Who doesn’t love a good party? The food, the fun themes, the games, and the overall social interactions among everyone in attendance is what makes for a great party. You’ve probably been to parties that were planned with precision (and you could tell lots of time went into the planning) and you’ve probably been to parties that you could tell were quickly thrown together. When it comes to planning a party, there are some basic things you need to do first to make it a success.

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 There’s a lot of work that goes into planning a party and the word “planning is the key. Typically, with parties, you’re going to be planning the party in advance. Planning in advance gives you the opportunity to utilize all your resources and get all the supplies you need to make your party a success.

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In order for your party to be a success, you have to get back to the basics of party planning which starts with organization.

Getting Back to the Basics

Organization is key when it comes to planning a party and the best way to get organized in planning a party is to create a checklist. Even in creating your checklist, there needs to be organization there. Some people will jot all their ideas and things they need for their party and then organize that into sections and categories.

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The best way to organize your party planning is to break each aspect of your checklist into its own categories. Here are some ideas:

• Establish a date for your party
• Determine why you’re throwing a party
• Set a budget
• Create a guest list and send invitations
• Find a location
• Set a menu
• Put everything together

A checklist might seem like a lot but it’s really not and it will definitely make your party run smoothly. The great thing about using a checklist is that it works for any type of party you decide to throw. If you wanted to host an awesome outdoor summer party or put together a winter wonderland party, you could follow this checklist and end up with a fun and well-put-together party that shows the time and effort you put into it. Let’s take a deeper look at these party planning secrets.

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Establish a Date For Your Party

Before you can dive into any other aspect of planning your party, you first need to come up with a date. The date of your party is ultimately going to be dependent upon the type of party you plan on having. Are you going to have a formal party or an informal party? The date of your party will also determine when you need to send out your invitations as well.  

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If you’re having an informal get together, you can send invitations and even text messages out a few weeks prior to the party. If it’s a formal party, you want to send actual invitations out three to four weeks in advance and even further out in advance, if you need to. In addition to establishing a date and sending invitations out in advance, you also want to make sure you’re giving yourself plenty of time to plan everything out as well, so you can add an additional two to three weeks in advance for planning.

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Determine Why You’re Throwing a Party

This is pretty easy and understood for the most part but it can help you in choosing decorations for a theme and adding certain little touches. For example, if you’re throwing a birthday party for a friend, you can base your decor on things you know about your friend. For example, if your friend’s favorite color is purple, you can decorate with variations of the color purple.

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Set a Budget

Setting a budget is where things get hazy. You have to consider food, drinks, decorations, plates and cutlery, entertainment, and rentals in order to establish an initial budget.

Remember that you don’t have to serve  expensive foods such as filet mignon as the main dish. Instead, see how much you can save if you served finger foods.

Create a Guest List

Determining how many people you plan on inviting will also play a role in setting your budget as well. The number of people you invite is going to determine where to have the party. A lot of times, people will have a set number of people they plan on sending invitations to but then the word gets out about your party, and the next thing you know, people are contacting you asking why they didn’t receive an invitation. Stick to your original budget if at all possible. The more people you invite, the more expensive your party will be.

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Find a Location

The location of your party will be based on how many people will be attending. The more people you have coming, the larger the venue will need to be. For a small gathering, people tend to make the party informal and will usually have the party in their home. For a larger gathering, you’ll more than likely need to find a rental space.

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Set a Menu

The food at a party is the main thing that people look forward to the most so you want to create a menu that has delicious food but also won’t break the bank. This theory is especially important for larger parties. For smaller parties, especially ones at home, you can prepare the menu yourself and save on hiring a caterer.  Charcuterie boards are especially popular and easy to put together.

According to scienceofpeople.com, the food you serve is part of the “event first impression.” It’s just like how people formulate first impressions of people but instead, it’s a first impression of your menu… how it looks, smells, and tastes.

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If you planning to serve a meal there are some recipes such as Italian baked chicken that are perfect for parties and will surely be a hit among your guests that will leave them wanting more. The great thing about that Italian Baked Chicken is that it’s so easy to make!

Put It All Together

After all the planning you’ve done, the time will finally come to put everything together. The great news is that because you took the time out to properly plan your party, putting everything together will be a piece of cake, no pun intended! 

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I hope these tips will help make your party planning less stressful!  The holidays are coming and many of these same tips can be used to make Christmas parties and get togethers more enjoyable. Remember, planning and preparation is the key!

Best of luck as with all your party adventures!

Thanks for visiting today!

Amber