Independent event planner Sample business
Planning for weddings, milestone parties and small company events
We can plan the whole thing, from the first budget to the last guest's taxi. Or, if you've booked everything yourself, we take over eight weeks out and run the day.
- One event a day, so your planner is at yours from setup to load-out
- A flat fee, agreed in writing
- No commissions from vendors
What we plan
Events for up to about 180 guests, within a two-hour drive of the studio.
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Weddings
40 to 180 guests
Ceremony and reception at one venue or two, indoors or out. Most couples come to us 10 to 14 months before the date.
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Milestone parties
20 to 120 guests
Big birthdays, anniversaries, retirements and engagement parties, at a restaurant, a hired hall or your own garden.
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Small company events
15 to 100 people
Team offsites, client dinners and end-of-year parties. One contact for the venue, food, transport and the schedule.
Fees
Full planning or day-of coordination
Both are a flat fee, set by guest count and the number of venues. Sample fees
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Full planning
from $6,800 per event
For couples and hosts who want help with every decision. We start with the budget and the venue and stay with you to the last song.
Ask about full planning -
Day-of coordination
from $1,950 per event
You've booked the venue and vendors. Eight weeks out we take over: we confirm every booking, write the run of show and run the day.
Ask about day-of coordination
| Included | Full planning | Day-of coordination |
|---|---|---|
| First meeting and budget plan | Included | Not included |
| Venue search and visits | Included | Not included |
| Vendor shortlists, calls and contract checks | Included | Not included |
| Design, colours and floor plan | Included | Floor plan only |
| Monthly check-in call | Included | Not included |
| Every vendor confirmed in the last month | Included | Included |
| Minute-by-minute run of show | Included | Included |
| Venue walkthrough and rehearsal | Included | Included |
| On the day | Lead planner and an assistant, up to 12 hours | Lead coordinator, up to 10 hours |
| When we start | 9 to 14 months out | 8 weeks out |
- A 30% deposit holds your date. The rest is paid in two parts, the last one four weeks before.
- You pay vendors directly. Their costs aren't part of our fee.
- Parties and company events under 60 guests: full planning from $3,400.
- Travel beyond 40 miles of the studio is charged at cost.
All fees and terms on this page are samples for a concept site.
How planning works, month by month
A typical full-planning wedding booked a year ahead. Parties and company events follow the same order in less time. Sample schedule
12 to 10 months out
Budget, guest count and venue
We meet, set a budget you can stick to and agree a rough guest count. Then we shortlist venues, visit them with you and book the one you choose.
9 to 7 months out
The vendors who book up first
Caterer, photographer and music. We send two or three options in your budget for each, sit in on the calls and check the contracts.
6 to 4 months out
Flowers, rentals and the details
Florist, tables and linens, cake, hair and makeup, transport and a hotel block for guests. Menu tasting with the caterer.
3 to 2 months out
Invitations and a first run of show
Invitations go out. We draft the floor plan and the minute-by-minute schedule, and share it with every vendor for comments.
Day-of coordination clients join here, about eight weeks out, with a two-hour handover meeting.
6 to 4 weeks out
Final numbers
RSVPs close, the seating plan is done and final numbers go to the venue and caterer. You get a list of which vendor is paid what, and when.
The final week
Confirmations and the rehearsal
We confirm every vendor's arrival time, run the rehearsal and pack the emergency kit. On the day, we run the schedule and you stay with your guests.
What a day looks like on paper
Every event gets a run of show like these, shared with each vendor two weeks before. Pick an event to see its sample timeline.
Wedding, 120 guests
Ceremony and reception at the same venue Sample timeline
- Rentals and flowers delivered. Your planner is on site from now.
- Photographer arrives. Hair and makeup finish.
- Ceremony chairs set and sound check with the musicians.
- Guests arrive to music.
- Ceremony, about 30 minutes.
- Drinks and canapés on the lawn. Family photos.
- Guests seated, welcome and dinner.
- Speeches.
- First dance. The band starts.
- Cake and a late snack.
- Last song. Vendors start packing up.
- Load-out checked against the rental list. Your planner leaves last.
60th birthday dinner, 40 guests
Private room at a restaurant Sample timeline
- Florist and rentals arrive at the restaurant.
- Place cards out, slideshow tested on the room's screen.
- Guests arrive for drinks.
- Seated for the first course.
- Main course, then a toast from the family.
- Slideshow and cake.
- Coffee. Taxis booked for anyone who needs one.
- Room cleared and gifts packed into the car.
Company offsite, 35 people
Day at a hired venue, dinner in town Sample timeline
- Room set, screen and microphones checked, coffee ready.
- Welcome and morning session.
- Break.
- Lunch, with dietary needs labelled.
- Afternoon workshop.
- Coach to the dinner venue.
- Drinks.
- Dinner.
- Coach back to the hotel.
The vendors we work with
Over the years a planner gets to know which local vendors arrive on time and answer their phone. These are the kinds of vendor we book and coordinate.
- Caterers and bar services
- Florists
- Photographers and videographers
- Bands, DJs and ceremony musicians
- Tables, chairs, linens and tent hire
- Cake bakers
- Hair and makeup artists
- Lighting and sound
- Coaches and cars
- Officiants
- Two or three options for each bookingEach one in your budget, with a note on why we'd suggest them.
- Your own vendors are welcomeA cousin who bakes or a band you love goes on the run of show like everyone else.
- Contracts checked before you signWe look at what's included, the cancellation terms and the arrival time.
- One contact on the dayVendors call your planner, so nobody needs to find you between speeches.
Who you'll work with
Your lead planner runs your event from the first meeting to the end of the night.
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Imogen Hartley
Founder and lead planner
Ask about: Weddings and the budget conversations that come with them
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Teo Marín
Coordinator
Ask about: Company events, run-of-show timing and vendor load-in
Sample profiles Names are made up for this concept site.
Questions hosts ask before booking
Anything else, ask on the first call or ring (555) 016-3384.
Do you take commissions from vendors?
No. You pay vendors directly, at the prices they quote you, and our fee is the only thing you pay us. This is a sample policy.
Do we have to use vendors you recommend?
No. If you already know a caterer or a band you like, we'll call them, add them to the run of show and treat them like anyone else on the list.
Our venue has its own coordinator. Do we still need you?
A venue coordinator looks after the building: the room, the staff and the venue's rules. We look after everything else, from the vendors to the timings and the guests. The two roles work together on the day.
How many events do you take on one day?
One. Your planner is at your event from setup to load-out and isn't leaving early for another.
What happens if it rains?
Every outdoor plan has a wet-weather version in the run of show, with a deadline for deciding. If a tent is needed, we hold one with the rental company early.
What if we need to postpone?
Your deposit moves to a new date once, if it's within 12 months of the original. Sample terms; the agreement sets out the details.
Enquiries
Check your date and tell us about the event
We reply with whether we're free, a rough fee and a time for a first call. This is a demo form, so nothing is sent. Concept
- Studio
- 212 Mercer Lane, Suite 3, by appointment Sample address
- Office hours
- Tue – Fri, 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
- Phone
- (555) 016-3384