Your First Event

Events are the heart of Gilded. Every client engagement — from initial inquiry to final payment — lives inside an event. Here is how to create your first one.

Creating a New Event

From the Dashboard or the Events page in the sidebar, click the + New Event button in the top right corner. This opens the new event form.

Adding Client Details

The first section of the form collects your client's information:

• Client name — the primary contact (e.g., "Sarah Mitchell")
• Client email — where documents and payment links are sent
• Client phone — optional, for your records
• Partner name — the other half of the couple, if applicable

This information powers your merge fields. When you type {{client_name}} or {{partner_name}} in a document, Gilded fills in these details automatically.

Entering Event Details

Next, fill in what you know about the wedding:

• Event name — a label for your reference (e.g., "Mitchell-Park Wedding")
• Event date — the wedding date
• Guest count — estimated number of guests

You do not need to have every detail finalized. You can always come back and update these fields later from the event page.

Adding Venue Information

If you have a venue confirmed, add it here:

• Venue name — the ceremony or reception venue
• Venue address — full address for the venue

This information is also available as merge fields ({{venue_name}}, {{venue_address}}) so it flows into your documents automatically.

Selecting a Service Package

The package section lets you choose the service offering for this event:

• Package name — e.g., "Full Planning" or "Day-of Coordination"
• Package price — the total price for your services
• Deposit amount — the deposit you require before the event

When you build a document for this event, pricing fields like {{total_price}}, {{deposit_amount}}, and {{balance_amount}} are calculated and inserted automatically based on what you enter here.

If you do not have a package defined yet, you can skip this and add it later.

Saving and Viewing Your Event

Click Create Event to save. You land on the event detail page, which is your command center for this client. From here you can:

• See the activity timeline — a running log of every action taken on this event
• View the status — the current workflow stage (starts at "Prospect")
• Create documents — build a proposal, contract, or combined document
• Manage payments — request deposits and track payment status
• View client contact info — quick access to email and phone

What to Do Next

Now that your event is set up, it is time to build a document. Check out Document Types to understand your options, or jump straight into Building Proposals.