The Schedule by Charrisse Min Alliegro When I meet with new clients, whether brides or corporate types, they are always anxious to develop a schedule. They envision a step-by-step, linear progression with idea generation at the beginning and the event at the end, and that's what I give them: a personalized calendar with a weekly To Do list and a promise to nudge, remind and prod in order to stay on schedule. What they don't know is that behind the scenes, the actual process is more akin to spinning plates than to methodically checking items off a list! By that I mean that you will need to have several things in motion, some with quicker completion dates than others. The first things that need to be accomplished were already outlined in the first two articles in this series: developing the game plan and picking a venue. The third article addressed how to hire vendors. Now the question becomes, in what order do you contact and deal with the various vendors? There is no single template because every event has different parameters. However, it is logical and intuitive to begin with vendors who require a long time in order to develop a proposal. Next start your search for specialists whose numbers are limited, are hard to find, and/or can handle only event a day. It's also important to line up professionals who handle advance travel planning required by the guests. The rest will follow. Whose proposals take the longest? Whenever a proposal needs to be customized with many details and incorporate subcontractors' bids, anticipate a delay. For example, a menu copied straight from a caterer's standard literature should not take much time to price. But if you start adding hors d'oeuvres, opting for upgraded ingredients or special menu items or otherwise requesting items out of the ordinary, you can expect a wait. It's also common for florists and event decorators to take a long time to develop proposals, since locating that perfect shade of red damask to make tablecloth matching your company logo or designing that one-of-a-kind laser light show can't happen overnight. Similarly, tenting specialists need to visit the site, take measurements, create three- dimensional plans using computer-aided design programs and price flooring options; invitation designers need time to sketch out layouts, obtain paper, ink and typestyle samples and check with their printers about turnaround times. Keep in mind that for all of these vendors, reviewing the initial proposal is only the beginning of the collaboration. The final proposal is usually the result of several rounds of brainstorming, discussion and negotiation. And for those of you who are rather indecisive (be honest -- you know who you are!) the process may take even longer. Allowing several months of proposal development is not unreasonable, so get the ball rolling and don't shy away from calling periodically to check on the status of your proposal. Sometimes, especially during busy seasons, proposals get put on the back burner and are forgotten. Don't wait too long to start your search for highly unusual vendors. Locating them may take some time in itself. The available pool of these experts is small, by definition, so they tend to get booked up early. It can take a while to find that special sand sculptor, strolling medieval lute ensemble or miniature chocolate cheesecake baker. Another category worth mentioning is that of vendors whose services are relatively straightforward but who need to make their way through a labyrinth of permits and paperwork. For example, fireworks displays in New Jersey can only take place after the sponsor and the fireworks company both submit applications to the Division of Fire Safety, the town passes a special resolution allowing the fireworks to take place, and crowd control staff and firefighters are scheduled. While such licenses and permits may be a breeze 99 times out of 100, never take it for granted - your next event could be that one time out of a 100 that, say, a town solicitor decides to throw a monkey wrench into the process, leaving you scrambling at the last minute to assemble an emergency town council meeting. Also keep in mind that even though musicians, entertainers and photographers don't need to compose fancy proposals, they have another constraint - unlike florists and caterers, they can only take on one event at a time. Keep in mind that the best of these talents may be booked a year or more in advance. So get that contract signed. Vendors who handle guest transportation and accommodations must also be arranged as soon as possible, in order to lock in group rates and allow guests time to make their travel plans. These include specialty destination management firms, travel agencies, logistics and advance specialists. Some of these firms do not need much handholding at all; once they are given the go-ahead, they can handle everything without much intercession on your part. Nevertheless, it is wise to line them up early. Promotional items such as personalized favors may not take a long time to actually produce, but their design process usually requires some lead time. Similarly, the process of actually addressing and assembling invitations may be quick but developing a clean, accurate guest list requires some effort. Don't wait until the last minute to tackle these jobs. There are, of course, some things you cannot do until the very end, such as the final walkthrough of the site and the guest seating arrangements. But with just about everything else, it pays to start early and monitor the progress regularly. Your vendors will appreciate the breathing space and you will be glad you padded the schedule with plenty of cushion to allow for those unexpected but inevitable challenges. back to ideas