How to Plan a Party

Planning a party can be incredibly stressful. Whether you’re planning a surprise birthday party or a big-budget event for your company, you’ve got to make sure that you plan a party that will have everyone leaving happy and excited. There are so many decisions to make, and you’re left wondering why you even thought to take this on. Well, worry no more, here’s the no-stress guide to planning a party without tearing your hair out.

Location, Location, Location

The most important part of planning a party is deciding where you should have it. This can often depend on the kind of party you’re having and how many people are coming. Is it a small get-together for somebody’s birthday? See if someone can host it at their house or reserve a small restaurant. Need to set up a large event for your company’s Christmas party? Consider larger venues like ballrooms or conference areas. Remember, the place where the party happens is going to determine what kind of party it is. If you want it to be intimate, you have to choose an intimate space. If you want it to be luxurious and grand, you’ll need an equally luxurious and grand space.

Set a Date

Once you’ve picked that perfect venue for your party, the next thing is to set a date. For birthdays, this is already halfway done for you, simply choose a date on or around their birthday. For other types of parties though, you’ll want to make sure that you choose a day when there are no other big or important events happening. It’s important that you set a date that most people can reasonably attend. For example, if you plan a party for a Monday morning at 8 am, you probably won’t have too many people show up. Remember to let everyone know far ahead of time as well so that they can make room in their schedules if they have to.

Decide on a Theme

Now to decide a theme. A party doesn’t necessarily have to have a theme, but the best ones always do. You might be thinking, “Wait, don’t birthday parties usually not have themes?” Actually, the theme for these parties is just to celebrate the birthday of a specific person. That person is actually the theme itself! Planning a company party? You’ll want to stay away from any risky themes like a masked ball or a toga party, but something simple like a pyjama party is usually a hit at these events!

Guest List

You’ll want to make a nice list of all your guests far ahead of time. Think about all the people you want to come, and try to get all their names written down in one place. Trust me, this will make the invitation stage much easier. This is also a great time to start thinking about what your policy will be for guests bringing guests. Is it Invite-Only? Can guests bring a +1, +2, or +3? If you’re having this party in a public place, make sure to check the maximum capacity! Having your party shut down for a fire code can be super embarrassing.

Set Up All the Details

Now that you’ve got all of the big things checked off the list, you should already begin feeling that huge weight of stress lifting off your shoulders. It’s only going to get better from here. Now you’ve gotta plan for all the little things. Need a DJ? Book them now! If you wait until a few days before you might be left with a silent party and a ton of regret. Haven’t secured linens yet for the dinner? Get a good company like Linen Hire to take care of the details, visit their website to get a good look at all the linen details you probably haven’t even thought of yet.

Send Invites

You’re almost there! Now you can finally send invites. Make sure to check each name off of your list as you finish their invitation, there’s nothing more embarrassing than forgetting to invite someone to a party! Make sure that your invites match the type of party you’re throwing. You wouldn’t send out simple hallmark cards for your wedding invites, would you? Keep the invites appropriate. For a birthday party, phone calls and texts should suffice. For office parties, you’ll probably be better off handing out physical invitations at the office.

Enjoy Yourself!

You did it! You’re done with planning! The works not over yet though, as an experienced party planner I can tell you that one of the hardest steps of this whole process is relaxing and enjoying the party when it’s finally here. You’ll be tempted to stress out about every detail while it’s happening, but the best thing to do is to congratulate yourself for planning a great party and just going with the flow. Enjoy yourself, enjoy the party, and have a good time. You deserve it!