The Truth About Event Planning

So you've planned a birthday party for your six-year-old nephew and a wedding reception for your best friend from high school. Everything went well; everybody left happy, and your friend even offered to pay you after the fact. How exciting! You could turn this into a career! You're outgoing and friendly and have a great sense of decorating style. Now you're thinking you might like to get into event planning full-time and live a life of glamour and luxury, throwing big parties and traveling to exotic places while raking in the big bucks.

Sounds great, doesn't it? Even better, Google has offered up about 29,300,000 links to articles and books and schools and study-at-home programs that promise to make your dreams come true. You can be an event planner in ten easy steps! So can anyone else with a valid credit card number!

First of all, most of those "become an event planner" schemes are about as credible as the infomercial scams that run in the wee early a.m. hours, when most rational people are asleep in bed. If you're interested in pursuing a career in event planning, your first step should be to seek a reality check.

Before you jump in over your head, test the waters and first understand exactly what the job entails.

1. Hours

If you're envisioning yourself languishing around in a big, cushy Heavenly Bed®, ordering room service and relaxing in preparation for your signature pedicure before your client event in the morning, you might be dreaming.

Try spending sixteen to eighteen hours a day on your feet. Leading up to, during and after an event, the planner is often the first person onsite and the last person to leave. Yes, event planners often travel to exciting destinations across the country and abroad - but few have the opportunity to sight-see during their trips. Planners are responsible for every detail of every event, and that means overseeing every detail of every event, every hour of every day. Little time exists for leisure while you're onsite.