We have all heard the saying “failing to plan is planning to fail.” It takes a lot of thoughtfulness, time management, patience, and hard work when it comes to party planning. Reality is so many things can go wrong when you are unprepared. Not only can it be stressful, costly and time consuming, it can be embarrassing. Party planning in advance will give you time to handle any unforeseen circumstances. Believe me even then you will have to have a plan A, B, C, and D. Here are 10 easy steps to planning an enjoyable and memorable event.
STEP 1: SET YOUR FINANCIAL BOUNDARIES
Figuring out your budget is the first step to successfully planning any event. Your budget will affect all aspects of the party planning process including how small, big, simple or elaborate your party will be. The size of your guest list is determined based on this first and critical step. So many other factors are determined based on how much money you are willing and able to spend on the get together entirely. For example, consider the rental price of the venue, the cost of food, music, activities and entertainment. Set your budget early and strictly adhere to it. If you are planning the event with a partner, make sure to outline written terms and agreement signed by the both of you considering every detail in that contract.
STEP 2: CHOOSE A THEME
Are you having a birthday party? If so, think of the honoree’s favorite hobby, movie or character and recreate a memorable scene. Consider having a costume, cocktail, dinner party or even a holiday party for your small or large business. Perhaps it is a special occasion such as a baby or bridal shower, an anniversary, wedding or graduation. Some of my personal and past favorite themes include Red Carpet Premier, Mardi gras, Luau, Casino, 50s, 80s, Disco and Western.
Choosing a theme is essential because it will help determine the atmosphere, attire and set the mood of your guests as well as activities to include so partygoers can kill time. Remember to choose a fun, relatable and memorable theme because, choosing a poor theme can truly be the difference between your guests having a good time or not. Make sure you let your guests know the theme details in advance, offer incentives such as a prize for the best dressed especially at a costume party.
STEP 3: LOCATION, LOCATION AND LOCATION!
Where you decide to have the party makes a big difference regarding how many people you will be inviting and activities planned along with many other options. If you are planning a small gathering, consider having a party at your house. If that is not an option, ask a friend or relative to use their house. I personally like having intimate cocktail and dinner parties in the comfort and ease of my home. Less stress and less hassle especially with set up and break down. Places such as banquet halls, hotels, golf courses, restaurants and churches can organize your event for you but will most likely charge you per head count based on the scope and complexity of the work or they may offer a flat fee package. This option can start out at a budget of at least $3500-5000 for catering services alone.
As far as free outdoor options, contact your local state parks and recreation districts; look into places with a waterpark or pool area, a nearby lake, beach or river. A few years ago, we had a beach themed party for one of my daughters at a local state park with a nice beach area. Veterans and community service organizations usually have large meeting rooms and spaces for rent at affordable and even nonprofit prices. The possibilities are endless and most certainly depends on the season, occasion and theme. If you are looking for festive and memorable themes SHOP at https://apartynabox.com/products/.
STEP 4: SELECT DAY AND TIME
Remember to pick a day when most of the people you would like to invite will be able to attend your party. Ask family, close friends and colleagues what date they may be available. If in doubt, plan your party early to avoid losing guests due to trips and other scheduling conflicts. Check local event schedules to ensure you are not competing with a major event going on such a Beyoncé concert. For a small gathering ideally three to six months is plenty of time, for large events and specialty events such as weddings six months to twelve and often times eighteen months ahead of time is ideal.
STEP 5: PREPARE GUEST LIST AND INVITATIONS
Form a list of people that you would like to attend, keep your list to a minimum, as this will help balance your budget. Break your guest list up into three groups, the people that must be invited; those who should be invited and those who you would like to invite. Depending on the type of party, you may send invitations weeks or months in advance. A wedding invitation for example should go out two months ahead. A birthday party invitation may only need two weeks’ notice, unless it is close to a holiday.
Be sure to include the occasion, date, time, location, and contact information so attendees can RSVP letting you know if they will attend, not attend, or bring a guest (if guests are allowed). Consider going green and email invitations with many of the free invitation websites available such as Evite, Event Brite and or create an event page on Facebook or on your favorite social media platform. You may also contact us to inquire about our affordable digital invite packages exclusively available to you now.
STEP 6: PLAN THE FOOD MENU AND COORDINATE TABLEWARE
Start planning what you will serve and who will prepare each dish. Consider asking family and friends to help, perhaps make it a potluck style gathering. I preferably like to get fresh ready-made platters from our local grocery vendors. Plan to include menu items that you can prepare the week of and days before the party otherwise. You do not necessarily want to be slaving over a hot stove during your event. Keep it light and simplified. Do not forget drinks like water, punch, coffee, or alcohol if applicable. Remember to order the cake at least a week before the party and pick it up at least four hours before the event for best results. Even if you are serving an entree, you may want to have snacks and appetizers such as vegetables or chips with dip, fruit salad, or cheese and crackers available. Make sure plates, napkins, cups, and plastic ware are available.
Places such as banquet halls, hotels, golf courses, restaurants and churches can organize your event for you including basic tableware colors, but will most likely charge you per head count based on the scope and complexity of your event or they may offer a flat fee package. If you are concerned about the amount of trash this party will create consider a green alternative, rent glassware and china from a rental company. They will drop off and pick up dirty dinnerware after your party although that may not be the most cost effective option. For an affordable and more convenient option, save time and money by ordering quality and reusable party ware kits at https://apartynabox.com/product-category/featured-packages/.
STEP 7: DECORATIONS, GAMES AND ACTIVITIES
If you looking for quality and reusable decorations such as birthday banners, balloons, balloon weights, streamers, party favors and much more check out https://apartynabox.com/products/ . We offer affordable options and fast shipping. Consider setting up games in another area to keep guests occupied and mingling. A nice way to say thank you to your guests for coming is by providing parting gifts such as party favors.
STEP 8: MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT
If it is a party with a DJ, dancing will naturally take place. Set aside a budget of at least $350, which is the minimum going rate, and book the DJ well in advance. Have an area cleared for guests that are inspired to make them move and groove. Make sure the space is large enough to fit everyone who may want to get his or her two-step on. Select appropriate music for the theme and age group of your party. If you do not have a DJ budget, you can play your own music. I usually connect my smart phone to a wireless/blue tooth stereo and play music from my YouTube playlist or downloaded requests from iTunes. Another option is to play Pandora, the radio or just have some good ole karaoke fun.
STEP 9: VENUE PREPARATION
If you are having the party at home, make sure you cleaned up and organized at least one week and up to two days before. Move any furniture into a spare room the night before and especially eight hours before the party. Decorate the night before for best results and definitely at least six hours before the event. If you are having your party off-site, arrive at the location at least eight to six hours ahead so you can be sure that things arrive and are set up as planned. Set up food, games, music and ensure the lighting and mood is right when guests arrive. Check the restrooms for extra toilet paper, hand towels, tissue and soap.
Most importantly, the advantage of preplanning is to alleviate your hassles and stress by managing your time effectively. By this phase, you should really consider giving yourself at least two hours and literally wine down before guests arrive. I do not know about you but I dislike the rushed feeling of getting out of the shower just in time to answer the door. With healthy habits being an emphasis these days for me, I encourage you to give yourself at least an hour; about the same time you are setting the mood for the guests to arrive grab yourself a cocktail or something cool to drink. You are surely going to be busy hosting so take the time to just breathe and relax so you can enjoy your guests and vice versa.
STEP 10: GET YOUR PARTY ON!
Address any rules and safety issues with your guests. If you have a pool without a barrier, consider asking guests to let their small children play in the play area that you have arranged with a babysitter in another part of the house. Encourage parents to engage and interact with theirs kids and all party guests by going swimming and getting involved with the activities and games so everyone can appreciate getting to know each other while having fun. The cool thing about having poolside events and the park and beach is there are typically life jackets and lifeguards nearby. If you must vacate the premises at a set time, coordinate this at best with the venue and shave it by an hour on your invitations so your guests can leave on time.
Furthermore, this will ensure you do not pay for extra hours outside of the scope of your original contract. The whole idea is for everyone to have a good time so just plan to relax and enjoy yourself. There are many things to learn when planning a great party. I have only begun to talk about a few of the basics here today. There are lots to learn before you can call yourself an expert but the above information should get your ball rolling. Now that you know how to plan a party, go ahead and have a blast, most of all have fun and enjoy a great party!
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