It’s one of the first questions families and companies ask us: do we really need an event planner, or can we do this ourselves? There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. After nearly 50 years of planning Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, weddings, and corporate events across Greater Boston, we’ve found it comes down to three honest questions about your time, your expertise, and your passion.
One myth to clear up first: hiring a planner doesn’t automatically mean spending more. A great planner should make it easier to create a better guest experience, put your budget where it matters most, help you avoid costly mistakes, and bring the event in on budget.
Good luck out there!
Michael Siagel
Question 1: Do You Have the Time?
When we first meet with a potential planning client, one of our first questions is simple: how much free time do you have? Most people underestimate how much work goes into an event until they’re in the middle of it. Planning usually starts as a manageable part-time project, even a fun one. In the final weeks and months, it can turn into a full-time job.
Think of an event planner as a creative, highly skilled executive assistant for your event. Spread the planner’s fee across the months of preparation and the value becomes clear, and that’s before you count the peace of mind of having a professional run the day itself while you stay with your guests.
Question 2: Do You Have the Right Expertise?
Hosts who plan their own events often have some experience, and it helps. But experience doesn’t always transfer. A corporate holiday party, a wedding, and a Bar or Bat Mitzvah each come with their own timeline, vendors, and etiquette, and knowing how to run one doesn’t mean you know the pressure points of another.
If you’ve never planned an event before, it can feel like an exciting new project, or an overwhelming one. Be realistic about what you know, and consider whether professional support would improve the result for your guests.
Question 3: Do You Have the Passion?
Passion is the last question, and maybe the most important. You might have the time and enough experience, but without genuine enthusiasm for the process, it’s hard to finish strong.
Ask yourself honestly: Do you enjoy creating events? Are you detail-oriented? Can you take on a long list of small, tedious tasks? Will planning add to your experience of the celebration, or leave you drained by the time it arrives? If the answers point toward drained, that’s your sign to bring in help.
If you answered “no” to even one of these questions, a planner is worth a conversation. Siagel Productions’ full-service event planning team handles everything from the first venue walk-through to the last dance, and because our entertainment, lighting, and audio-visual teams are in-house, one partner can run the entire experience.
Common Questions About Hiring an Event Planner
Does hiring an event planner cost more than planning it yourself?
Not necessarily. A planner’s fee is an added line item, but a great planner puts your budget toward what guests will actually notice, helps you avoid expensive mistakes, and keeps the event on budget, so the total cost is often closer than people expect.
When should you hire an event planner?
As early as you can, ideally before you book your major vendors. That way the planner can help shape the budget, venue, and timeline from the start instead of working around decisions that have already been made.
How is planning a wedding different from planning a mitzvah or a corporate event?
Each has its own rhythm. A wedding centers on the ceremony and the flow of the reception. A Bar or Bat Mitzvah follows a religious service with a celebration that has to work for kids and adults at the same time. A corporate event carries brand, approval, and guest-experience goals. A planner who knows your specific event type can anticipate problems before they happen.
Do you need a planner for a backyard or at-home party?
Often more than you would think. At-home events have to bring everything in, including the tent, power, lighting, food, and rentals. For Sydney’s Neon Glowing Backyard Bash, a tented Bat Mitzvah in a family’s backyard outside Boston, Siagel Productions coordinated the lighting, décor partners, and food trucks so the family could simply enjoy the night.