As professional wedding and event planners, we are the directors of the entire event for our clients. Many vendors rely on us to be at the wedding or event to lead the day and have answers to all of the questions.

What happens if you suddenly get very sick on the day of the event, have an accident, or something worse? Having a backup plan is also important if you are pregnant or have kids. When kids enter into our lives, the chance of becoming unavailable at the last minute increases because we are responsible for our kiddos in addition to ourselves.

Part of being a responsible event planner is having a backup plan just in case you are unable to attend an event for unforeseen circumstances.  

To get started, create an “Emergency Plan” folder and let your spouse, a trusted employee, and a close friend know where it is and what it is. In an emergency, someone close to you will know where to find this folder and who to contact.

In the folder (either electronic or in an online shared folder), include the following:

• • Professional planner contact list. If you are a solo business owner without steady contractors or employees, connect with a few other respected event planners in your area and ask if they can be listed in your emergency backup plan. Once you find a few professionals who can back you up in case of emergency, include their names and all contact information on this list. If you have assistants, associates, or employees who will be your backup, include their full names and all contact information.
  • Location of agendas, schedules, details, binders, and vendors lists for your events. Include the location of these files on your computer, in your planning software, or in your email. If any of the information is password protected, include the password so that your backup can access the files in the event of an emergency. Remember that your backup person won’t have this folder unless someone close to you gives it to him or her in the event of an emergency.
  • All necessary documents to run an event.  List all of the necessary documents that your backup person would need to run an event. For example, my list for weddings includes the ceremony schedule, reception schedule, setup details document, room diagrams, vendor list, and a physical planning binder for that particular wedding. My team plans events with the same tools and processes so it would be fairly seamless if they had to take over for me. However, if your backup is an event planner who isn’t familiar with your process, it will help him or her to see a list of what they need, based on how you plan and run events.

Do you want to feel confident and professional as a wedding planner?

The Wedding Planner’s Toolbox is a complete set of business templates and tools for professional wedding planners. As a wedding planner, you have one chance and a huge responsibility to plan and coordinate the perfect wedding day for your clients. The Wedding Planner’s Toolbox gives you the tools to get things done correctly.

Timeline templates, consultation forms, questions to ask vendors, planning checklist, and much more!

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE AND DOWNLOAD TODAY!