Being organized is the most important thing when it comes to planning a party for your friends. Especially if it’s going to be the biggest, most exciting party of the century. If you don’t feel like planning it all yourself it may be worth hiring a party planner to do all the hard work for you. However, even with a planner, you will need to think about a few things. Here’s a helpful guide to make sure you don’t crack under the party planning pressure.
Time to plan
The most important thing to think about when planning a party is to give yourself more than enough time to plan. This will allow you space to breath and give you the chance to enjoy the
experience. Work out how much planning you’ll need to put into the party. Add a week or two onto your original timeframe to make sure you have room if things go wrong.
‘Appy days
There’s a lot of great tech out there that’ll help you with the organization of your party. From a range of apps, you can find ones to create to-do lists, help send invites and keep track of who’s attending. There are even apps to inspire and give ideas for homemade party decorations.
Use tech
Open up your laptop and get to work. Store everything in one place on spreadsheets. Yes, nothing says mood killer like a spreadsheet, but those tiny boxes could be the make or break of your party planning success. Store budgets, contact details of suppliers, who are attending and give yourself deadlines. Make sure you write any thoughts or notes down; they may come in handy later.
The invites
Don’t get bogged down with invite stress, just keep it simple. If you’re planning a formal event, you may want to consider letting a designer create the invites for you to post. For any other event, go digital. It’s perfectly acceptable to send all important information over email or even text. But, make sure you leave plenty of time for your guests to RSVP. You can even use social media to send invites. Just make sure the event is set as private, as you don’t want random people turning up.
Things you may forget
The lighting, don’t forget the lighting! You’ll want to set a certain mood for your party so, don’t use lights that are too bright, or harsh. If the lighting is too dark, your guest may get sleepy. Use dimmers, colored bulbs, candles, and shades to set the right tone.
Now, if you’re not putting on a fancy three-course affair you may want to provide snacks. Sometimes food isn’t needed, but even with a glass in your hand, you may find you’re peckish throughout the night. Set up some sort of spread, even if it’s just light snacks and your guests will be grateful.
The day of
On the day of the event don’t think about what could go wrong, think about enjoying yourself. This is what all your planning has come down to so it’s natural to be nervous. Try to relax and have fun. If the party host is stressed your mood will filter across to your guests. If you’re having a good time your guests will too.
