So... what exactly do you do?

The Party Project DC is a full service event planning company. We provide planning services for weddings, Mitzvahs, birthdays, graduations, showers, even corporate meeting planning! We assist with selecting and managing vendors, event logistics, floor plans, schedules, stationery, design, and keeping you on track to have a well organized planning experience and an incredible event. All other vendors (venue, food, decor, entertainment, all that fun stuff) are completely separate, and must be contracted individually. We have a network of fabulous vendors that we can connect with our clients based on their individual needs. We also offer some cool add-ons like custom logo design, stationery, table numbers, party favors, event website design, and more!

How can I benefit from an event planner?

You (hopefully) wouldn't throw your Louis Vuitton in the washing machine, why not put your important milestone in the hands of a professional? An event planner is not just a wise investment to reduce your stress levels before and during your event. An event planner can help guide you through the unknown. They can offer expertise on vendor pricing, logistics, design, and all the little details you're likely to forget. They can connect you with their most trusted and top performing vendors to accomplish your goals, and they can save you months of research, emails, phone calls, prep work, and stress. The bottom line is, this is an investment in making sure your event is enjoyable for everyone, including yourself.

How much should I budget for my event?

That depends on a lot of factors. You can host an event for $1,500 or $150,000, it all depends on your expectations. It's recommended that you keep an open mind on your budgetary limits and event expectations until you've done your research and spoken with an event planning professional. Depending on the type of event and where your priorities lie, there are recommended percentages of your overall budget that you should spend on each element.

Our average client spends about $40,000-$90,000 on a wedding or Mitzvah, and about $10,000-$25,000 on smaller functions such as birthdays and showers.

How far out should I start planning?

This varies by event type. For Mitzvahs, as soon as your child is assigned their date (about 2-3 years out depending on the temple), you should start thinking about how you'd like to celebrate. For weddings, we recommend at least a year, but ideally a year and a half to two years of planning. It sounds like a long time, but the longer you take to plan, the less you have to swallow at once, and the less stressful it will be.

How do I know which package is right for me?

We'd love to help you figure that out! It depends on 1. your budget, 2. your needs, and 3. your expectations. Some clients consider having a planning bestie to hold their hand throughout the entire process to be a high priority. Others decide they'd like to allocate a bigger chunk of their budget elsewhere, and opt to do most of the heavy lifting. It's completely normal to have no clue where to start. That's why there's experts here to guide you.

Why is there a cost difference between wedding planning and mitzvah planning?

While each client's needs will vary, the needs of a wedding client versus a mitzvah client are vastly different. For starters, the average mitzvah celebration is 4 hours in length, and requires us to be onsite for about 7-8 hours. The average wedding is about 7 hours in length, and requires us to be onsite anywhere from 10-14 hours. While mitzvahs have a ceremony component similar to weddings, they are typically handled completely by the synagogue, and require no intervention from your planner. Alternatively, wedding ceremonies require a lot of planning and hands on assistance to go off without a hitch. Weddings also commonly have a lot of key players (i.e. the wedding party) that require assistance to keep them organized and on task leading up to, and throughout the big day. Lastly, weddings often come with much higher expectations and pressures. A wedding day is much more labor intensive and stressful on your vendors than any other event we may service. We strive for perfection, and with that comes a lot of late nights, preparation, and years of experience.

My venue comes with a planner, why do I need you?

There is a HUGE difference between your venue's onsite "planner" or "coordinator", and an independent event planner. So much so, that many venues require their customers to hire an outside event planner to manage the day. Your venue contact is not your event planner (even if their title leads you to believe that.) Their role is to focus on the venue - if it doesn't come with the venue, they likely won't manage it. Most venue planners focus on venue staff, keeping restrooms tidy, security, venue property such as tables and chairs, etc. They are not responsible for all of the elements you're bringing into their space - decor, florals, cake, entertainment, favors, signage, rentals, etc. If your guests have last minute questions the night before your event, they can call us. If the wrong wedding cake shows up, we'll make sure it's corrected. If your decorator doesn't know where things go, we'll show them. If your future mother in law goes rogue, we'll straighten her out (professionally, of course.)

The bottom line is, an event planner is well equipped to handle any situation, a venue planner is more focused on a select list of tasks set by the venue owners. Ask to hear a crazy event story or two, we have some great ones.

I'm overwhelmed, where do I even begin?

First thing's first, get those creative juices flowing. Make a list, a Pinterest board, a photo album, a scrapbook, a shrine (whatever strikes your fancy) of what you envision for your event. Then call us, give us your date (or approximate date if you're really early in the journey) and we'll guide you the rest of the way! If you're looking for a village, join some relevant Facebook groups (there's tons), ask a friend about their planning experience, or soothe yourself for hours scrolling our tik tok account for planning tips and inspo @thepartyproject.dc