10 Reasons Why Event Planners and Photographers Are Important
When planning an event, it’s super easy to fall into the trap of thinking it’s all a breeze. You can write a quick list of things to do, buy the essentials and you’re good to go. That’s until you sit down and realize there’s so much to do and in reality, it isn’t as easy as it looks. Even if you’re more organized than Monica Geller, chances are you won’t have the time (or patience) to complete every task.
Event planners and event photographers exist for a reason. They have the experience, tips, tricks, and resources for you to benefit from, thanks to all of the events they help plan and mistakes they’ve learned from.
Whether you’re planning a big birthday bash in the garden or a work event where you need corporate photography services, here are 10 reasons why event planners and event photographers are important.
1. They save you time
Event planning isn’t something you can do for a few hours after work. Before you know it, the event is here and you still haven’t completed half of the tasks. It’s a full-time job and it’s unrealistic to try and do it all yourself. Think about it — you’ll need to:
Create your budget
Find and hire a venue once you have the availability and pricing
Search for caterers
Figure out attendee numbers
Find vendors and sign contracts
Prepare backup plans
Pick a theme
Develop branding materials
Organize speakers if needed
Consider specific guest requirements
Sort out the technology and equipment needed
And that’s just the beginning. When you dive into all of the above, how much time do you actually have to make the most of the event?
To enjoy your special event as you deserve, work with someone that can dedicate their time to you and your guests. They’ll find the location, the vendors, finalize the food and drinks and also source event photographers to work closely with. They’ll take care of everything for you.
2. Remove stress
Do you really want to add to the stress of your everyday life? Your life is busy enough, so don’t let your event suffer because you overlooked a tiny detail. Reduce that stress entirely by working with an event photographer and planner. The only thing you need to do is tell them your budget, the must-haves and they’re good to go.
Event planners know how to bring your ideas to life and event photographers will make sure they capture every unforgettable moment. They’ll help find the best photographers — some they might have worked with before — so you get the event you deserve.
You also need to think of what events of the future will look like. With COVID wreaking havoc in every industry, events are no different. You don’t want the stress of planning of event on top of worrying about COVID protocols. Event planners will know the best way to manage and minimize these risks so your event can carry on as normal.
3. They’ll save you money
You might think you’ll save a bucket load of money by not hiring an event planner or photographer and can use that money on event-specific things. That’s not necessarily true as event planners can actually save you more money when planning your event.
Sure, you could approach vendors yourself, but you might not always get the best price. Event photographers and planners have the connections to ensure you always work with the best people and for a great price. Combine the money you save with the time you don’t have to waste and the stress you won’t — event planners make a lot of sense to work with.
When you consider how much you’d have to fork out individually to vendors, you’ll find it’s actually a lot cheaper having a budget and working with an event planner to help you get the most out of the budget.
4. You’ll benefit from the connections and resources
Sure, your friend might be a great cook, your cousin has a great lighting system you can use and your friend’s friend’s neighbor has the perfect space for you to host your event. That can be quite a lot to take on, whereas event planners have all the resources you’ll need, even the ones you might not have readymade access to.
Whether it’s more planners, designers, caterers or any other vendor, they have the connections and resources to take all the pressure off of your shoulders. They know who’s the best to work with, who to avoid and all the little extras to complete your event. They’re guaranteed to provide the best.
Wouldn’t it be nice to not have to worry about juggling all of the vendors, their contracts, information and all the small details?
5. They’ll have a plan B, C and D
Event planners are adaptable to any situation.
It’s stressful enough planning an event, let alone trying to plan for all the things that can go wrong. Trying to do it all yourself will only end up in you pulling your hair out or constantly worrying about something out of your control impacting your event. Event planners and photographers are prepared for all eventualities. Why? This isn’t their first rodeo.
This is where you tap into their experience. They’ve planned so many events, they know exactly what common things can go wrong. They won’t let them just go wrong either. They’ll have multiple backup plans to make sure your event doesn’t suffer. It might be a vendor drops out last minute and they know the perfect replacement. Or the photographer having multiple batteries or memory cards on hand so they can capture every moment for you.
This isn’t something just anyone can prepare for. Event planners are important so you can put your complete trust in them to make sure that even if five things go wrong, they’ve planned for it so your event never has to suffer.
It also means you can focus on actually enjoying your event. Maybe you’re planning a wedding? Do you really want to go back and forth with caterers and flower arrangements when your focus should be on the wedding itself? It gives you a chance to stay involved but only on the big picture stuff, such as visiting a handful of venues to pick the perfect location.
6. They’ll be there for you every step of the way
When you tell an event planner or event photographer your vision and budget, they won’t just disappear and surprise you with the event before never speaking to you again. You’ll have ideas, questions or even a change of heart. Event planners are important because you have someone by your side every step of the way.
You can bounce ideas off them, ask questions and more. They’ll keep you calm and make sure you have the event you wanted.
They also do more than plan. On the day of your event, whether it’s a wedding or a big work bash, you’ll have someone who can stay on top of things so everything runs smoothly. For example, they can work with your event photographer so they capture the best moments they know you’ll love. An event planner and event photographer is the best combination you can wish for, each bringing their unique skills which ultimately benefits you.
All you need to focus on is savoring the moments and mingling with guests without constantly being on edge. If something does come up, that’s what your event planner is there for.
7. They’re more creative than you can imagine
Now, I’m not saying you aren’t creative, but professional event planners and event photographers know how to inject a much-needed dose of creativity into any event. They’ve planned so many events, they know exactly how to take it up a notch — and also when to tone it down if needed.
They won’t just take your list of ideas and bring it to life either. They’ll have their own input and ideas, suggesting things along the way (within budget, of course).
If you stick with someone inexperienced, chances are you won’t benefit from something unique or creative. It’s all in the theme and the little touches. These are the things guests remember, so don’t just settle for anything. If you have prospective clients coming to your event, for instance, then you need to wow them. Event coordinating courtesy of planners and photographers can make this happen.
8. They have the equipment
One of the first vendors event planners will reach out to is event photographers because they have all of the specialist equipment. This is something not just anybody can do. Even though iPhone cameras are great for event selfies, event photographers have specialist equipment that can be expensive to hire for your own use. Plus, you get the added benefit of their photography skills.
Nothing matches up to professional cameras, that’s a fact. Event photographers have spent a lot of time honing their skills and a lot more money investing in their equipment. That means your event benefits from their skills and also their equipment, ranging from lenses, tripods, lighting and cameras.
No matter the location, they’ll make it look like a masterpiece in the photos and videos.
9. They know how to use a room and work up the crowd
Everybody knows how to use a camera to take a picture, set up lighting that’s ‘good enough’ and use Canva to edit photos. That’s fine if you’re happy for your event to look average when you reflect on it.
Not many understand how to shoot the best moments from an event without getting noticed. When event photographers and planners coordinate, they can take the best shots without ever disrupting the flow of your event or making the photos look unnatural because there’s a camera in their face.
With their experience, they know how to work a room, which people to approach, who to avoid and when it’s the perfect time to begin filming. They’ll make sure your event lives long in the memory for all of the right reasons.
10. They’ll help you with promotion and offer feedback
When event planners bring in professional event photographers, you won’t just get a bunch of images to look at and remember the good times by. You can use these high-quality photos for promotion, especially if you have future events lined up and need some collateral to help drive more guests to attend.
Whether it’s social media ads or posters around the building, these photos will be of a much higher quality than anything you’ve had to work with before.
The other benefit is the feedback event photographers provide to event organizers. The best event photograph specialists won’t just take orders and take pictures or videos from where they’re instructed to, even if the shots look terrible. Instead, the best ones will offer advice and feedback based on their experience, such as where to avoid taking shots, where there’s poor lighting and more.
The photos also help event planners as they see proof of what does work and what doesn’t, allowing them to adapt for your event in the future. They’ll see the pitfalls they might have missed and also use the photos to brainstorm for bigger, bolder event ideas in the future. This could be using the space in a better way, for instance. The photograph review once the event is over is crucial, helping future events one-up the previous event all the time.
Event planners and event photographers are two of the most valuable people you’ll need for your event. They have unique skills each can benefit from and with regular communication, your event planner can execute the strategy and your photographer will ensure you have all of the best moments captured forever.
I’ve worked with Aurice Guyton Events before and I highly recommend them to help plan your next event.