Important Event Planning Tip from Silicon Valley

Do you watch the show Silicon Valley on HBO?  I was just catching up on the last few episodes and saw the one with Erlich planning his big party on Alcatraz. So, I’m totally not a techie, but I live in Silicon Valley, so it’s an entertaining show to watch.  While I don’t always get the techy stuff, what was interesting about this episode was all the event planning.

There’s a scene where Erlich is talking to his event planner on Alcatraz and they’re discussing themes.  While he’s pondering options, she says, most people go with the prison theme.  And then Erlich decides he wants a Hawaii theme.  While the party is fun, the episode ends in disaster because Erlich realizes he has no money to pay for the party.

Ok, so putting aside from the mistakes of grossly overspending and the purpose of the party, the big event planning lesson you need to learn from Silicon Valley is:

Work with your wedding venue not against it.

Erlich spends a million dollars on this massive party to change Alcatraz into Hawaii.  Yes, it’s an island, but it’s a prison which means they had to bring in tons of decor, lighting, etc… to transform the place.  Working against the venue to turn it into something else, results in a huge overspend.  HUGE mistake.  You really want to work with your venue not against it.

First, it’s important that you pick a venue that fits what you’re looking for.  It doesn’t have to be perfect, but you want it to both generally look and feel right.  There’s no point in picking an indoor venue when you want an outdoor venue or vice versa.  You’ll just waste a lot of time and money.

Instead, find a venue that works well with what you have in mind.  Then, bring in the necessary decor or tweaks to enhance it.  Take what makes your venue great and capitalize on it.  Create a design that utilizes and works with your venue.  Not only will this save you money, but it will result in the best event.  This goes for both weddings and social events.  Learn this important lesson so you won’t end up like Erlich, broke and sad.

Have you signed up for our July wedding planning challenge yet?  If not, you should!  We’re sharing some awesome ways for you to have your wedding on a budget.   Every week during the month of July you’ll get an email with tips on how to cut costs without cutting the happy out of your wedding.  The first email with our tips went out on Sunday and the response is amazing.  Don’t miss out, you can still sign up here, it’s not too late!