Why Do I Need A Planner/Coordinator?
  • You want to pull off your vision without breaking the budget
  • You want a unique event that has new, fresh ideas but still reflects who you are
  • You are not sure where to start
  • You do not know which vendors (venues, photographers, caterers, florists) are in your price range
  • You want someone else to assist in managing your concerns regarding your guests or family
  • You are not sure how to navigate the rules of etiquette
  • You are concerned about the logistics of signing contracts
  • You’ve done most of the planning, but are concerned about having too many details to manage the day of and want it to go smoothly

Can't I Just Find Everything I Need Online?

Yes, you can.  However, as we have all experienced, online searching can be extremely frustrating and its results only produce a certain amount of success.  We know you are already juggling your work schedule, your social lives, families, and now you are trying to find time to plan an event on top of it all.  You can sneak in a half an hour at work, or spend the next 6 months of your lunch hours on planning, but is it really worth it? 

Event planning is very time consuming.  The "to do" list is never ending.  Find a venue.  Send invitations.  Manage responses.  Create a theme.  Secure special permits.  Juggle phone calls.  Find and book vendors.  Negotiate contracts.  The list goes on and on and on. The more you have to research, the more time you commit to the planning process.  After all that effort, you will find out that 30% of the vendors out there do not advertise at all, vendors do not post prices on their websites, and venues want you to come out and see their location to give you a quote. We have all of that information at our fingertips and can help narrow down your search from hundreds of vendors to two/three that fit your price range and personality.

A coordinator.. of course I’d love one.  But I can’t afford it, can I?

Although it is a bit of an ironic statement, hiring a coordinator can save you money.  When a budget is set for an event, whether it is a wedding, corporate event, or a simple birthday party, 94% of the time, the initial budget ends up increasing by 30-50%. A good planner can end up saving you upwards to 20% of your budget.  If their fees are 15% (the industry standard) of that same budget, then you will have saved 5% overall. . . and gained the peace of mind of having someone else see to the details. 

How do we do that? We start with a detailed budget that meets your needs for your event.  Having a planner who helps you budget for all the little things people frequently leave out of budgets helps keep you on track.  We then match you up with vendors within your budget range.  From there, we help guide the process by enlightening our clients as to which deals are real and which only provide basic services or cheap workmanship and end up costing you more in the long run.  (Many offers online tack on charges or charge significant shipping rates that make it more cost effective to pick it up locally.) We can also offer you alternatives to traditional approaches, which can often be more desirable than the standard options, and share industry secrets with you.  Step by step, our assistance in the planning process helps you save money you do not need to spend to have the event you deserve.

In the end, we know that it comes down to how much it costs.  Right?   A quick idea of how we do the pricing is as follows, however, there are always options that can fit your budget, so just ask us:
  • For complete planning services a general rule of thumb is $50/hr or 15% of the budget
  • For day-of services, we have packages from $500-$1500

I just don’t want my (insert relative or friend of choice) to have to do it.  Can you help?
We often hear from our clients that they are worried about the day of the event and whether everything will go off smoothly.  You should not have to worry about anything that day, especially who is late, what’s missing, or whether the next thing is on schedule. We also take notice of the fact that you do not necessarily want your mother, your friend, your Maid of Honor/Best Man, aunt or secretary to have to take care of all these details either.  Hiring a planner takes worry completely off your mind.

If you want to do the planning on your own, why not secure our day-of services and let us take care of the details so that everything happens the way you envisioned?  That way you and your loved ones can sit back and experience the occasion instead of running around the day of and finding yourself unable to enjoy your own event. 

Something to think about…
What was the most memorable event you've ever attended?
Can you recall an event when something went wrong?
. . . No event is without its lasting impressions.

What areas do you serve?
Muse is a Beaverton, Oregon-based event planning company.  We are wedding planners/wedding consultants, day-of wedding coordinator, party planner & corporate or special event planner.  We serves clients located in Portland, Oregon; Salem; Vancouver, Washington; and the surrounding areas (Multnomah, Clackamas, and Washington Counties); as well Oregon Coast, Mt. Hood, Oregon Wine Country.