and on the same page. 
• Check with vendors and confirm deliveries.
• Confirm any special guests.
• Charge and check all technological equipment you’re bringing and using. 
• Prepare emergency kits and first aid (Supplies, outfit, bridal, etc depending on your event).
• Take a break (be sure to get some time to relax and decompress from all the planning, so you’re ready to tackle anything that comes the day of the event (or before/after) THIS IS A MUST

Running an event can be stressful, but also fun. Find time to relax and enjoy yourself as your attendees will be enjoying themselves. Perhaps allow one or two others to take shifts during the event so that everyone can have a good time and no one feels they are ‘on call’ or dealing with everything for the entirety of the event. 

Post Event Review

After your event is over, take a day or two to decompress and wind down from all the festivities and action. 

Now, I don’t know many who do this, but it’s good practice to go over how the event went and make a list of things that went well and those that didn’t. If you plan to host another event this information could come in handy. Change up the things that didn’t do well and keep the things that did. 

Conclusion

There is a lot that goes into planning a successful event, from guests to food, choosing a venue to decorations and then trying to plan for the unseeable events that could occur. 

There may be a lot that goes into planning an event, but with the right tools and a plan, you can create a successful event that you and your guests will enjoy.