There is no such thing as the perfect party, so get over that assumption right now. A little harsh? Perhaps. But it is important to set expectations right in the beginning. This isn’t to say that you can’t and won’t get damn close, but you will make mistakes and there will be mishaps (whether by you or others). So it is better to acknowledge this now rather than be tragically disappointed in the end.
So, hope for the best, plan for the worst and anticipate, organize, mobilize.
Since there are so many mistakes you could conceivably make, this will attempt to outline some of the most common “mitzvah mistakes” and help you avoid at least these during your planning process.
Top Ten Mistakes:
- Not setting a clear budget upfront. If you can’t commit down to the penny what you’re comfortable spending, then at least have a ballpark in mind. There is a very big difference between $5,000 and $15,000. Your budget should not compromise your current financial situation. If you haven’t planned and saved for this event, it is critical that you determine right now what budget “camp” will allow you to sleep at night.
Budget pitfalls – open bar when wine and beer will do; failure to comparison shop for venues, photographers, décor providers; last minute dress/suit shopping. Remember, that $350 Tahari suit might be found on sale if you plan ahead. - Taking on too much yourself. Decide what you absolutely need to do in order to save money, keep your sanity and fulfill your must have wish list. Decide, based on your budget, what you can pay someone else to do or, at the very least, enlist a friend to take on the task. A dear friend decided that she had to have 3 foot round balloons on each table and that she could save a lot of money if she did it herself. Great plan. Except, she didn’t really imagine how labor intensive (not to mention time consuming) it would be to get the helium tanks to the venue, inflate 30 balloons and attach each to the centerpiece weight. This all had to be done prior to the beginning of the party and prior to getting her own hair and make up done. Even with help, it took valuable time away from getting ready and added stress to a day that should have been filled with joy and anticipation. A good alternative (if hiring a professional is out of the question) might have been to consider another type of centerpiece that didn’t require “game” day preparation.
- Assuming postage rate on chosen invitations. The US Postal Service has it all figured out. If the envelope is one size, your rate is x. If the envelope is a certain thickness, the rate changes…and so on. Just because your envelope is the size that normally requires a first class postage stamp, don’t assume that’s what your invitation postage will be. Weight, size, and thickness are all factors in the rate. Failure to check this before you order your invitations, could result in a big fat surprise when you show up at the post office with your box of 250 cards. We ordered a sample invitation and it came with postage on it (naturally). So, I assumed that was accurate and did not check it. When I went to buy my postage I discovered that the knot in the ribbon created a thickness that put our lovely invitation into the next price category. This was double what we had anticipated our postage costs to be.
Stayed tuned for more Mitzvah Mistakes.
