The aesthetic and ambiance of a party are planned by a party decorator, also known as an event decorator. You’ll work closely with your clients to design a theme, arrange the decor, and ensure that everything is in its proper position in this job. Typically, you focus on all aspects of the room, including colors, lighting, and other factors that tie the design together. You also collaborate with vendors, party planners, and others to create a perfect environment for the party. In this sector, it’s customary to work on a freelance or contract basis, giving you more flexibility in the party you choose to decorate.

A party decorator is in charge of the party’s overall environment. The term “party decor” refers to more than just decorating. People feel when they enter the venue will impact their overall experience and how fondly they recall it later.

The party decorator supervises the suppliers who set the tables.

It takes more than an acute eye for color or a sixth feeling for spotting old gems to succeed in this business. Any reputable party decorator will be a master of planning and coordination. You’ll work with your clients to develop and realize their vision throughout several appointments. When all of the design elements are combined, the overall theme and mood must be achieved. The goals and interests of your clients must be considered, as well as the physical practicalities of each party component.

Creating and executing a unified party that balances your client’s needs and numerous suppliers will be your most difficult challenge. Your client’s aim becomes your goal, but during the planning process, you don’t want to burn any bridges with your suppliers. Consider taking a course to manage your relationships better and develop crucial soft skills! This brings us to the following point.

A typical party decorator will perform the following:

Meet with clients to determine the meeting or party’s purpose.

Plan the party’s scope, including the date, location, program, and budget.

Obtain quotations from several areas and service providers.

Work with the client to determine where the party should be held and who should be hired to provide materials.

Inspect locations to ensure that they satisfy the client’s needs.

Consult with on-site personnel to finalize details.

Examine the bills from the party and give your approval for payment.

From start to finish, party decorators manage every detail of a party. Decorators will meet with clients before a meeting, for example, to estimate attendance and decide the meeting’s goal. 

Party decorators often look for prospective meeting locations like hotels and conference centers. They assess the facility’s ability to provide lodging and services, as well as how easy it will be for people to travel there and the attractions available in the nearby area. Decorators are now debating whether an online gathering can achieve the same goals as a face-to-face meeting.

Decorators set up meeting space and support services once a site is chosen. Speakers, entertainment, and parties are all planned by them. They’re also in charge of meeting and conference budgets. On the day of the party, organizers can register guests, scheduled transportation, and double-check that meeting spaces are appropriately set up.

HOW TO BILL FOR PARTY DECORATION

You can charge for your services in three different ways. Keep in mind that the going charge rate changes depending on where you live. Major cities, such as New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, for example, often allow for more excellent rates than tiny communities. The following are the most prevalent charging methods:

1) Rate per hour

Determine your hourly fee by asking yourself how much you believe you are worth. Your level of experience will influence your decision. A typical hourly charge for a new decorator ranges from $25 to $100+/hr for top party decorators with impressive portfolios.

2) One-time fee

The most popular and preferable approach to billing your client is to charge a flat price. There are no surprises for you or your client with a flat cost. Once you and the client have discussed the cost amount openly and honestly, you can concentrate entirely on making the party a success.

It’s common to charge a price for your services plus a percentage depending on the total vendor fees when laying out your flat fee.

A typical vendor commission percentage cost is 10-15%, so if a caterer charges $3000 for the party, your fee for selecting and managing that particular vendor would be $300-450.

Both social and business parties are subject to the cost described above structure.

To safeguard your finances, it is recommended that you get a 50% deposit upfront and the rest 50% within two weeks of the party.

3) The party’s Percentage

Some party decorators prefer to charge a portion of the overall party budget to their clients. The most challenging aspect of this charging approach is presenting it to your client in a way that they will accept. This is a possibility you should examine if you think you can run this by them without the client questioning your billing technique. Typical percentage ranges range from 15 to 20% of the total party budget. You can lower it if you think it’s essential.

HOW TO INVOICE FOR PARTY DECORATION

As a party decorator, you’re proud of your excellent organizing skills, as well as your ability to handle minor details while maintaining a big-picture perspective. Because no two parties are alike, no off-the-shelf invoice will suffice.

You’ll need an invoice that’s flexible enough to capture all of the unique requirements for each party while yet being transparent and straightforward for your consumers to grasp.

What should an invoice for  party decorator include?

You enjoy planning parties of all sizes and put in a lot of effort to ensure that everyone has a good time – so make sure your invoices do the same.

Every party decorator may quickly discover invoice templates online. Download your chosen invoice template in your preferred format, such as Word, Excel, PDF, Google Docs, or Google Sheets. The majority of websites are entirely free!

Include the name, address, phone number, and email address of your party planning company. If you provide services for specific types of special partys, include that information here as well.

Include your fantastic party planning company’s logo, website URL, and any graphics you use to brand your business.

Put your customer’s name and current contact information in this box.

Add a unique invoice number to the mix.

The invoice date, the party date, and the payment due date should all be included.

Include a detailed list of all the services you offered, as well as descriptions and charges for each.

Include a list of any additional expenditures that will be billed to the client, such as materials and supplies or live entertainment travel arrangements. The template can be customised to ensure that all costs are covered.

If you include a discount for a frequent customer or a corporate client, be sure to have a line highlighting the discount, so your customers know they’re getting a good deal for your party planning expertise.

Calculate and enter the total price, including any necessary taxes.

Include your payment terms, as well as your approved payment methods.

Thank your consumers for their business with a personal remark at the end, especially if you want them to hire you to plan their next party.

Make a copy for yourself and a copy for your customer.

HOW MUCH TO BILL FOR PARTY DECORATION

The most important thing to remember when pricing your party planning service is that it’s not magic; it’s math. The exact steps to get started are as follows:

STEP ONE: Find out how much your competitors are charging.

Customers in the party planning industry do the same thing they do while shopping. Customers’ willingness to pay for your services will be influenced by what your competitors charge. The aim is to use this knowledge to inform your pricing computation rather than copying your competitor’s pricing. Call around to see what other party decorators in your region are charging before deciding on pricing for your services. 

After you’ve done your research, make a list of the three (3) most typical costs offered by local party decorators.

Now that you have your three (3) comparison prices sit with them for a moment and try to figure out where you should set your price. Consider the price ranges above, as well as your talents, experience, and knowledge, before deciding on a price.

If you’re new to the sector, it may seem like a fantastic idea; nevertheless, planning a wedding at $25 per hour requires just as much effort as planning a wedding at $75 per hour.

STEP TWO: Calculate your ideal salary.

Even if you don’t use an hourly price system, you should always be able to answer questions like;

“Can you tell me how much an hour of your time is worth?”

To figure out how much you want (or need) to make each year, start by asking yourself how much you want (or need) to make. You can quickly determine what your optimum hourly fee should be from there.

The average week for a party decorator is 50-60 hours. Assuming a two-week vacation, this equates to around 3000 hours in a work year.

(60 hours per week x 50 weeks = 3000 hours)

Divide your ideal yearly pay by 3000 to determine your minimum hourly rate. For instance, if you want to make $75,000 per year, you need to charge at least $25 per hour. This would be the most affordable price you could offer.

($75,000 divided by 3000 is $25)

Don’t be afraid to give it a shot on your own. To calculate your hourly rate, multiply the ideal salary number in the second column by the number of hours in the first column. Experiment with a few different options to determine your excellent hourly rate.

STEP THREE: Establish a Reasonable Hourly Rate

Let’s take it up a notch now that we’ve calculated the lowest acceptable rate that adequately values your time (Step 2).

It will be nearly tough to work on parts for 60 hours per week, 10 hours per day if you are a one-person operation (assuming one day off during a seven day work week). Most entrepreneurs find that only about half of their time is billable (at 10 hours per day, that’s 5 hours per day), with the other half spent seeking new clients, managing clients, and taking care of the business’s administration. That implies if you still want to make $75,000 per year, you’ll need to raise your rate to at least $50 per hour.

(3000 times 50%) = 1500 times ($50) = $75,000

You now have the formula you need to figure out your rate and figure out what your ideal salary is or set your perfect wage.