BOOKINGS

Create and manage a booking

Create a booking, update its status, assign staff, record payments, and keep an activity history.

Guide typeStep by step Estimated time4 minutes Best forBookings

A booking is the central Party Desk Pro record. Customer details, event logistics, packages, payments, staff, contracts, media, invoices, and portal access all connect to it.

Before you begin

Create the package and add-ons first so prices and durations can be selected instead of typed manually.
Have the customer’s name, email, phone, event address, date, start time, and service choice ready.
Confirm whether the booking is an inquiry, quote, or confirmed event.

Create a booking manually

Open the booking editor. In WordPress, choose Party Desk Pro → Add Booking or open Add Booking.
Enter customer details. Add the customer’s full name, email address, phone number, and preferred contact method. Confirm the email carefully because confirmations and customer-portal access use it.
Enter the schedule. Select the event date, start time, and duration. Confirm the site time zone under WordPress Settings → General if the displayed time is unexpected.
Enter the complete location. Add the venue name, street address, unit or suite, city, state, ZIP code, and access notes. Record whether water and power are available when those fields apply.
Select products. Choose the package and any add-ons. Review the calculated total and change the quoted price only when an approved custom quote is required.
Set workflow fields. Choose the booking status, payment method, lead source, and operational notes. Use internal notes for information the customer should not see.
Save the booking. Select the primary save button once. Wait for the success notice and confirm the editor now shows a booking ID.

Expected result: the booking appears in the booking directory and calendar, and its customer, schedule, package, and total match what you entered.

Assign employees

Reopen the saved booking from Bookings.
Find the employee assignment section.
Select each employee responsible for setup, operation, cleanup, or delivery.
Save the booking again.
Sign in with a test employee account and confirm the job appears in the employee portal without exposing unrelated bookings.

Add payment, invoice, and contract actions

Confirm the final booking total before requesting money or generating documents.
Create an invoice when the customer needs a formal billing document.
Create a Square payment link or use embedded checkout according to your payment settings.
Create the required contract or waiver and send the secure signature request.
Record offline payments only after they have been received or confirmed.

Use statuses consistently

Status	Use it when	Typical next action
New	The request has arrived but has not been reviewed.	Verify details and contact the customer.
Contacted	Your team has responded and is waiting for information or a decision.	Complete the quote or follow up.
Quoted	Pricing has been provided but the event is not fully confirmed.	Collect approval, deposit, or signature.
Confirmed	The event should reserve time and move into operations.	Assign staff, equipment, route, and reminders.
Completed	The work is finished and final records are accurate.	Close balances and review reporting.
Cancelled	The event will not take place.	Document the reason and handle refunds or releases.

Protect the customer record

Put customer-visible information in the appropriate email, contract, or portal field.
Keep private operational details in internal notes.
Do not store full card numbers, security codes, passwords, or other sensitive credentials in notes.

If the booking is missing from the calendar

Confirm the booking has a valid event date and start time.
Check that its status is not Cancelled and is included in your calendar workflow.
Confirm the WordPress time zone and reload the calendar.
Open Setup & System if the record exists in Bookings but still cannot be displayed.