Five party planning essentials

No matter what occasion, size, or scope you are planning your next party for, there are a few universal things that you will need to think about. There are some elements that every party will need, whether a birthday party, baby shower or christening, to name but a few, such as a theme, budget, and a guest list. Read on for a list of party planning essentials.

Brainstorming

The first step to planning any party is doing some research and brainstorming. There are several elements that need to be nailed down before any more planning can be done. The theme affects almost every other aspect of the planning, which is why it needs to be decided on first.  The budget and venue choice will also inform how much you can do with your theme, so you should bear this in mind and come up with a few options before you decide which one is the most feasible. 

Guest List

After those initial details are out of the way, you can begin to think about the guest list. The size of the venue and the occasion behind the party will largely dictate how many people you can and should invite. When creating the guest list, consider whether or not all of the different groups of people invited will mesh well. For example, does everyone invited know at least one or two other people in attendance apart from the host? Once the guest list is sorted, it is time for the invites; they need to be sent with enough notice so that the guests can make sure that they are free. You may also want to consider using a service like Greenvelope, which you can use to send out email invites, and they have a number of other features, including RSVP tracking, messaging and survey questions.

Photo credit The Digital Marketing Collaboration

Food & Drink

The food and drink offerings are incredibly important when planning a party. Ideally, you want to try and remain within the theme if you can. If you are planning on making the food yourself, then you ought to come up with some food items that you can make ahead of time to save you some time on the morning of the party. The next thing to consider is how the food is going to be served; most of the time, a buffet is the easiest and often the cheapest option too. However, if you go with a buffet, you’ll need to source some chafing dishes or otherwise work out what the food will be served on and what your guests are going to eat off of. Depending on the size of the party, you could use real dishware, or if the party is going to be a little bigger, then perhaps paper or plastic would be better as it requires less clean up and less effort to put out.

The Decorations

Once you have all the other factors in place, it is time to start thinking about how you are going to set the mood and decorate for your theme. Of course, the decorations will depend on your venue and your budget too. Things like banners or balloons can fit almost every occasion. You may also want to think about your playlist ahead of time to reduce the stress of changing the music while the party is in full swing. It is incredibly easy to create a playlist on something like Spotify or Apple music. Lighting is also important; if you are going for more of an intimate vibe, then maybe you want to go for softer lighting and candles, or if you are going for more of a party vibe, then disco lights could also be a good option. 

Photo credit Adi Goldstein

Entertainment

Entertainment can mean different things; for a child’s party, you may want to hire an entertainer. For a wedding reception, you may want a DJ, or for something like a baby shower, you might just want to put on a few games and activities. If you are going to book a professional, you should read the reviews first and make sure you have done the research to ensure that they are right for your party. You also need to keep in mind that professional entertainers are often booked up for months in advance. If you are putting on the entertainment yourself, then planning is essential to know what you need to buy for what activity. 

In Conclusion

Using this formula all but guarantees success for every party that you throw. Having a plan in place also ensures that you and your guests will have a good time at the party too. Finally, during your party, you may also want to make a few observations, such as if any of the food was leftover or if there were anything that your guests did not enjoy. This can then help you when you are planning your next party. 

This is a collaborative post.