Once you establish your team and budget, choosing the date is the next task to tackle. It can be tricky to settle on a date, but it’s essential to make your decision as soon as possible.
Choosing the date early is one of the easiest ways to ensure the success of your event. You’ll have a much better chance of booking the venue and vendors you want, instead of finding out they’re not available because they’re already fully booked.
When choosing the date, it’s important to keep your guests in mind. You’ll want to avoid hosting your event on the same day as another big event in your area. Be sure to check the dates of upcoming events: conferences, major sports games, holidays, elections, grand openings, award nights, theatre productions, charity fundraisers, etc.
If your event is going to take place outdoors, choose a date when you anticipate the best weather and don’t forget a backup plan! Shivering from the cold or boiling in the hot sun can quickly spoil an event for your guests, even if every other detail is picture-perfect.
Try hosting your event off-season! Planning a holiday party? Join the growing number of event planners hosting their party in January.
Some venues and vendors offer discounted rates for dates that are not typically in demand. Simply hosting your event during the week, rather than on the weekend, can save hundreds.
On the other hand, some dates (maybe not the ones you’d expect) are very popular and book well in advance. On these dates, the options for venues and vendors dry up quickly. The calendars of the best vendors fill up fast – most accept bookings several months or even years prior to special events.
Once you decide on the date, it’s best to give your guests as much advance notice as possible. This is especially true if they’ll be travelling a great distance to attend your event. They’ll need enough time to make travel plans, book their hotel, buy plane tickets, rent a car, etc.
