Party Planning Tips

Organization is the most important of all party planning tips!

I have thrown many parties, and I can tell you one thing beyond any doubt:

You can NEVER be too organized!!!

Without question, the better prepared you are, the better your party will be, AND the more fun you will be able to have.

Here are some don't-miss party planning tips that will help ensure your party's success:

• Give yourself plenty of time; start planning early! You should give yourself about 4 weeks to plan for the big event.

• Keep it personal! These days we are so busy that when it comes to party planning some people would much rather hire a party planner than do it themselves. WRONG ANSWER! Parties, especially birthday parties, should be as unique and special as you can make them. Any Joe-Shmoe off the street can hire a party planner, but only YOU can throw a party that's custom-made for the guest of honor. It may seem like a lot to handle, but follow these party planning tips and you will make it through with flying colors. Trust me, it will be worth it, and when it's all said and done, you'll be glad you did it!

• Use a checklist. This is probably the best of all party planning tips! It will be a lifesaver and help you come out of this whole party-planning- process with your sanity still intact!

• Make a guest list. Take into account the number of people that you would like to invite. This will help you determine where your party should be held. For kid's parties, be sure to consider the child's age when determining how many people to invite. You want to be able to keep the group size manageable.

• Call in the troops! Enlist help...you're gonna need it! I am definitely the type to try to get everything done myself, and I've learned from experience that it's just too much! Have your family pitch in and help you, call some friends, or ask some of the parents to lend a hand. Give them jobs to do both before and during the party. You'll thank yourself later!

• Be flexible! (Another of those very important party planning tips)! No matter how carefully you plan, you can almost always bet that something unexpected will take place! If you're like me, you may tend to panic a little when things don't go exactly according to plan. Don't! It's much easier to go with the flow. Do have a "Plan B", though, for things like rain (if it's an outside party), or something that will be a major alteration. Just remember, it's a party after all! Try to relax and have a good time!

• Choose a theme. A theme always makes planning the rest of the party a lot easier, and can spark your guests' enthusiasm.

• Send your invitations out at least 2 weeks in advance. This will give the guests plenty of time to check their calendars and get back to you. It is perfectly acceptable to call anyone who doesn't RSVP to find out if they plan on attending if you want a fairly accurate headcount.

  As far as kid's parties are concerned, use caution when handing out invitations at school. You either need to invite the entire class (UGH!), or use great discretion when handing out invitations to a few of the classmates. Talk to your child about keeping the party on the down-low so that nobody gets their feelings hurt.
  
  

• Plan a few more games and activities than you anticipate playing. Things don't always go exactly how you expect them to, so with a few extra games in your pocket you'll be ready! Be sure to buy a few extra prizes, too, just in case.

  Don't force anyone into playing if they don't want to. If someone absolutely does not want to play, give them another job (managing the music, being the score-keeper) to keep them entertained.
  
  

• If you are planning on handing out party favors, (which is a MUST for children's parties), make sure you get enough for everyone coming (including the birthday boy or girl) and one or two extra. There have been several occasions where I've had to improvise with the goody bags because someone brought a sibling or friend that I hadn't planned on!

• Decide on the menu pretty early in your party planning process and make a list of all of the food and drinks that you will need to purchase from the grocery store. Determine what type of serving dishes you are going to need and be sure you have everything. If there's something that you're missing, call a friend to see if you can borrow something, or add the item(s) to your shopping list.

• If you are baking your own cake, determine the type of cake you are going to make, and add any supplies that you will need to your shopping list. If you are purchasing a cake, it is best to place your order about two weeks in advance.

• Set the mood. This is one of the party planning tips that some people tend to overlook. Don't make that mistake! Atmosphere is key to a successful party! The invitations will set the mood for the party, and the rest of the atmosphere will be established by you.

  Greeting guests at the door with a smile will help them feel comfortable right away. Decorating your party location to match your theme will spark your guests enthusiasm, and dressing in the style of your theme will get everyone talking.

• Take lots of pictures! After going through the trouble of planning this monumental affair, you darn well want to have the pictures to document it! Not only will it be great fun to look back at them years from now, you can print some off and send them with the thank you notes as an added touch.

• Don't forget the thank you notes! This is one of the most overlooked, but most important party planning tips. Thank you notes are plain common courtesy, and they also let the guests know that they were an important part of your event.