Party planners in Bengaluru: what a whole party costs, and what a planner adds

There are four ways families do it. The difference is who makes the calls and who's in charge on the day:

A decorator who leads gets you most of it from one phone number. You still book the food and the cake, but the backdrop and the acts come from one person, and on the one act we could check, at about the price of booking it yourself (question 3).

Pay a planner when the day needs a manager. If you're not in Bengaluru, if it's a surprise and you can't be seen making calls, or if it's a hall with a caterer, a decorator, a photographer, a host and a cake, one person who answers for all of them saves you the most.

The party changes what you need. A child's party is mostly games and acts. A parent's 60th is a seated meal for the elders and the rituals, and a baby shower is often both. Each has a guide of its own: kids' birthday parties, first birthdays, baby showers and 40ths, 50ths and 60ths.

Food sets the bill. A caterer's veg buffet here runs about ₹300 to ₹550 a plate, so every ten guests add ₹3,000 to ₹5,500 before anything else. The photographer and the decoration move it less.

On top of every sum: the venue's rent, transport, GST and return gifts. A community hall is about ₹1,000 to ₹4,500 a session and a cafe's party room ₹3,000 to ₹6,000 for two to three hours. At one Bengaluru online favour shop, a mix of small return gifts runs about ₹45 to ₹72 a child, so ₹2,250 to ₹3,600 for 50 children. Maruthi Events also makes them himself.

The cheapest way is the first step above: balloons put up for you, party boxes or a caterer's drop-off, a cake from a home baker, and photos on your phones.

A fancier look adds more to the bill than a bigger room does. Luxury planners start near ₹1 lakh for the whole event. The birthday decoration guide has every step of decoration with photos.

It may not be the same magician. Ask the decorator for the performer's name and a clip of their show.

With no separate fee, the pay is in the prices. That's fine, as long as the total beats what you'd pay booking each part. Ask for every part priced on its own, and check two of them, the food and the photographer, against the prices on this page.

Who works the simple way. Mirakle Events does decoration from ₹6,000 and a veg buffet from ₹380 a plate, both with his own team. Sankalana Decorations does themed decoration from ₹6,500 and books the host and the acts from partner artists. BookMyPartyFood cooks, from ₹350 a plate on her sample menu, and arranges the rest.

Who works the designed way. Party-cipate builds custom themes for children's parties with her own props, and prices each party on its own. Dream Decor builds themed stages and has its own hall, SarOvara, seating 40 to 80. For the food, Smart Chef Catering starts at ₹550 a plate, with live counters from ₹4,500 each.

Where the extra goes. By our estimate, the built set is the biggest part, about ₹29,000 to ₹45,000 more than a printed backdrop, because it's made for your theme, with props as tall as an adult. The food adds about ₹10,500 to ₹28,500 for a longer menu and staff in uniform, and up to ₹4,500 more if a live counter is charged on its own. A photographer who gives you an album adds about ₹11,000 to ₹13,000, and a cake made to the theme ₹3,150 to ₹4,900.

Which to pick. The simple party fits a clubhouse or a home full of children. The designed one makes sense in a hall, when the photos matter to you. Either way, ask who stays through the party and runs it.

The food alone, at two real caterers. The cheapest buffet menu is ₹300 a plate at Divi's Kitchen, a home cook, and ₹550 at Smart Chef Catering. For 50 guests that's ₹18,000 to ₹20,000 with Divi's servers, against ₹30,500 to ₹31,500 with Smart Chef's staff, and crockery and transport still to add.

Divi's Kitchen, a home cook

From ₹300 a plate

Smart Chef Catering, full service

From ₹550 a plate

Her most basic veg menu, home-cooked

Her cheapest menu, with North Indian, Chinese and kids' snacks

Plus ₹3,000 to ₹5,000 for the party: chafing dishes, 2 to 5 serving staff and delivery

Staff in uniform, gloves and hairnets, at ₹1,000 each, 3 or 4 for 50 guests

From 15 guests to 100, and up to ₹550 a plate for a longer menu

From 50 guests, with crockery and transport extra

Ask to see the decoration in a photo. "Theme decor" can be a balloon arch or a built stage, so ask for their own photo of the setup the price is for.

Settle who's in charge on the day. A planner running several parties that day sends a team, so ask for the name and number of the person who stays through yours, and until what time.

A hall bills the food and the room separately. Veloria Grand's food starts at ₹599 a plate for veg and ₹650 for non-veg, plus GST, and the rent is by the hour on top. For 50 that's ₹29,950 before GST and the room.

Some decorators have their own small room. Cozy Celebrations decorates at its own venue for up to about 20 guests, and Dream Decor has SarOvara, seating 40 to 80. Ask whether the room is in their price.

For children, a play park runs it all. Bounce's party packages are ₹1,199 to ₹2,199 a child on weekdays, plus GST, and more at weekends, for 10 children or more. Half is paid at booking and the rest a week before, and nothing is refunded.

On a terrace or a lawn, keep a room to move to. From August to October Bengaluru has rain on about ten days a month.

Weddings take the halls first. One Bengaluru caterer's wedding calendar says halls in Jayanagar and Malleshwaram go six to nine months ahead for December. A small party hall may still be free, so ask one that doesn't take weddings.

Write it down. Put every part, its price, the advance and the balance date in one WhatsApp message, and get a yes to it.