Easily Build Your Event With Inspherio

There is one word to describe the event industry and that word is ‘chaos’. Even the most professional wedding planners can have something go wrong, or get so busy that key details fall through the cracks.

Don’t get caught up in a hectic frenzy, while trying to manage guest lists, pay vendors, keep up with the event activities, and more. Instead, stay on top of your event and easily manage every aspect of it with Inspherio.

What’s Inspherio?

Inspherio is the business management solution for all professionals in the event industry. From wedding planners, DJs, photographers, and more, Inspherio is the perfect assistant that simplifies managing your event. It’s full of innovative features for online payments, event progress, online
marketing, contracts, and more.

Building Your Event

Before planning an event it’s important to know what your clients want, which is why Inspherio makes it easy to learn about what your clients want by having them fill out the Know Your Event form. They can log into Inspherio and answer questions about what time of day the event is, the venue location, if anyone is a vegetarian, and more. You can also customize the know your event form by adding your own questions.

Then you can create contracts for your clients to sign online. The information from the know your event form will auto-fill on your contract, so you won’t have to enter in all of the information yourself. You can create custom payment plans with your contract, and your clients can log in to securely sign the contract online, and make payments.

Invoices for your event will be automatically created based off of the payment plan created with your custom contract. You’ll receive reminders for invoices that haven’t been sent out, and for outstanding payments. You can also create invoices for lost or damaged rental equipment.

Make sure your event runs smoothly with an itinerary that you can check on location right from your smartphone. The itinerary has pre-made templates that you can customize for your event, and you can share it with your staff, vendors, and clients to make sure everyone is on the same page as far as knowing when and where to show up. The itineraries can also be easily printed or mailed.

Are events even possible without guests?! Prepare an organized guest list with your client online, and even send out invitations directly from your Inspherio account. As more guests RSVP you’ll know how many people to expect, and how many guests to bill your client for. Plus, you can pull up the guest list from the Inspherio app no matter where you are to quickly make any changes that your client needs.

Events are expensive, easily keep track of expenses with Inspherio to avoid letting them get out of hand. Record each expense in relation to different events, keep up with which of your employees incurred expenses, and keep track of when you reimburse those employees for those expenses right from the palm of your hand.

Make sure that you have the right inventory to cover an event, and add these items to your contracts. Once an item is added to an event it can be checked out and can be checked back in later. These items will be added to your load list so you can make sure you have everything when preparing for the event. Also, when you return items to your inventory you can add notes about any damages and the condition of your items.

Manage your contacts. Keep track of your staff by adding them to events and assigning them tasks, and keep up with the payroll to make sure they get paid for their hours. Also, organize different vendors into groups related to different events and easily pull up their contact information in a matter of seconds.

Give Inspherio a Try

Enjoy a complimentary 30-day free trial to take advantage of Inspherio’s intuitive features that will help you plan and manage your event with features for managing guest lists, keeping track of vendors, keeping note of your inventory and it’s condition, email marketing, and more.

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Winter Wedding Trends

Now that the fall wedding season is winding down and we are saying goodbye to the fall trends with pumpkin centerpieces and warm shades of red and orange, it’s time to make way for the up and coming winter 2016 trends.

Winter Wonderland Style

First let’s check out the new dress trends that involve hints of vintage, rustic, victorian style. Many brides are choosing dresses with long sleeves for a graceful royal look, like Kate Middleton’s dress, and for warmth.

Shoulder straps are coming back, along with open back dresses and deep Vs in the front for a modern twist on classic dresses. Also, were starting to see more and more sheer dresses with sheer lace and crocheted cloth to give brides an elegant textured look, while showing off modest amounts of their legs.

Bridesmaids can be found in cream and pale colored dresses. Pale teal, greens, and purples are popular, as well as creamy shades of pastel pinks and oranges. Vibrant shades of jewel and velvet accessories that add pops of color to winter wonderlands are also trending.

Plus, to stay warm brides and bridesmaids are wearing faux fur coats. Usually the bride wears a white coat and their bridesmaids wear brown, but shades of grey and black are popular too.

We can’t forget to mention something blue! Shimmering shades of blue can be found everywhere. For example, winter brides are wearing blue eye shadow, and bridesmaids have blue ribbons around their waists and bouquets. Even grooms are wearing blue jackets and ties. Blue is simply the color you can’t go wrong with this season.

Flowers for bouquets are going back to the basics, with simple white flowers with vibrant green stems. It’s also popular to have a few winter berries in the bouquets, along with a vertical, trailing shape.

Winter Wanderlust Decor

Sometimes less is more, which is why more and more weddings have uncovered wooden tables and chairs, for a natural woodsy look. They’re also sticking to natural color schemes for seating, with furniture that’s gray or black.

As far as cloth goes textured, crochet linens are in, but they don’t have to cover the entire table because a simple table runner will give the space the pop of color that it needs. To do something different check out metallic and shimmering table cloths in shades of gold and silver that will add to the winter magic of your wedding.

Big, blooming, centerpieces may be an accessory of the past because more and more wedding planners are arranging simple displays with succulents and sprigs of lavender or wild flowers.

Also, natural items from the winter landscape like pinecones and evergreen needles are being used as decorations. Pinecones can accent centerpieces and be used as card holders for seating arrangements. Evergreen leaves and branches can be crafted into wreaths, added to centerpieces, or used to garnish drinks. The creative possibilities are endless.

To create a romantic, elegant feel your lighting need to be simple, twinkling and warm. Single bulbs on a string or rows of white lights can create a snowy effect. You can also use chandeliers with small light bulbs and crystals hanging down for a dazzling winter affect.

Winter Wedding Refreshments

Weddings are meant to celebrate the love of two individuals who have found one another, but let’s face it, the food is exciting too, especially because wedding food is becoming more and more creative and hands on.

Not only are self-serving food stands popular, but now rolling food trays are in. Members of the waiting staff can push carts of food to different tables and guests can customize their own order. For example, at your wedding, you could serve customizable tacos or salads.

Plus, cake and dessert options are seemingly endless. Simple buttercream frosting is coming back and fondant is on its way out. Instead of lots of frosting roses, cakes are being topped evergreen branches and pinecones. Some people aren’t even serving cake, they provide macaroons, iced cookies, chocolate covered cranberries and fruit, and more instead.

Magical winter cocktails aren’t complete without sugar rimmed glasses and vibrant colors. Consider serving tequila cocktails with simple syrup, peach cocktails with a blush pink glow, or vibrant punch. You could also have a hands on, serve yourself bar where people can make there own mimosas or punch, garnished with a variety of different fruit to choose from.

One of the fastest growing trends is to have a hot cocoa and coffee bar set up, so your guests can cozy up with a warm beverage. Make sure that your cocoa bar has bursts of holiday flair with candy canes and marshmallows that can be added to drinks.

Need a Little Help Planning Your Event?

Now that you’re up to date with the hottest winter wedding trends use Inspherio to help you plan and manage your events. Inspherio is the management solution designed for event industry professionals with innovative features to keep track of vendors, online payments, day of event tasks, and more. Use your complimentary 30-day free trial to see how Inspherio can help you save time while managing and growing your business.

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You've Probably Made These Wedding Etiquette Mistakes!

Wedding etiquette—a series of rules, formalities, and expectations passed down the wedding industry lineage for centuries. And with all the rules to keep up with and follow, you might be missing a few. So quiz yourself, how many of these wedding etiquette mistakes are you making?

Mistake #1: Leaving off the Date and Location on Save the Date Cards

One of the few purposes of the Save the Date card is to let your guests save the date for your upcoming nuptials. Which means, on your save the date cards you’ll have to include when and where the wedding will be. It’s a common courtesy to give your guests this information sooner, rather than later, so that they can save extra travel days (if necessary).

Mistake #2: Selecting an Inconvenient Date and Location

OK, we’re still on the location and date train here, but it’s a big etiquette no-no to plan your wedding on difficult days and in inconvenient places. Yes, we know you’re the bride, but you have to think about your guests too. Although Friday and Sunday weddings are cheaper than Saturday, they tend to put a bit of a strain on your guests who have to make arrangements at work to attend the event.

Mistake #3: Inviting Some and Not Others

It can be tough to narrow down your guest list, be selective, and make a final decision. But one of the biggest etiquette mistakes that a lot of people make is inviting some family members but not others. We understand that you’re really close to one uncle, and that you’ve never met the other uncle, but in terms of etiquette, all uncles should be invited. In situations like this, it’s best to sit down with your family members and draw up a list of all extended family that will need to be included before moving forward with your other guests.

Mistake #4: Inconsistency with Plus Ones

We’ve all heard/seen/experienced it before. Someone brings a plus one that everyone knows will not be sticking around the relationship for very long. And it seems absolutely depressing that you have to allot $40 for this plus one. However, in the laws of all things etiquette, you can’t be wishy washy on who can bring a plus one and who cannot. You have to remain unbiased in the plus one category. Trust us, being unbiased will help you avoid any potential arguments or fights.  

Mistake #5: Not Having Handwritten Labels on Invitations

Now sure, this seems like an archaic etiquette rule but it’s a mistake that should never be made! Weddings are big events, and your guests need to feel that you are excited and that their presence there is important. Whatever you do, ensure that you handwrite your guests’ names on the envelopes.

Mistake #6: Not Personally Greeting Each Guest

You invited over 200 people to your wedding, and now you’re thinking “there’s no way I can speak to every one of them.” Well my friend, failing to speak to all of your guests personally is a big wedding etiquette mistake. Your guests made the effort to be a part of your big day, so make sure your thank them for making it special. 

Alright, tally them up! How many etiquette mistakes have you made? Let us know in the comment section below or share with us on our Facebook page.

And remember, Inspherio is here to help. From planning weddings to organizing your staff information, Inspherio can do it all. It’s also free for the first 30 days. So what do you have to lose? Give Inspherio a try, now!

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5 Fool-Proof Ways to Get Ready for Engagement Season!

Holiday lights aren’t the only thing sparkling this season. Oh yeah, step aside Santa, it’s engagement season! Couples are giddy, dreaming about their new life and their perfect wedding. This is a (as Donald Trump would say) HUGE time for wedding planners. So are you ready to gain new clients, plan beautiful weddings, and make some money? Here are 5 fool-proof ways to get you ready to handle the engagement season rush.

1. Revamp and Dust Yourself off

How long has it been since you last updated your logo or tagline?  Well, the time to attract more people is now. It’s time to dust your marketing materials off and give them a fresh look. Whether that means you need to make yourself new business cards, update your email marketing content, or change your social media images, anything that gives your business there appearance of change can help. So do it!

2. Evaluate Your Pricing

Is what you’re offering competitive? Is it fair? These are questions you should be asking yourself as your prepare for engagement season. One of the first items on a couple’s budget and to-do list is finding a wedding planner. So you might want to start thinking about updating your prices before the beginning of the new year. Our advice is to increase your prices by 10%. If your services cost $5,000, you’ll up your prices by $500. Not too bad of an increase if you ask us.

3. Give Your Website a Facelift

Online is the first place people turn to to find a wedding planner, which means your website is the first impression they get of your services—make it count. Your website has an estimated three seconds to make a good impression, pretty stressful, right? Our suggestion is to post as many pictures as possible on your site. The reason sites like Pinterest are so successful is because they help bring the vision to life. By using images of the style and previous weddings you’ve planned, potential clients will be more trusting of what you can do for them.

4. Add to Your Vendor List

You have a small group of vendors that you’ve worked with for a while; we think that’s great! However, it might be time to update and find more vendors to add to your list. Couples trust that you can find the services they need for their event. Our advice is to branch out a little and find vendors who offer a variety of services. Your potential clients will be more inclined to use your services if they see you offer a wide range of vendors to choose from.

5. Trust in Inspherio

Inspherio is designed to be your all-in-one event planning program. We have features that can help you manage your business a little easier. From Know Your Event, to Invoices and Contracts, to keeping all of your events organized, you’ll wonder how you ever did business without Inspherio. And the best part—we offer world-class support. So we’re always there anytime you need us, day and night!

Don’t let engagement season take over! Get your business ready with these tips, and trust Inspherio to help you plan the perfect event. Like we always say, we’re here to help you plan your success.

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15 Wedding Expenses You Forgot to Budget For

You helped plan the budget, select the venue, book the vendors, but now your clients are having to dip into their own pockets for the rest of the expenses. Oops! Looks like those hidden expenses wiggled their way into your planning and not the budget. Adhering to a budget is hard enough, not to mention all of the unexpected expenses that make their entrance without proper introduction. So the Inspherio Crew got together to figure out the most overlooked event expenses brides, grooms, and planners forgot to budget.

1. Beauty Treatments: Brides and their bridesmaids might have chosen the hairstyle and makeup they would like to have for the big day and allotted money in the budget for it, but what about the trial-runs? Our advice would be to put enough money aside in the budget to make sure that the bride and her hairstylist are on the same page when it comes to the bridal look—you don’t want them to disagree on wedding day. Also, the bride’s hands will be photographed a lot throughout the day, so make sure she puts away any additional funds for a mani/pedi.

2. Stationery: The invitations and save-the-dates are not the only paper goods you need to purchase for the big event. You still have the programs, the escort cards, place cards, and the menus. These expenses can add up quickly! So make sure to spare extra lines in the budget for them.

3. Meals: Your clients have budgeted a lot of money on food and sampled the menu options so much already that they’ve forgotten there are other meals happening that day. We’re here to help you remember that meals prior to the wedding are just as important as the reception dinner. Of course, you don’t need to budget a lot of money for the lunch, we still suggest you budget something. If the wedding is early, a simple bagel and fruit platter is great for breakfast, where sandwiches are good for lunch. Keep it light, and non-junk food related—your clients are nervous enough without the added stomach sickness from food.

4. Vendor Meals: And since we are on the topic of meals, don’t forget to budget meals for the vendors. Yes, you, the photographer, videographer, and everyone else who is with the bridal party all day need food. Don’t forget to add yourself and others to your budget. These meals might only cost you an extra hundred dollars but they’re important to include.

5. Alterations: Your client found the perfect dress, and it fits her budget perfectly. But did she factor in the cost of alterations? Hemming the gown, taking it in, or other structural changes cost money, and sometimes a lot of it. Some studios that the bride purchases a dress from will include a flat fee, while others might charge hundreds for alterations. Be sure to let your bride know of the potential expense.

6. Transportation for Guests: This means transportation to, during, or after the event. At weddings, generally a bride and groom will invite older relatives that may have difficulties walking around a lot. What’s your plan to help them get to and from? I experienced this issue one time when I was coordinating a wedding. The bride and groom both had older relatives who couldn’t walk through the fields to get to the wedding site due to all of the hills. Luckily, they had a friend that lived close to them who lent them a golf cart to help transport guests to the site. Although you might not have enough in the budget to rent a golf cart, this is just a good expense to keep in mind when picking a venue.

7. The Unexpected Guest: It never fails. You get all of your RSVP’s returned to you and you set the headcount based off the no’s, yes’, and plus ones. But someone turns up who originally selected “no” on their RSVP or brought a guest when they said they weren’t going to. Our advice is to always plan for at least five extra guests, especially if you’re having a dinner.

8. Favors: Giving wedding favors to guests is one of the surest ways to show your thankfulness. Many people travel from out-of-town for your wedding day, so let them know you appreciate their efforts to be present. And although these favors cost anywhere from $3 to $8, they can definitely eat into your budget. If you don’t think you have room in the budget for it, try the DIY route. Give these DIY wedding favors a try.

9. Lighting: Lighting is expensive but an important part of setting the atmosphere for your venue. Luckily, we wrote a blog about six money-saving tips on event lighting that you should check out to save you major budget bucks!

10. Decor, and Not Just the Flowers: When you see a beautiful centerpiece, most people see the flowers. What they fail to see is the non-floral supplies: the hurricane globes, flatware, wood pieces, etc. Although the flowers are the most expensive part of the centerpiece, the cost of the additional items you need to bring the look together can add up quickly. Our suggestion is to allot about 30% of your decor budget to these non-floral elements.

11. The Backup: The weather is uncontrollable and can be unpredictable, so don’t fret over backups the day-of. If your client wants an outdoor event, be sure to save just a little for a tent. In our previous blog all about tents, we suggest renting an event tent with a cancellation policy. But no matter the result, you’ll need to put money aside for a clear backup plan. If your clients don’t have to use a backup option, that’s extra money they can add to their honeymoon fund. It’s a win-win if you ask us!

12. Sales Tax and Service Charges: No one thinks about the sales tax when they get a quote from a vendor. So it’s your job to remind them. If you are included in the meeting with the florist, be sure you find out if the quote they’re providing includes sales tax or service charges. For caterers, a “++” means there is a service charge and tax in addition to this price. Make your clients aware of this so they’re not sending off bad reviews when the event ends.

13. Gratuities: To build off of sales taxes and service charges, gratuities are also an important budgetary item to include. Remind your clients that they need to express a “thank you” to those who helped make their dream day possible. We suggest budgeting 5% to 10% for gratuities. Be sure to check the contracts carefully, though, some vendors already include the gratuities in their overall quote.

14. Presents for Family Members: As exciting as this day is for your clients, remind them that it’s also a bittersweet moment for their family. Suggest that your clients create a sweet reminder to their parents to show their appreciation. Our friends at the Bridal Guide have ten thoughtful ways to say “thank you” to the parents. Share these ideas with your clients, but include the cost of making these reminders in the budget.

15. After the “I-Do’s”: Unfortunately for your clients, the costs don’t stop after they say their “I-do’s.” They have to send thank you cards, print pictures, clean the gown, and make photo albums. These expenses can add up just like every other pre-wedding expense. So remind your clients not to start off their new marriage worrying about money.

Prepare for the unexpected so you don’t unexpectedly become the unprepared. Expenses are tricky and budgets are hard to maintain, but with Inspherio on your side, you can manage it all in one, easy-to-use location. Check out Inspherio’s Expenses and Payment features to see how we can help you.

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Listen Up, Wedding Planners: 5 Challenges Facing You Today

Every planner deals with a variety of issues when organizing an event. From the vendors not showing up, to clients changing their minds at the last second, complications do happen. However, as a wedding planner, you have your own set of challenges that differentiates you from any other event planner.

So listen up, wedding planners—here are five of the biggest wedding roadblocks, and how you can overcome them.

Challenge #1: Do It Yourself (DIY) Brides and Grooms

Oh, Pinterest! As the world’s greatest site for wedding planning ideas, do it yourself (DIY) projects, and photo sessions—Pinterest can be your worst nightmare (no hate, Pinterest; you know everyone loves you). Some brides & grooms swear by DIY, and believe it to be the best money-saving option for their wedding. However, doing it yourself doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to be cheaper.

An example: A client buys twenty-five floral vases for the reception tables. She realizes the vases will not work with the flowers, but now she can’t return them, and it takes away a significant sum from the reception budget. Instead of doing it herself, the client could have rented vases from the florist, who knows what sizes will work best with the floral arrangement.

Our Advice: To limit the DIY bride from taking over, meet with your client regularly, listen to their ideas, and offer your advice on vendors who can replicate their vision. And just between you and me, it’s usually better to leave the DIY alone and hire professionals.

Challenge #2: The ‘zillas Have Arrived

We have all heard of the term Bridezilla—there is even a show on HGTV about them. (You know, the ones who want to control every aspect of their wedding, and throw huge temper tantrums over the smallest details.) Thankfully, it seems bridezillas are slowly fading away, but their replacement doesn’t look good. Prepare to meet Groomzilla!

Today, men are helping pick the flower arrangements, food and drinks, wedding date, and even the venue. Because most couples share the wedding expenses, men are becoming more involved than ever before.

Our Advice: To prevent a Groomzilla from making an appearance, be sure to include the groom in decisions and meetings. We also suggest giving the bride and groom individual tasks to work on. And remember, this is his day too; make him feel included.

Challenge #3: Small Budgets, Big Dreams

Laughter and love=priceless

Hugs and Kisses=priceless

Growing family= priceless

Planning a wedding= $25,000

Weddings, with an average price-tag of about $26,444, do not cost what they used to. As a wedding planner, clients hire you to plan their dream event without breaking the bank. However, creating and adhering to a budget is difficult, which is why we consider it perfect for challenge #3.

Our Advice: Divide the budget up into different sections and categories. For a wedding, you have three events to plan for: the rehearsal dinner, the ceremony, and the reception. Allot a certain budget for each of these events, before delving into figuring out the flower budget, food budget, etc.

An Example:

	Rehearsal Dinner	Ceremony	Reception
Flowers	$500	$4,500	$4,000
Food	$1,500	N/A	$5,000
Music	N/A	$500	$1,000
Total	$2,000	$5,000	$10,000

Grand Budget Total: $17,000

*budget isn’t based on actual wedding.

Challenge #4: Unrealistic Expectations

One of your toughest challenges is fighting the unrealistic, reality TV expectation clients have for their wedding day. Unlike what they see on TV, appointments are needed, you have to decorate, and yes, it all costs money.

Our Advice: It’s OK to say no. If you notice your clients are trying to get more than what they paid for, or becoming a ‘zilla, it’s alright to walk away and not accept the job. Take control of the situation before it takes control of you.

Challenge #5: Weekend Warriors

In the wedding industry, there is not a uniform standard of service or quality, which makes it difficult to find reliable vendors. Anyone with a passion can become a weekend wedding planner or a wedding vendor—so knowing who to trust is quite a challenge.

Our Advice: Don’t wait for others, set a standard; partner with vendors who uphold the same standard of quality and service you provide. And show your clients that the quality of your services can’t be matched or topped. When you set a standard, others will follow.

A wedding can be an emotional and stressful affair, but it is also one of the happiest days in your client’s life. Although you may face challenges in your job, isn’t it worth it when the groom sees his bride for the first time on their wedding day? We like to think so!

Remember, Inspherio is here to make sure every day is the happiest day. With our all-in-one event and business management program, we help make creating dream events and overcoming challenges that much easier. What are you waiting for? Try our free 30-day trial today!

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Are YOU ready for this Wedding Season?

Ahh. The air is getting warmer, the days are getting longer, and people are, well, getting married. Spring season is once again rolling back around and it’s practically raining leads. You’re keeping the umbrella at bay because you want them all— you’re more than ready to show each and every lead that you’re perfectly capable of giving them the wedding of a lifetime. So we’re wondering, once you've gotten all your clients in a row and you start knocking out weddings like a champ, are you doing it all without pulling your hair out?

Using pen & paper or several different computer programs to keep your invoices and payments in line may be something you've just gotten used to; therefore, you might be convinced that if it gets the job done then there’s no use in changing it. But think about all the time you’re using searching for an invoice that shows a bride still owes you a chunk of change. This business isn’t for the faint of heart and you’re anything but— you’re smart, strong, and you know that eventually you’ll find what you’re looking for and so maybe that’s why you’re sticking to such organized chaos. We’re here to tell you it doesn't have to be that way because with Inspherio we’re focused on the better of those two words: organized. We just want to let you in on the magic of managing your business online, seamlessly, all in one place.

Inspherio was created by event professionals for events professionals, and we believe in the importance of time management. You’ll have the ability to manage leads, employees, finances, and events with a single program— hassle free. And to put the icing on the cake, we offer the best prices for the best service. It may seem to good to be true, but believe it. Inspherio is here to give you back time. Put down all those papers and close out all of those programs and join Inspherio. Come on, take a bite. You’ll fall in love with saving time and keeping your hair on. We guarantee it.

Inspherio offers a free 30 Day Trial so that you can root around and see what the program has to offer. Sign up, take it for a spin, and feel free to reach out to our awesome support team whenever you feel like you've taken a wrong turn— we’re here to steer you in the right direction.

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Year End Tax Tips for Wedding and Event Planners

It’s that time of the year again where you find yourself scrambling to find all those receipts and bits of paperwork that you knew you’d need when filing your taxes. We hope you kept everything together, because we know every penny counts when you’re trying to save on taxes. There’s good news: if you’re a wedding planner, your chances of racking up deductions are high.

We’ve put together a list of tips of the trade in year-end tax filing that’ll keep your wallet from thinning.

Working from home. We know there’s probably a majority of wedding planners out there that do their business from home, and that’s good news if you do. Working from home means you could be eligible for a home office deduction. 

Learning more about your business. If you took educational courses in order to improve your skills as a business owner, you can deduct the costs as a business expense.

Fete your business customers. Did you entertain a client preceding or following a “substantial business discussion”? If so, this means that 50% of the entertainment and meal expenses are deductible. The entertainment can take place the day before or after for an out-of-town customer. What’s more, spouses or significant others can tag along when the situation calls for it.

Stock up on depreciable equipment. Under current law, the maximum Section 179 deduction for business equipment is limited to only $25,000, while 50% bonus depreciation generally isn’t allowed anymore this year. Nevertheless, don’t hesitate to buy needed equipment if the price is right. At tax return time, you can maximize deductions, including any retroactive extensions of favorable provisions ultimately approved by Congress.

Add vacation time to business trips. Generally speaking, you can deduct travel expenses – including airfare, lodging, ground transportation and 50% of meal costs – if the primary purpose of the trip is business-related. As long as you spend more days on business than pleasure, you should be in the clear. However, note that expenses that are strictly personal, such as a sightseeing jaunt, are nondeductible.

Overhead used. If you’re just starting out in the wedding planning business, your cost of overhead may be low. If you’ve been in the bizz for a while now, it’s probably substantially higher. Either way, you can deduct the cost of items used to manage your business such as laptops, iPads, printer, cell phone, and office supplies.

Marketing your business. We know that marketing and advertising your amazing wedding planning skills can sometimes be costly — now you can get more bang for your buck. If you dished out cash for your business’s website, online and print advertising, business cards, and other marketing expenses, you can add this to your long list of deductions.

Celebrate with your staff. If you happen to have a staff working for you, sometimes a little celebration may be in order for the success of your wedding planning business. Normally, deductions for business entertainment are limited to 50% of the cost. However, under a special tax law exception, you can write off 100% of a company party, like a July 4th or Labor Day picnic or barbecue, as long as the entire workforce is invited.

Deadline to file taxes for Business is March 16th and Personal returns is April 15th for this year. If you are not ready to file your return, you can file an extension. E-filing an extension is the way to go and you can use an IRS authorized E-file service provider like ExpressExtension and get an additional 5 to 6 months to prepare and file your return. Learn more at IRS or Express Extension. If you ever have any questions regarding your taxes or deductions, please contact a tax professional. 

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