Hiring a Party Planning Professional

• Ask for referrals from friends, colleagues, caterers and local businesses. Set up appointments for consultations.
• Scope out the Better Business Bureau before hiring a party planning business to see if any complaints have been made against that business.
• Interview prospects. Ask how many events like yours the planner has done in the past. Ask for her creative ideas. Ask how she troubleshoots and handles mishaps.
• Consider his or her track record. Every event planner worth his or her weight has a portfolio.
• List the tasks you want taken off your shoulders.
• Discuss whether you will be billed by the event, by the hour or as a percentage of the total cost of the party. Talk about how willing you are to go over budget.
• If it would make you more comfortable, call references or drop by an event the professional you are considering is conducting in the near future to scope out the scene.
• Jot down your ideas, theme, color considerations, entertainment preferences, and anything you feel you want personalized for your professional.
• Once you hire someone, let go. If you micromanage that person, you might as well have saved the money and done it all yourself. Keep in mind that the purpose of your hired professional is to ease the burden on yourself.