ReservePress Events — Installation & User Guide (v1.0.0)

1. Requirements

Before installing ReservePress Events, confirm your server meets the following requirements: Requirement

Minimum

WordPress

6.4 or higher

PHP

7.4 or higher (PHP 8.0+ recommended)

MySQL / MariaDB

MySQL 5.7+ or MariaDB 10.3+

HTTPS

Required for Stripe payments (strongly recommended for all installs)

Pretty Permalinks

Must be enabled — Settings → Permalinks → any option except Plain

WP Memory Limit

128 MB minimum; 256 MB recommended

Optional: Stripe Account

Required only if you want to collect online deposits or full payments. Not required for invoice-on-request or pay-at-event workflows.

2. Installation

Method A — Upload via WordPress Admin (Recommended)

• Log in to your WordPress admin dashboard.
• Go to Plugins → Add New → Upload Plugin.
• Click Choose File and select reservepress-events-v1.0.0.zip.
• Click Install Now, then Activate Plugin.
• You will be redirected to the RP Events dashboard automatically.

Method B — FTP / File Manager

• Extract reservepress-events-v1.0.0.zip on your computer.
• Upload the reservepress-events folder to /wp-content/plugins/ via FTP or your host's file manager.
• In WordPress admin go to Plugins → Installed Plugins.
• Find ReservePress Events and click Activate.

What Happens on Activation

The plugin automatically creates 8 custom database tables prefixed with wp_rpevt_ (or your configured prefix). Custom capabilities are added to the Administrator role. No existing WordPress data is modified.

Database Tables Created

3. First-Time Setup

Follow these steps in order after activating the plugin. Completing each step before the next ensures the availability checker and booking flow work correctly from day one.

3.1 Configure General Settings

Go to RP Events → Settings and fill in the General section:

• Venue Name — appears in email notifications and the booking widget.
• Venue Email — used as the reply-to address for all client-facing emails.
• Phone Number — displayed in confirmation emails.
• Theme Style Adoption — set to auto to inherit your active theme's colours and fonts automatically.

3.2 Add Venue Spaces

Go to RP Events → Spaces → Add New Space. Fill in:

• Name — e.g. Grand Ballroom, Skyline Room, Garden Terrace.
• Description — full description shown on the space detail page and in the booking flow.
• Capacity — maximum number of guests. Shown in the spaces grid and used to filter availability.
• Pricing Type — choose Day Rate, Half-Day Rate, or Hourly Rate. You can set all three.
• Day Rate / Half-Day / Hourly — pricing displayed on the space card and used at checkout.
• Images — photo gallery for this space. First image used as the card thumbnail.
• Feature Tags — short labels displayed on the space card (e.g. Stage + dance floor, AV ready).
• Status — set to Active for the space to appear in the availability checker and booking flow.

3.3 Add Event Types

Go to RP Events → Event Types → Add New. Event types populate the Event Type dropdown in the inquiry form and availability checker. Examples:

• Wedding
• Corporate Event
• Private Celebration
• Workshop / Class
• Community Meeting
• Pop-up / Market

Each event type can optionally be linked to one or more spaces to filter availability results by event type.

3.4 Add Packages

Go to RP Events → Packages → Add New Package. Packages allow you to bundle spaces, add-ons, and services into a single priced offer. Fill in:

• Name — e.g. Starter Package, Celebration Package, Signature Package.
• Description — shown on the packages page. Describe what's included.
• Price — base price for the package.
• Deposit Percentage — percentage charged at booking (e.g. 25 for 25%). Leave at 0 for full payment.
• Included Items — list of what's bundled (space access, setup time, add-ons). Shown as a checklist.
• Featured — check to display a Most Popular badge on this package.
• Status — set to Active to display on the packages page.

3.5 Configure Availability & Blocked Dates

Go to RP Events → Spaces, click a space, then click Blocked Dates. Add any dates when that space is unavailable — recurring closures, maintenance periods, or already-booked dates not yet in the system.

Important

A space with no blocked dates is considered available on all days. Block dates proactively for public holidays and recurring closure days.

3.6 Create Required Pages

Create the following pages in WordPress → Pages → Add New. The slug (URL) must match exactly for the plugin's internal links to work correctly.

Page Title

Slug

Content / Notes

Events

events

Add shortcode [rp_events]. Displays upcoming events listing. Use ReservePress Events Theme Events Page template.

Book a Venue

book-venue

Add shortcode [rp_book_venue]. The inquiry form. Use ReservePress Events Theme Booking Page template.

Manage Booking

manage-booking

Add shortcode [rp_manage]. Accessed via ?rp_manage={token} link in confirmation emails.

Payment

payment

Add shortcode [rp_payment]. Handles deposit and balance collection via Stripe token URLs.

4. Shortcodes

ReservePress Events provides four shortcodes. Each can be placed in any WordPress page, post, or widget area. Required CSS and JavaScript are enqueued automatically.

4.1 [rp_events] — Upcoming Events Listing

[rp_events]

[rp_events limit="6"]

[rp_events category="wedding" limit="4"]

[rp_events venue="grand-ballroom"]

Displays a listing of upcoming public events. Each event card shows the event name, date, venue space, and a details link. Events are managed in RP Events → Events in the admin dashboard. Attribute

Default

Description

limit

12

Maximum number of events to display.

category

—

Filter by event type slug or ID. Omit to show all event types.

venue

—

Filter by venue (space) slug or ID. Omit to show events across all spaces.

4.2 [rp_book_venue] — Venue Inquiry Form

[rp_book_venue]

[rp_book_venue title="Start Planning Your Event"]

[rp_book_venue venue_id="3" event_type="wedding"]

[rp_book_venue trigger="yes" label="Request a Booking"]

Renders the venue inquiry form: name, email, phone, event type, start date, end date, approximate guest count, and a free-text details field. On submission the inquiry is saved to RP Events → Bookings with status Inquiry, and automated confirmation emails are sent to the client and the venue admin.

Trigger mode

When trigger="yes" is set, the form is hidden by default and collapses behind a button. Clicking the button expands the form inline on the same page. Use label to customise the button text.

Attribute

Default

Description

title

Tell us about your

event

Heading displayed at the top of the form.

venue_id

—

Pre-select a venue (space) by ID. Hides the venue selector if set.

event_type

—

Pre-select an event type by slug or ID.

trigger

no

Set to "yes" to collapse the form behind an expand button.

label

Book This Venue

Button text shown when trigger mode is active.

4.3 [rp_manage] — Guest Booking Management

[rp_manage]

Displays a guest's booking details and a cancel request option. This shortcode reads a secure token from the URL parameter ?rp_manage={token} — the token is included automatically in the booking confirmation email sent to the client. No shortcode attributes are needed.

Page Setup Required

Place this shortcode on a dedicated page (recommended slug: manage-booking). Save the page URL in RP Events → Settings → General so the plugin can generate the correct link in confirmation emails.

4.4 [rp_payment] — Payment Page

[rp_payment]

Handles both deposit and balance collection via Stripe. The shortcode reads the payment context from the URL:

• ?rp_deposit={token} — renders the deposit payment screen for a newly confirmed booking.
• ?rp_balance={token} — renders the balance payment screen when the remaining amount is due. Page Setup Required

Place this shortcode on a dedicated page (recommended slug: payment). Save the page URL in RP Events → Settings → General. Both token links are generated automatically by the plugin and sent to the client via email. Do not link to this page directly from your navigation. HTTPS is required for Stripe to process payments on this page.

5. Admin Menu Reference

The RP Events menu appears in the WordPress admin sidebar. It contains the following sections:

5.1 Dashboard

• Overview of today's bookings, upcoming events, and key stats.
• Quick-access buttons for common tasks.
• Recent activity feed showing new inquiries and confirmed bookings.

5.2 Bookings

• Full list of all bookings and inquiries with date, client, space, package, and status filters.
• Click any booking to view full details, change status, or add internal notes.
• Use the New Booking button to manually create a reservation.
• Status options: Inquiry, Under Review, Confirmed, Deposit Paid, Paid in Full, Cancelled.
• Confirmed bookings automatically block the space's availability calendar for those dates.

5.3 Calendar

• Monthly calendar view showing all confirmed bookings, grouped by space.
• Navigate with Prev/Next buttons or the date picker.
• Click any booking block to view or edit it.
• Blocked dates shown with a striped pattern.

5.4 Spaces

• Manage all venue spaces — name, capacity, pricing, images, feature tags, and status.
• Blocked Dates sub-page: add unavailable dates per space.
• Each space has a unique ID used in shortcodes and the availability checker.

5.5 Event Types

• Create and manage event type options shown in the inquiry form dropdown.
• Optionally link event types to specific spaces for filtered availability results.

5.6 Packages

• Create and manage venue packages with pricing, deposit percentage, and included items.
• Toggle Featured to show a Most Popular badge on the packages page.
• Packages can be linked directly from the inquiry form via shortcode attribute.

5.7 Clients

• View all client records with contact information and booking history.
• Click a client to see their full inquiry and booking history.
• Clients are created automatically when an inquiry or booking is submitted.

5.8 Reports

• Revenue summary by date range.
• Booking volume by space, event type, and package.
• Requires the view_rpevt_reports capability (Administrators have this by default).

6. Settings Reference

All settings are at RP Events → Settings. Each tab saves independently — click Save Settings within each tab.

6.1 General Tab

Setting

Description

rpevt_venue_name

Your venue name — appears in email notifications and the booking widget.

rpevt_venue_email

Reply-to email address for all client-facing emails.

rpevt_venue_phone

Venue phone number — included in confirmation emails.

rpevt_theme_style

auto = inherit active theme CSS variables. off = always use plugin default colours.

6.2 Booking Rules Tab

Setting

Description

rpevt_min_advance_days

Minimum days in advance a client can submit an inquiry. Default: 7.

rpevt_max_advance_days

How far ahead clients can request dates. Default: 730 days (2 years).

rpevt_require_deposit

Require a deposit at booking confirmation. Deposit % set per package.

rpevt_allow_guest_inquiry

Allow inquiries without a WordPress account. Recommended: on.

rpevt_require_phone

Make the phone field required on the inquiry form.

rpevt_auto_confirm

Automatically confirm inquiries (skips Under Review status). Default: off.

6.3 Payments & Stripe Tab

Setting

Description

rpevt_payment_mode

deposit = charge deposit at confirmation. full = charge full amount. none = invoice manually.

rpevt_stripe_enabled

Enable Stripe payment processing.

rpevt_stripe_test_mode

on = use test API keys. off = use live keys.

rpevt_stripe_pub_key_live

Stripe live publishable key (starts with pk_live_).

rpevt_stripe_secret_live

Stripe live secret key (starts with sk_live_). Never share this key.

rpevt_stripe_pub_key_test

Stripe test publishable key (starts with pk_test_).

rpevt_stripe_secret_test

Stripe test secret key (starts with sk_test_).

rpevt_stripe_webhook_secret

Stripe webhook signing secret (starts with whsec_). Required for payment confirmation.

6.4 Tax Tab

Setting

Description

rpevt_tax_enabled

Apply tax to package and space pricing at checkout.

rpevt_tax_rate

Tax percentage (e.g. 13 for 13% HST).

rpevt_tax_name

Label shown at checkout (e.g. HST, GST, VAT).

rpevt_tax_inclusive

on = prices already include tax. off = tax added on top.

6.5 Currency Tab

Setting

Description

rpevt_currency

ISO currency code. Default: CAD.

rpevt_currency_symbol

Symbol displayed with prices. Default: $.

rpevt_currency_position

before = $10.00. after = 10.00$.

rpevt_currency_decimals

Number of decimal places. Default: 2.

6.6 Email & SMTP Tab

Setting

Description

rpevt_email_from_name

Sender name for all plugin emails.

rpevt_email_from_address

Sender email address.

rpevt_email_inquiry_confirm

Send a confirmation email to the client after inquiry submission.

rpevt_email_booking_confirm

Send a confirmation email when booking is confirmed by admin.

rpevt_email_reminder

Send a reminder email before the event date.

rpevt_email_reminder_days

Days before the event to send the reminder. Default: 7.

rpevt_email_cancellation

Send a cancellation notice to the client.

rpevt_smtp_host

SMTP server hostname (e.g. smtp.sendgrid.net).

rpevt_smtp_port

SMTP port. Common values: 587 (TLS), 465 (SSL).

rpevt_smtp_username

SMTP account username.

rpevt_smtp_password

SMTP account password.

rpevt_smtp_encryption

tls or ssl.

SMTP Recommendation

WordPress default email (wp_mail) is often blocked by hosting providers. Use a transactional email service such as SendGrid, Mailgun, or Postmark for reliable delivery. Enter the SMTP credentials in the fields above, or use a dedicated SMTP plugin if preferred.

7. User Roles & Capabilities

ReservePress Events adds custom capabilities to the WordPress role system. Administrators receive all capabilities automatically on activation. Assign individual capabilities to other roles using a role management plugin such as User Role Editor.

Capability

Description

Admin

Manager*

Recept.*

manage_rpevt_bookings

View, create, edit bookings

✓

✓

✓

edit_rpevt_bookings

Edit existing bookings

✓

✓

✓

delete_rpevt_bookings

Delete bookings

✓

✓

manage_rpevt_spaces

Manage venue spaces

✓

✓

manage_rpevt_packages

Manage packages

✓

✓

manage_rpevt_settings

Access plugin settings

✓

✓

view_rpevt_reports

View revenue and booking

reports

✓

✓

view_rpevt_calendar

View the calendar screen

✓

✓

✓

access_rpevt_frontend

Access the Front Desk interface

✓

✓

✓

* Manager and Receptionist are not created automatically. Assign capabilities to existing roles using a role editor plugin.

8. Front Desk Interface

The Front Desk is a dedicated interface designed for in-venue use — reception desks, coordinator tablets, or any staff-facing screen. It is separate from the WordPress admin and accessible at: https://yoursite.com/?rpevt_front_desk=1

The interface includes:

• Dashboard tab — today's bookings at a glance, plus upcoming events for the rest of the week.
• New Booking tab — create a walk-in or phone inquiry quickly without using the full admin.
• Bookings tab — view, filter, and update booking status.
• Calendar tab — monthly view of confirmed bookings grouped by space.
• Clients tab — search and view client records and inquiry history.
• Spaces tab — view spaces, capacity, and current availability at a glance.
• Reports tab — quick revenue and booking summary.

Access Control

The Front Desk interface requires the access_rpevt_frontend capability. Administrators have this by default. Assign it to coordinator or receptionist roles as needed.

9. Email Notifications

The plugin sends the following emails automatically. All emails are sent via the SMTP settings configured in RP Events → Settings → Email.

Email

Trigger

Recipient

Inquiry Confirmation

Immediately after inquiry form submission

Client

Booking Confirmation

When admin confirms and approves the booking

Client

Deposit Receipt

After successful Stripe deposit payment

Client

Event Reminder

N days before the event date (configurable)

Client

Cancellation Notice

When a booking is cancelled

Client

New Inquiry Alert

Immediately after inquiry form submission

Venue Admin

Reminder emails require a WP-Cron job to fire. On most shared hosts this works automatically. For mission-critical reminders, configure a real cron job on your server: */5 * * * * curl -s https://yoursite.com/wp-cron.php?doing_wp_cron > /dev/null

10. Stripe Payment Setup

Step 1: Create a Stripe Account

Go to stripe.com and create or log in to your account. Complete business verification if required for live payments.

Step 2: Get Your API Keys

In the Stripe dashboard, go to Developers → API Keys. Copy your Publishable key and Secret key. Start with test mode keys (pk_test_… and sk_test_…) for initial setup.

Step 3: Enter Keys in Plugin Settings

Go to RP Events → Settings → Payments. Enable Stripe and check Test Mode. Paste your test keys into the Test Publishable Key and Test Secret Key fields. Save settings.

Step 4: Set Up Webhook

In Stripe dashboard go to Developers → Webhooks → Add Endpoint. Endpoint URL: https://yoursite.com/wp-json/rpevt/v1/stripe-webhook. Select events: payment_intent.succeeded and payment_intent.payment_failed. Copy the Signing Secret and paste it into the Stripe Webhook Secret field in plugin settings.

Step 5: Test a Payment

Submit a test inquiry and confirm the booking in RP Events → Bookings. Use Stripe test card 4242 4242 4242 4242 with any future expiry and any CVC. Confirm the booking shows payment status Deposit Paid or Paid in Full. When ready for live payments, switch off Test Mode and replace with live API keys.

Security

Never paste your Stripe secret key anywhere public or in version control. The webhook secret prevents fraudulent payment confirmation requests. HTTPS is required for Stripe to function on live sites.

11. ReservePress Events Theme

The ReservePress Events Theme is the official companion theme for ReservePress Events. It is designed to work out of the box with the plugin — no manual shortcode setup required for the Availability, Spaces, Packages, or Booking pages.

Installing the Theme

• Go to Appearance → Themes → Add New → Upload Theme.
• Upload reservepress-events-theme.zip and click Activate.
• Create the pages listed below, assigning the matching page templates.

Required Pages & Templates

Page Title

Slug

Template

Home (set as front page)

/

Front Page

Spaces

spaces

Spaces Page

Availability

availability

Availability Page

Events

events

Events Page

Packages

packages

Packages Page

Book an Event

book-event

Booking Page

Plugin Integration

• The Availability Page template automatically renders the availability checker — no shortcode needed.
• The Spaces Page template pulls space data directly from the plugin database.
• The Packages Page template renders all active packages as pricing cards.
• The Booking Page template renders the inquiry form pre-loaded with any space or package passed via URL parameter.
• The booking widget inherits the theme's warm cream and gold colour palette automatically via CSS variables.

Theme Customisation

Go to Appearance → Customize to access all theme options. The Customizer is organised into the following sections:

Section

What you can configure

Typography

Font pairing (5 curated options). Only the selected pair is loaded from Google Fonts.

Venue Information

Venue name, tagline, phone, email, address, and Book a Tour URL.

Homepage — Hero

Eyebrow text, heading, subtext, both CTA buttons, hero image, and availability widget toggle.

Homepage — Spaces

Section heading, subtext, and which spaces appear in the featured grid.

Homepage — Packages

Section heading and subtext for the packages preview.

Testimonials

Section heading plus up to 3 testimonials (quote, name, role each).

Colours

Primary Gold, Background, Body Text, Card Background, and Front Desk sidebar colour.

12. ReservePress Events Theme Lite

ReservePress Events Theme Lite is a minimal booking shell included free with every ReservePress Events purchase. It is designed for venues whose main website runs on a non-WordPress platform such as Shopify, Squarespace, or Wix — where you need a clean, branded inquiry experience without building a full WordPress site.

How It Works

Install WordPress in a subfolder of your domain (e.g. yourdomain.com/book/). Theme Lite turns that subfolder into a self-contained booking portal — nothing more. Visitors who land on your booking URL see only the venue inquiry form and a booking management page. The header shows your logo, which links back to your main site.

Installing Theme Lite

• Go to Appearance → Themes → Add New → Upload Theme.
• Upload reservepress-events-theme-lite.zip and click Activate.
• On activation, the theme automatically creates two pages: Book a Venue and Manage Booking. No manual page creation is required.
• Go to RP Events → Settings → General and confirm the Manage Booking URL points to the newly created page.

Customiser Options

Go to Appearance → Customize. Theme Lite exposes four options only: Option

Description

Logo

Upload your venue logo. Displayed in the header, links back to your main site.

Primary Colour

Accent colour applied to buttons and highlights in the inquiry form.

Main Site URL

The URL your logo links to (e.g. https://yourdomain.com).

Footer Copyright

Copyright line displayed in the footer.

What Theme Lite does not include

Theme Lite has no navigation menu, no homepage, and no marketing content. It is intentionally minimal — a booking shell only. For a full venue website with a homepage, spaces page, packages, availability checker, and events listing, use the ReservePress Events Theme (Chapter 11).

13. Troubleshooting

Availability checker shows “No spaces available” for all dates

• Confirm at least one space has Status set to Active in RP Events → Spaces.
• Check that the requested dates are not in the space's Blocked Dates list.
• Confirm the requested date range is within the min/max advance booking window in Settings → Booking Rules.
• If filtering by event type, confirm the event type is linked to at least one active space.

Inquiry form submits but no emails are received

• Test email delivery using a plugin like WP Mail SMTP or Check Email.
• Configure SMTP settings in RP Events → Settings → Email to use a transactional email provider.
• Confirm rpevt_email_inquiry_confirm and rpevt_email_booking_confirm are enabled in settings.
• Check spam/junk folders before assuming emails are not sending.

Spaces page shows no spaces

• Go to RP Events → Spaces and confirm at least one space has Status set to Active.
• If using the ReservePress Events Theme, the Spaces Page template reads from the plugin database directly.
• If using a shortcode, confirm the correct shortcode is placed in the page content.

Booking confirmed in admin but deposit not collected

• Confirm Stripe is enabled and not in Test Mode if processing real payments.
• Confirm the Stripe webhook is set up correctly and the Webhook Secret is saved in settings.
• Check Stripe dashboard → Developers → Webhooks for failed delivery attempts.
• Ensure rpevt_payment_mode is set to deposit or full (not none).

Headers already sent or white screen after saving bookings

• This is usually caused by a PHP error or another plugin outputting content before WordPress.
• Enable WordPress debug mode (WP_DEBUG=true in wp-config.php) to see the error.
• Check that no extra blank lines appear at the end of your wp-config.php file.

Double-booking error at checkout

• This is by design. If two clients attempt to book the same space for overlapping dates simultaneously, the second request is rejected.
• The client is shown a friendly message and prompted to choose different dates.
• No action required — the system is working correctly.

Front Desk interface shows Access Denied

• The logged-in user does not have the access_rpevt_frontend capability.
• Assign it via a role management plugin, or log in as an Administrator.

For additional help, feature requests, or to report a bug, visit reservepress.ca or contact us at hello@reservepress.ca.

ReservePress Events is open source software licensed under the GNU General Public License v2 or later.