Free event planning tools

What to figure out first

Guest count and timing drive everything else

Almost every other number on your planning list is derived from two things: how many people are coming and how long they will be there. Table counts, drink quantities, ice, staffing, and how long dinner takes all fall out of those two answers. Settle them first, even roughly, and the rest of the planning stops feeling like guesswork.

Plan drinks by the hour, not by the bottle

The working baseline is about one drink per guest per hour, with the first hour running heavier than the ones after it because everyone arrives thirsty and social. Counting bottles instead of hours is what leads to the two classic mistakes: running dry at hour two, or hauling home half of what you bought. Buy to the hourly rate and the totals land much closer.

Table capacity and comfortable seating are different numbers

A 60 inch round seats 8 comfortably and 10 if you are willing to squeeze. A 72 inch round seats 10 comfortably and 12 at the maximum. Planning at the maximum looks efficient on paper and then guests cannot reach their glasses or get their chairs out. Use the comfortable number for a seated dinner and save the maximum for a room where you genuinely have no other option.

A buffet moves as fast as the room is run

One serving line handles a big party comfortably as long as somebody is releasing tables to it. An MC or coordinator calling tables up a few at a time keeps a steady train through the line, and dinner stays on schedule at almost any headcount. What actually creates the twenty minute queue is nobody running the room, so all of the guests stand up at once. If you are planning a buffet, the question to answer is not how many lines you need, it is who is calling the tables.

Ice is the thing everyone forgets

Ice gets left off the shopping list more reliably than anything else, and it is the one item you cannot improvise at the venue. Outdoor events in San Antonio heat need noticeably more than an indoor evening, for the drinks and for keeping everything else cold. Budget it deliberately rather than picking up a couple of bags on the way.

Common questions

Are these tools really free?

Yes. Every tool works without an account and every export is free. We build them because people planning events in San Antonio often end up needing a caterer, and we would like to be the one you already trust.

Do you store my event details?

No. Your work is saved in your own browser and in files you download. Nothing you type into a tool is sent to our servers unless you explicitly ask us to contact you.

Do the tools work on a phone?

Yes. They are built for phones first, since most planning happens in group chats, at venues, and in store aisles.

Do I have to give you an email to use a tool or export a file?

No. Every tool works and every export downloads without an email address. After a download we ask if you want a copy sent to you, and you are free to ignore it.

Can I save my work and come back later?

Yes. Your progress is kept in your own browser, so returning to the page on the same device picks up where you left off. You can also download a project file and load it back later or on another device.

Do you use these tools for real events?

The rules of thumb behind them are the ones we work from every weekend. Our own kitchen and floor planning runs on the same numbers, which is why these give practical answers instead of generic ones.