Do you really need a party planning software? Thanks to some humorous Hollywood movies, we’re all aware that there are professional wedding planners who earn their living taking the stress off your shoulders by planning and managing every detail of your dream wedding for you. A good wedding planner will not only manage the entire event and make it come off without a hitch (or with a hitch, in this case) but will make sure that it comes in under budget. You can be certain that these professionals are not scribbling their plans and “to do” notes on scraps of loose paper either, but are taking full advantage of modern event planning software.

You might not be planning a wedding (then again you might be!), but there will be times when you are called upon to organize a corporate party or other event, a company picnic or dinner, a bachelor/bachelorette party, a bar-mitzvah or bas-mitzvah, a 50th wedding anniversary, or any theme party, and though everyone knows that you are not a professional, they will nevertheless expect you to pull off every detail of the event flawlessly—and woe be to you if the catering is late, important guests are not invited or the event runs over the skimpy budget you were allotted. (And you just know that one or more—or all—of these are bound to happen!)

So, do you need a planning software? If you want to save yourself a series of major headaches and be remembered as the most efficient, get-it-done party organizer in your family or your company, who actually pulled the whole deal off under budget, yes, you do! And the good news is that these days party-planning software is (a) user-friendly and (b) very reasonably priced. For example, check out the folks at Plimus Software here.

Whether you’re planning an event for hundreds or for dozens, this software can be a lifesaver! It contains templates for a variety of different events and each party-planning template organizes the event into natural categories such as party ideas, food, drinks, decoration, transportation and entertainment. In addition, each category can be customized to match your individual budget. Speaking of which, its budget calculators quickly calculate the costs into subtotals and a grand total. It even has a graph showing which percentage of the budget has been used so far. And of course it has a “to do” list to let you know what still needs to be done.

If you’re so determined to save the $30 or so that these party-planning programs cost, and have lots of paper scraps to keep track of every detail of planning and budget—and if you have an ample supply of Tylenol to help you cope with the headaches that will come when you lose info and run over budget, by all means save the money. But if you want to save yourself a whole lot of trouble—and still have the program around later to help you plan your next party, and the next one after that, and the one after that—then do yourself a huge favor by investing in party-planning software.

Here we give you some simple but highly effective tips on how planning a party menu for your food choice is important especially for a dinner party. This primarily applies to a sit-down meal that you will cook and serve in your own home, but its principles can be applied to any setting where you are in charge of selecting the menu. First of all, after choosing how many dinner guests you will invite, decide how many courses your meal will consist of. Several factors weigh in at this point. One is budget: you may realistically only be able to spend a certain amount of money on food. Also, the time you have available to cook and prepare the meal may limit how lavish a spread you provide. Finally, the more courses you serve the longer guests will stay in your home, and you may need to set a limit on time. Begin by choosing the main course. The rest of the meal will fall in place more easily once this matter is settled.

The top choices are chicken, beef, pork, or lamb. If you’re providing food for a formal occasion, you can opt to first serve either fish or seafood—shrimps, calamari, etc. Generally, however, you will need only one meat dish to set the “taste tone” for the meal. Next you will need to select your starch—one that will complement the meat. This could be potatoes (baked, mashed or fried), rice dishes or pasta of some kind. While sweet potatoes or yams can be a special treat, be aware that not everyone likes the taste. Vegetables are also a required side dish, and some examples are carrots, beans, string beans, peas, corn, etc. Take the time not only to cook them just right, but to serve them in an appealing fashion. Soup is not a necessity, but if you serve one, the main prerequisites are that it complements the main course and that it not be so substantial as to fill your guests up. Remember, it’s a side dish. Whatever you choose for your salad course, remember to not make too much of it, as this is only an appetizer, not a main course.

Far too often, hosts serve too much salad, only to have to dispose of it after the party. If you decide to serve cocktails before the dinner, or have a relaxing time of chitchat before your guests sit down at the table, you will want to serve hors d’oeuvres or finger food. A general rule of thumb is to have one type of snacks for every half dozen guests. Make a statement with the dessert that you serve after the meal. Mind you, you need not serve sundaes or blueberry cheesecake to get rave reviews: you can simply put out slices of delicious cheese or ripe fruit in elegant dishes. All that matters is that it’s delicious. Offer your guests coffee or tea after the meal. Not only is this a polite custom, but it also is a gentle hint that the dinner party is nearing its end, and that the time is soon coming for your guests to leave. Of course, if you wish to prolong the party a bit at this point, invite everyone to retire to the living room where you can all relax and chitchat while you digest your superb meal.

It’s a momentous occasion when your husband or wife—or family member—is about to turn fifty, and the half-century milestone is an appropriate time to honor them and let you know that you love and appreciate them. A 50th birthday party planning is essential to make it a memorable one. It’s also a very good reason to gather all their friends and relatives and have a party. You can opt to have the celebration in your own home or back yard, but that usually only creates a lot of extra work for you—and can cost you even more than if you’d gone to a restaurant.

Guests at a birthday gathering typically pay their own fare, so why not make the Fabulous Fifty Festivity a little more special and memorable by eating out? Restaurants often have private banquet rooms where you can hold such gatherings. You can also have the birthday bash in a fancy lodge or a hotel and use their catering services. When reserving the facility, make sure to ask how long you will have the dining area for, and enquire whether there is a charge if you exceed the time limit. Also, find out when you need to turn in the total number of expected guests. One good reason to have your birthday celebration at a hotel and use their catering service is that this may qualify your out-of-town guests for a discounted room rate—so make certain you ask about that. Narrowing down the guest list can be a challenge, because as much as you may not wish to leave anyone out, not even their most recent co-worker, even the largest tables or sets of tables can seat only so many people. Those closest to the guest of honor will be able to give you a list of the most vital friends and family members, and don’t hesitate to ask the birthday boy or girl. This isn’t a surprise party, after all—except for perhaps a guest or two from out of town who “no one” ever expected would actually be able to show up. If the guest of honor is renowned for his sense of humor, you can turn the entire party into one huge joke by having the tables draped with black tablecloths, mourning his lost youth.

For most people, however, a celebration seriously honoring their life and remembering their achievements would be much more appreciated. Have photos of them at various stages in their life hanging on the walls and brief photo albums of them on the tables themselves. Let the photos tell the story of their life—from childhood to schools to workplaces to time with family, hobbies and special accomplishments. You can also create a game where all the guests have to answer questions about the guest of honor’s life. Questions can include the following: where was he born? Where did she go to school? What was his best/worst subject? Who were her three best friends in high school? What was his first job? What is her favorite hobby? Who is his favorite musician? When everyone has written their answers and turned them in, have the guest of honor answer all the questions. Mark the answers, read out the funniest wrong answers, and give a prize to the guest who got the most questions right. It’s easy to make this a memorable night for the birthday boy or girl. It just takes a little planning to create a whole lot of fun and celebrate a memorable life.

Everybody loves a Theme Party—even those staid, formal souls who normally wouldn’t be caught with a button undone. A costume party is a chance to cut loose, dress up and have some fun. Whether you’re inviting girls only or couples, or a mixed group of singles, if everyone comes dressed up in the same theme and the house décor matches, then for a night you can happily suspend disbelief and step out of day-to-day reality. If you follow the sample theme party planning below, you will be considered  an expert by all your family and friends! Are you ready?  Read on.

The first step is to pick a date for your party when most of your friends will be able to attend. This will usually be a Friday night or Saturday night. Let them know well in advance so that they won’t make other plans for that date, and so that they’ll have ample time to put a costume together. Now, the amount of guests you invite will depend on what kind of theme party you’re hosting. For e.g., a more formal theme with couples, where you all sit down at the table and eat, would necessarily be smaller, since a maximum of ten people fit around the average dining room table. A more relaxed theme where people stand and eat buffet-style, or lounge around the couches snacking, allows you to invite more guests.

Very importantly, choose a theme that you know your friends will enjoy and be able to get into. An idea for an all-girls party might be based on a “My Mother” theme, where everyone comes dressed as their favorite mother—whether real or from the movies. It might be a Roaring Twenties theme for couples, a hippy or Western theme, a come-in-some-ethnic-costume party or whatever. Your imagination is the only limit.

For these parties, sending invitation cards or evites (specially-designed e-mail invitations) is a must! If the invitation is designed according to the party theme, and it should be, it will begin setting the mood long before the party. Remember, this isn’t just a regular party where people throw on their normal clothes and show up. They’re investing time and thought in creating their costume and need to be “psyched up” about it. Be sure to inform them that that you’ll be giving a prize for the best costume.

Put that extra time into making your own costume. Even if the main elements are store-bought (or thrift-store-bought), you as the host or hostess are setting the example so make sure that your costume stands out, and is not just enough to get by. Also, since you will be serving others and overseeing things, make sure that your costume is comfortable enough to move in all night. (Hint: if you are choosing a Super Heroes theme, don’t pick Iron Man!)

Preparing the food should not be difficult. Unless you’re planning a certain national theme that requires authentic ethnic food, or having dinner around the dining room table, food can be simple. Have some crunchy snacks like chips, nachos, peanuts or Chex mix; add some bowls of spicy foods like small party wieners; put out some sour baby pickles; and present something sweet like cookies, muffins or cupcakes (decorated with icing that matches your party theme).

If your friends are alcohol drinkers, have one large bowl of punch or a standard wine that everyone will enjoy. If they are non-drinkers—or if a portion of your guests are non-drinkers—have a designated bowl of non-alcoholic punch or a variety of pop (soda) for them to choose from.  And of course, have a pot of coffee on with all the fixings handy, or hot water for tea for those who prefer it.

Theme music is essential. (You wouldn’t invite people to a Western dress-up party and play Abba or the Rolling Stones, would you?) You are creating a mood, you want your guests to “get into it,” and don’t want anything to break the spell. Music is a great mood-setter, so from the moment your guests begin arriving in their costumes, have it playing in the background.

Decorating your house with era- or theme-specific accessories need not be a budget-buster. You can usually buy enough accessories at a thrift store to transform your place—and sometimes all it takes is just a touch here and there to change your home from the everyday to the unusual. You might find that taking down a painting or two and putting a poster in its place helps. You also might want to drape your couches with theme-enhancing blankets or sheets.

A quarter of an hour before your guests begin to arrive, heat up the food that needs to be heated and set it out, and take the cool food out of the fridge. Then get one last look at yourself in the mirror and wait for the doorbell to ring. Enjoy yourself!

Throwing a surprise party is always great fun and, of course, the whole idea is that it actually is a surprise and catches the “surprisee” totally off guard. You will have to take different precautions to keep the secret from getting out, depending on whether the surprisee is your husband or wife, boyfriend or girlfriend, one of your children or a close friend or family member. If the surprisee lives in another location, your job just became quite a bit simpler: you simply invite him or her over when it’s time for the surprise. If they live with you, however, then you’ll have to find ways (without arousing suspicion) to get them out of the house so that you can (a) plan the party, (b) decorate and (c) allow time for the guests to arrive.

You might even want to plan the party at another friend’s house so your surprisee has no way of knowing what you’re up to. On the actual day of the party, whether you send them on a brief shopping errand or whatever is up to you; just make it appear perfectly natural. Also, make sure it’s something they won’t spend too long at, and that they’re back at a certain time. You don’t want your guests hiding behind the couch for an hour, waiting. The weekend is usually the best time to throw a surprise party. That’s usually when your guests are available. You could also opt to throw a party in the evening during the week.

The key is to get your invitations out well in advance to make sure that your intended guests won’t have made other plans already. Write down a list of everything you’ll need for the party, including food and decorations then buy them on your next shopping trip or outing. But don’t bring the party accessories home; drop them off at a friend’s place to keep for the time being. You don’t want your surprisee noticing extra paper plates and other party supplies building up. After all, they know that they have a birthday or other special event coming up and it’d be natural for them to put two and two together. You will want to do a thorough housecleaning two or three days ahead of time and hopefully the fact that you’re cleaning the house shouldn’t raise your surprisee’s suspicions. Just make it appear part of your natural routine. (Deliberately “mess up” the house and leave things scattered if you have to, to give you a pretext to get into a full scale cleaning mode.)

If you think he or she is beginning to get an inkling that something’s up, don’t worry. Continue to act perfectly normal. Arrange for a few close friends to show up about half an hour after you have sent the surprisee out on an “errand,” the day of the party. They will bring the party supplies that they have stored, help prepare and set up the food, and decorate your house. Make sure that the guests don’t all park in your driveway either. Too many surprise parties have been given away by the surprisee coming home to see a dozen cars in the street in front of the house. Arrange for all the guests to park some distance away out of sight—either that or have them carpool.

When your surprisee returns, send him or her into the living room. It’s best if he has to turn on a light or open a door—as that will be the signal for all your party guests to jump up and yell, “Surprise!” You’ll want to enjoy his or her shocked expression for years afterward, as well as the joy and merriment that follows, so make sure you arrange to have a friend videotape the whole event.

Many weddings these days are huge, almost overwhelming events. True, some prospective brides and grooms have the good sense to put a ceiling on the amount of money they’ll spend and the number of guests they’ll invite, but let’s face it before we jump into bachelor party planning -  a wedding is a bride’s day to see her fairy-tale come true, it’s her Cinderella moment, and along with fulfilling her ‘perfect-day’ fantasies, emotions are high and the typical wedding tends to overflow all restraints like a river in floodtide.

And this is all right. After all, all the bride’s friends are all nearly as excited as she is about the wedding and are right by her side, there to help pick up the pieces, manage the overrun, make the phone calls, arrange the catering, and to send the men driving for last minute cake icing. And they will for sure see to it that she has an absolutely fabulous fun time at her Bridal Shower. This is because they understand one thing clearly: the whole happening, from the decorations to endless photos to the giving of the ring, is all about the bride. Even in the midst of their wild, giddy laughter during her Bridal Shower, they’re laughing with her—not at her.

But let’s not forget about the guy that’s getting married. Let’s not forget about the Bachelor Party for the groom. Women have one thing over men when it comes to planning pre-wedding parties: they want to make the bride happy. They know that this is her day. Most bachelors’ buddies, if we’re being honest here, actually think the Bachelor party is all about them! So they either (a) bring in an exotic dancer to wiggle in their friend’s lap, and order in plenty of alcohol so they can enjoy themselves while he makes a fool of himself, or (b) engage in some form of hazing like tar-and-feathering him or holding him down and dyeing his hair green. Well, why not? After all, this is the boys’ night, right?

Wrong. The first thing to do is realize that this Bachelor Party is for the groom. Sure, you can have a wild send-off, sure you can pull some surprises that he totally wasn’t expecting, but make sure you’re doing it for him—not yourselves. And this means the Best Man (hopefully he’s actually is the best man for this job) sitting down with the groom and asking him what he wants. Maybe he wants a night of paintball battles. Maybe he wants a good time in a pinball arcade. Maybe he really does want to be held down and have his friends freak the bride out by dying his hair green one day before the wedding. You’ll never know unless you ask him. So ask him. (This is also a good time to get the names and phone numbers from him, of all the guys he wants to invite.)

You may not give him exactly what he wants. You may give him what he wants—and then some. You may not be able to give him what he asks for at all. Maybe you want to surprise him with something else he’d really want. But whatever you do, remember: this is his party. You just happen to be the buddies who get to send him off.

For fun, loud family times crowded shoulder-to-shoulder around a table, nothing beats a birthday party, and a back-yard barbeque with steaks sizzling nearby has little competition for sheer down-home relaxation value. When you want to have a huge get-together for whatever occasion, setting out tables full of food smorgasbord-style and inviting guests to stand (or play musical chairs with seating) while they mix and mingle really works.

But when you really want to impress your guests and create a truly elegant, intimate atmosphere, you simply have to host a dinner party. This requires a well thought out dinner party planning. It’s the equivalent of eating out at a high-end restaurant—the kind you couldn’t even afford to go to—and paying the tab for your dinner guests as well! The genius of a dinner party is that not only does it allow you to dine sumptuously in the privacy of your home, but it lets you showcase your house and draw friends into your inner circle—all for a fraction of the cost of dining out at a posh restaurant.

As in a world-class restaurant, setting the proper mood and atmosphere is vital. First, your table should be large enough to comfortably seat the number of guests you plan to invite. Normally, this would only be a few couples anyway. A linen table cloth and matching cloth napkins are musts, as is a centerpiece that includes candles. Fine silverware and porcelain plates are essential. To create a quiet, intimate atmosphere, the lighting should be subdued and candles should be burning softly. All of this has an almost magical effect, even upon men. Typical male conversation about brake pads and the latest NFL scores invariably gives way under the relentlessly romantic setting. This is especially true if guests are dressed up for the occasion.

One could be forgiven for thinking that they were dining at a ristorante above the canals of Venice! You don’t need to own silverware or a linen tablecloth or even cloth napkins to host a dinner party. These are mere accessories and can be rented. What’s important is that the setting be picture-perfect, the aperitifs be tasty and well-displayed, the wine be a notch above the normal, and the meal and desert be something you are truly proud to serve to guests. And then, of course, after the meal the guests will want to relax in a living room with an aromatic coffee or a soothing tea. Even there, it is best to maintain subdued lighting. Don’t break the spell! The evening is still young.

A dinner party is an ideal occasion to showcase your home. But more than that, it is a way of introducing friends to each other and inviting people into your lives. If you wish to stimulate romantic, intelligent conversation and enjoy the prestige of eating out at only a fraction of the cost, you’re definitely going to want to host a dinner party sometime soon.

With most North American families, it’s a tradition to get together for major holidays such as Christmas, Thanksgiving and the Fourth of July. For some, it’s one of the few times each year that they take a break from their busy lives to get together as a family—especially if they must travel from out of town. Since these occasions are times to share memories, get brought up to speed on everyone’s news, and renew family ties, these dinners and get-togethers are vitally important as a major part of your holiday party planning.

For some families, these are entirely happy, fun gatherings, but let’s face it, in most families there will be times when one family member isn’t getting along with another or when kids very reluctantly tag along. And if you’re the host or hostess year after year, perhaps you’re not entirely happy with hosting the event and providing most of the food as well. Rather than face another family holiday gathering as a chore and a bore, plan ahead. And take on a whole new perspective: instead of treating it as a mere tradition, look at it as a chance to party!

First of all, if you’re playing host, decide who’s coming. For family gatherings, that’s easy. But for Fourth of July parties—which are typically barbeques or pool parties that include friends as well—you’ll have to give the matter some thought. Once you have the guest list drawn up, make the phone calls and begin sending the e-mails early. In fact, if you initiate contact well enough in advance, there’s time for you to send humorous or thoughtful invitation cards by snail mail. Remember, the idea is to change everyone’s view on the event: this gathering is going to be a happy party!

Later, send follow-up e-mails or phone and let them know what dishes they can bring. That will take some of the pressure off you. Also, let them know if you have any special activities or games planned. C’mon! Break loose and plan even a brief game of charades or mime! (With some formal families, it’d be better to plan some fun but not actually tell them ahead of time, simply spring it on them “spontaneously” at an opportune moment.) And to make sure that all the adults have an interesting, enjoyable time—and feel loved—do a little research on the Internet on either their line of work or on their favorite pastime or hobby. That way you’ll be able to talk intelligently about something that matters to them. When they leave, it’s guaranteed they’ll remark on what a good time they’ve had, and if family relationships needed a little mending, well, you’ve done your part to remind them that such gatherings are fun times.

The key is to treat holidays as parties. Sure, there will still be all the cooking and cleaning to do, no way out of that. But by putting just a tad more planning and imagination into a holiday gathering ahead of time, you can add so much happiness and harmony to the event. And you’ll have created a new family memory: for years afterwards they’ll still remember that as the year they had the gathering at your place!

Many of us plunge right into throwing a party without proper planning. We don’t write out a party planning checklist of things we need to do and when they need to be done, things to buy, etc. Then we wonder why things are forgotten and we become frantic as the guests arrive—and feel exhausted when they finally leave. That’s why a checklist is so important.

The first thing on your list should be a budget for your party expenses. Setting a ceiling on your spending gives you a good idea of how many people you can afford to invite. Once you’ve determined that then (on a separate piece of paper) write down the names of your guests. Unless you plan to phone or e-mail them, you’ll need to buy invitations, write them out and mail them—and this will all have to be done well in advance to give them time to check their schedules and respond. If it’s a formal party, you’ll need to mail out your invitations three weeks beforehand. Guests should then be given two weeks to RSVP, letting you know if they will attend or not. Hang onto this list and cross through the names of those who can’t make it.

On your actual checklist, write down where the party will be held. If it’s a hall or other rental facility, include the cost and confirm that you can actually book it for that date. Shop around a bit and find a large enough place at a reasonable price. Write the contact person’s name and phone number on your list, as you’ll need it when asking questions later. Tables and chairs should be included in the price but if they’re not, you’ll have to arrange to rent those as well. Also, unless you plan on doing all the cooking yourself, add a list of caterers and their phone numbers and how much it will cost to feed your guests. Even if you’re hosting a party in your home, you might find it much less stressful to order food in. Add up the cost of cooking supplies and food for a do-it-yourself party: it may be just as cost-effective to have a catering service take that off your shoulders.

Other important things you should have on your checklist are reminders to buy supplies like paper plates, napkins, eating utensils and cups—as well as how much each of these will cost. And don’t forget to plan for and price out beverages, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. You also need to decide whether you’ll be giving party gifts to each of your gifts. If so, add those and their costs to the checklist. Are you still within your budget? If so, good for you!

The exact details of your checklist will vary greatly depending on the nature of your party and how much you can spend, but clearly, creating a list—and faithfully doing each task and ticking it off when its done—will help you stay organized and avoid last-minute panics. This will allow you, the host or hostess, to actually relax when the day of the party arrives and enjoy the festivities along with the other guests.