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Party Planning IdeasMake your party a success with these party planning tips
How many guests do I invite? How do I determine my budget? When do I send out invitations? How much food do I need? What decorations should I use? Inclement weather would ruin my outdoor party. What do I do? What if guests arrive early? What if guests arrive late? What if the guests leave late? How many guests do I invite? How many can you handle? Some parties are small and intimate and some are big and boisterous. Decide how many you can handle getting things ready for, cleaning up after, and spending money on. There may be an emotional toll if you have too many guests. It’s fair to consider this as well. Remember to include members from your own household in your totals. How do I determine my budget? Don’t spend more than you have. A party isn’t worth it. How much extra do you have? Before deciding what to buy, decide how much you can spend. Once you know your budget, plan the activities for your gathering. Usually the more work you do, the less you have to pay, but that’s not always the case. I have, on occasion, allowed my children to select the activities for their parties. I explained how much we could spend, and let them choose what they wanted most. Some have made sacrifices to do more activities with the amount of money available, and some choose a more expensive decoration they really wanted and made up for it with simpler activities. The guests always enjoy the party, either way it’s done. When do I send out invitations? What is considered socially appropriate will probably vary from region to region. Always ask for an RSVP. Do not be disappointed if no one actually responds. In our neighborhood we send out the invitations about a week in advance. If the party is for a child, we hand deliver the invitations. If the invitations are mailed, they’re more likely to be forgotten. And, out of about 200 families in our neighborhood, only 2 actually RSVP. A formal gathering should probably have mailed invitations. If it’s a gathering that's customary for the guest to bring a gift, pass out the invitation 1-2 weeks before the event. Sometimes it's not only the host that has to do some party planning. How much food do I need? It depends on what type of party you’re hosting, what you’re serving, and what you consider enough. A dinner party for adults will need more food than a short birthday party for children. I thought about making a table with some general guidelines. But, I found these websites that already have the information. So why do the extra work, right? That's my rule with party planning, too. About.com:Entertaining has guidelines for serving food in small quantities. The Party Planner from The Old Farmer's Almanac has guidelines for serving food for large gatherings, with groups of 25 or more. And remember, unless you’re feeding people who are starving, whatever you serve will be enough. Nobody really gets upset if they get only three appetizers instead of five or if they get one handful of potato chips instead of three handfuls. What decorations should I use? Use only what you’re willing to clean up. That tip aside, parties feel more festive when there are lots of decorations. Streamers and balloons typically work well. Decorations can go around doors, windows, on the table or shelves, on the walkway outside, on the lamppost and nearly everywhere. Find a festive table covering to use. If it looks too crowded, put away some of your regular knick knacks for the duration of the party. Use a color scheme. If one of your colors is yellow, then even the lemons in the water look like they’re part of the decorations. You may need to do a bit of window shopping as part of your party planning to find the perfect decorations. Inclement weather would ruin my outdoor party. What do I do? No matter how much you put into your party planning, you cannot control or even influence the weather. Try to plan an outdoor event someplace with a pavilion or other covering. But, you may need to have a back-up in mind. For a formal gathering, you will want to list the alternate indoor location on the invitation, and possibly a phone number to call if the guests have any concerns or questions. If, however, your backyard was supposed to be the party location, you may want to clean the inside of your home, just in case. What if guests arrive early? This is an important aspect to consider with party planning. Prepare an opening activity that can be done singly. I frequently give each guest a brown paper bag and have them decorate it—and write their names on it. The bag is to hold their loot from their pinata. I then save the bags until it’s pinata time. Older guests may be comfortable visiting until the party begins in earnest. Don’t let them linger too long, though. If it feels a little awkward, begin the party even if only half the guests have arrived. What if guests arrive late? Of course, an opening activity won’t catch everyone. When guests arrive late just slip them into whatever is currently happening at the party. Don’t make a fuss about it because some guests might be embarrassed—and some guests’ parents might be embarrassed as well. What if the guests leave late? There are some guests who linger. Some linger because they enjoy your company, or your food. Some linger because they’re waiting for their ride. It happens. And, even if it's not part of your party plan, there’s not a lot you can do about it. You really only have two choices. One is to kick back and visit with them until they’re ready to leave. The mess will still be there in another 20 minutes, and you can clean it up then. The other choice is to begin cleaning up around your guest. If someone seems embarrassed because they’re waiting for a ride and feel they’re in your way, find a way to ease some of their comfort. Talk with them about the party or something else. If they offer to help, let them. It may be their way to feel more at ease.
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