How should event planners price their proposals?

Three components: (1) Planning fee — fixed amount for the planning phase work, often 10-15% of total event budget for full-service events. (2) Day-of management fee — based on staffing hours; one coordinator per 50 guests, plus runners and vendor handlers as needed. (3) Pass-through fees — venue, catering, vendors paid by client directly or marked up by planner (5-15% typical markup). State each component separately so the client sees the math.

What's the right deposit structure for event planning?

For 6-month-out events: 25% on signing (covers planning labor through month 1), 50% at month 3 (covers vendor commitments), 25% on event day or Net 7 after. For shorter-out events (under 90 days), a 50% deposit on signing is reasonable because most of the planning labor is front-loaded. Deposits are typically non-refundable on planning fees, partially refundable on pass-through vendor commitments depending on vendor terms.

How do event planners handle cancellations?

Cancellation policies are tiered by proximity to event date. More than 6 months out: deposit lost, planning fees-to-date refunded if not earned. 3-6 months: deposit + 50% of planning fee retained. Less than 3 months: full planning fee retained, vendor cancellation fees pass through to client. State this in the proposal and confirm in the contract; pandemic-era weddings made everyone reread these clauses, so clients now expect explicit terms.

Should event proposals include preferred vendor lists?

For most event planners, yes — listing 3-5 trusted vendors per category (venue, catering, florals, photography, entertainment) shows depth and saves the client weeks of vendor research. State whether your vendor recommendations are "preferred" (you have relationships and may receive referral fees, disclosed) or "neutral" (vendor list provided as research starting point, no fees). Transparency on this point builds trust early.

How do event planners coordinate with venues that have in-house planning?

Many venues (especially hotels and country clubs) have in-house event coordinators whose role overlaps with external planners. The event proposal should clarify the split: in-house coordinator handles venue operations (room setup, F&B service, AV); external planner handles design direction, vendor coordination, and personal-touch elements. Without an explicit split, day-of confusion guarantees something gets dropped.

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Sales Proposal

Proposal #PROP-001

Issued May 17, 2026

Prepared by

Hartley Event Co.

Prepared for

Cover Letter

Dear [Client name],

Thank you for inviting us to plan your annual gala. This proposal covers concept development, vendor management, and on-site day-of coordination.

Over 80 corporate events in the last 5 years, including 12 with 200+ attendees.

Scope of Work

Corporate annual gala — 200 guests, 6-hour evening event including venue, catering, and entertainment coordination.

Deliverables

•Venue scouting & booking
•Vendor coordination (catering, AV, florals)
•Day-of management with on-site team
•Post-event report and gallery delivery

Investment

Description	Qty	Rate	Total
Event planning & coordination	1	$8,500.00	$8,500.00
Day-of management (8 hrs, 4 staff)	1	$4,200.00	$4,200.00
Post-event production	1	$1,500.00	$1,500.00

Subtotal:$14,200.00

Total Investment:$14,200.00

Next Steps

How to accept: Reply YES to this email, or sign below.

Within 24 hours, we send the contract. After signing, we schedule a kickoff call within the week.

Accepted by Client

Date: ___________________

Submitted by

Hartley Event Co.

Date: May 17, 2026

Sales Proposal

Proposal #PROP-001

Issued May 17, 2026

Prepared by

Hartley Event Co.

Prepared for

Cover Letter

Dear [Client name],

Thank you for inviting us to plan your annual gala. This proposal covers concept development, vendor management, and on-site day-of coordination.

Over 80 corporate events in the last 5 years, including 12 with 200+ attendees.

Scope of Work

Corporate annual gala — 200 guests, 6-hour evening event including venue, catering, and entertainment coordination.

Deliverables

•Venue scouting & booking
•Vendor coordination (catering, AV, florals)
•Day-of management with on-site team
•Post-event report and gallery delivery

Investment

Description	Qty	Rate	Total
Event planning & coordination	1	$8,500.00	$8,500.00
Day-of management (8 hrs, 4 staff)	1	$4,200.00	$4,200.00
Post-event production	1	$1,500.00	$1,500.00

Subtotal:$14,200.00

Total Investment:$14,200.00

Next Steps

How to accept: Reply YES to this email, or sign below.

Within 24 hours, we send the contract. After signing, we schedule a kickoff call within the week.

Accepted by Client

Date: ___________________

Submitted by

Hartley Event Co.

Date: May 17, 2026

Step-by-step

How to write a winning event proposal

1

Lead with the event concept

"Corporate annual gala — 200 guests, 6-hour evening event including cocktail hour, plated dinner, and entertainment." Don't open with credentials; open with what you understand the event to be. Demonstrating concept understanding wins the booking before pricing comes up.

2

Detail your scope by phase: planning → execution → post-event

Three-phase breakdown: (1) Planning: vendor coordination, venue contracts, design direction. (2) Day-of: setup oversight, on-site coordinator team, vendor management. (3) Post-event: vendor reconciliation, attendee feedback report, gallery delivery. Each phase has explicit deliverables and pricing.

3

List vendor categories you'll coordinate

Venue, catering, AV, florals, photography, transportation, entertainment — name them. Whether you sub-contract or refer to client-direct vendors, the proposal clarifies who manages each. Lack of clarity here causes the most event-day chaos.

4

Price by event-day staffing requirements

Event pricing is staffing-driven. "Day-of management with 4-person coordinator team (8 hours) — $4,200." For events over 100 guests, one coordinator per 50 attendees is standard. For high-touch experiences (luxury weddings, executive corporate), staffing density doubles.

5

Add the timeline from signing to event day

12-month wedding planning: signing → 10 months out (vendor selection) → 6 months (design finalization) → 3 months (timeline confirmation) → 1 month (headcount lock) → week-of execution. State critical milestone dates in the proposal so the client sees the workload.

6

Specify what's included and what's pass-through

Planning services are billed as fees; venue, catering, vendors are pass-through costs the client either pays directly or marks up through you. Explicit: "Vendor costs paid directly by client. Planner fee covers coordination only. Pass-through markup applies only if [conditions]."

7

End with the accept-by date

"This proposal valid through [date]. Booking secured upon signed contract + 25% deposit." Event proposals expire because dates get booked; without a "valid until," you're holding dates indefinitely for clients who never confirm.

Watch out

Common event proposal mistakes

Pricing without specifying staffing. Clients can't evaluate $20K event-planning fee without knowing it's a 4-person team for 12 hours.

Bundling planning + vendor costs into one number. Clients want to see what's planning fee vs. what they're paying vendors directly.

No timeline. Without a phased timeline, clients don't see the year of work involved in a 6-month wedding plan.

Skipping the cancellation policy. Wedding cancellations happen; without a stated policy, you eat the lost planning hours.

No vendor list. "We coordinate vendors" tells the client nothing. Specifics — "venue, catering, florals, AV, entertainment, transportation" — show scope.