In today’s world, we have real time access to events through apps like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. They help provide the public with great ideas and insights into different events and the resources to help them create something similar. This helps event professionals because clients can show them the exact look they want and we can help them put their own twist on it. For most people, they will see these images and decide they want to make them on their own. This can be a good way to help keep the costs of your event down. That said, I would of course strongly recommend that you weigh out the options to make sure that it is worth it. Let’s look at a few examples of when to DIY versus using the pros;
Example 1: It is your daughter’s wedding and you two decide that you are going to make your own centerpiece based on an image you saw on Pinterest. You must find the vases, the flowers and all the accessories needed to complete the piece. You could spend a few hours finding these items or a few days even into a few weeks depending on how complex the piece. What most people don’t put a value on is their time. How much of the experience or process of the wedding planning was missed because of the time spent? on searching for a centerpiece. Not to mention that you still must put together the centerpieces the day of the wedding which can be an extensive process.
Example 2: There are times where DIY makes sense. Let’s say your company is helping a non-profit put together their fundraiser event and most of their budget is spent on food and beverage, leaving them with little to spend on decorations and hiring a company is just out of the question. You can use social media to find some similar event themes, from there you can search for a centerpiece that looks budget friendly and is something that can be easily put together with the help of other volunteers. This is the perfect time to DIY and help a great cause by volunteering your time.
Example 3: Let’s say you are asked to help plan your companies holiday event. You are responsible for planning the entertainment and you know someone who is good with music and claims he can DJ your event and will do it as a favor for you. You are excited to share this news with the team because you can help save them money. The event comes and the inexperienced DJ doesn’t do a very good job. This would’ve been avoided if you went with an event professional who has access to the best DJ’s in the business. The same could be said for a friend of yours who likes to take photos. While photography may be a fun hobby for them, being thrown into an event atmosphere and expecting them to know the proper photos to take is asking a lot of any amateur.
