Party Planning Is Fun
We all love a party! Hosting a party, however, can be quite a bit of work. It’s not like it was when you were a teen: Your parents were out of town? Boom! You’d invite a bunch of friends over, everyone would bring their own drinks and voila—instant party! If your friends were thoughtful, someone would bring chips. If not, well, you ordered in pizza.
Now that you’re all adults, there’s a lot more to take into consideration when it comes to all the party planning information you need to know. After all, your friends probably have families and fulltime jobs. They can’t come at a moment’s notice. And if they can come, their expectations have changed; they’re no longer satisfied with just a beer and a fistful of chips. Not to worry. We can teach you everything you need to know to throw the perfect party—whatever the occasion!
What kind of party will you be hosting? Is it for a holiday, celebrating a graduation, or commemorating someone’s birthday? Will it be a surprise party? Now, these are basic questions, and no doubt you can easily give the answers. Other obvious questions are: what is the age range of the guests and how many people will you be inviting? These may sound like simple questions, but the answers will require some careful thinking and decision-making.
For example, determining the age of the guests will lead to: what kinds of activities do I need to keep them busy? If you’re inviting a lot of children, for example, it’s definitely a good idea to rent a video or think of fun games for them to play. And the amount of guests who will be attending lets you know exactly how many party supplies you’ll need to buy. This in turn leads to the all-important question: what is your budget for this party?
In the past, the general way to invite people to a party was through a written invitation—and many people still enjoy sending invitation cards through the mail to everyone on their guest list. These days, people are more apt to simply pick up the phone and call, or to send an e-mail to the invitees. It’s quicker, less expensive and less hassle. But wait! You can combine modern technology with time-honored traditions by sending your guests an online invitation. These are growing in popularity. Check out a website called evite. You sign up for a free account then get to design and e-mail a tailor-made invitation to all your guests. This site allows you to keep track of (all in one place) everyone who RSVPs saying that they’re coming. It lets you track the stragglers as well, those who have viewed the invitation but haven’t responded. And it also lets you see who’s not able to come. By the way, there’s a place for guests to leave a message when they accept your invite.
Another important decision: where is your party going to be held? If it’s going to be a lawn party—or anywhere outdoors—is there enough shade in case it’s a hot day or enough shelter if it decides to drizzle down rain? Or, if indoors, is your party going to be in your home or at a rented location? You’ll need a place large enough for the number of guests you invite—and this could mean renting. Another plus about having the party at a venue is that, depending on the package you get, you don’t have to do a major cleanup afterwards. They might even handle the setting up for the party for you. As you know, when you host a party in your own home, it takes a lot to time for all the preparations, including cleaning your home beforehand and cleaning up afterwards—not to mention all the running around, serving food, etc. While renting a venue is more expensive, it takes a big load off your shoulders and allows you, the host, to actually relax and enjoy your party.
One of the biggest considerations when planning a party is the food: what kind of food will you provide and how much? Will you cook it all yourself, get others to help you, or order in catering? Will this be a buffet or a sit-down dinner? These are vital questions and must be addressed early on in your party planning. After all, supplying food to your guests is essential. People expect to eat at a party—and to eat well. It’s often one of the first questions someone asks them after they leave: “How was the party? How was the food?” Since food may well be the single biggest expense of your budget, it’s something you need to give careful thought to.
There is so, so much more that goes into hosting a party. These are just a few of the obvious issues. As you can see by just the above basic information, however, a lot more goes into throwing a party than when you were a teenager. But hopefully these thoughts and tips will help you to get the ball rolling.
