Planning The Perfect Party
We all love to attend a good party brimming with good food
, drink and of course company. However, taking that step to organize your own party and being the host of such an event can at times be a little daunting. The more guests that you wish to cater for corresponds to the beating of your heart. Panic sets in the moment you send out those invitations and the clock ticks louder and louder. You might have your first party just around the corner, so to help you out I have compiled some good guidelines to keep you on track and most importantly - well organized. I hope that that this will lift some weight off your shoulders and allow for you to enjoy and remember having a good party just as your guests will.
First consider the fundamentals or the basics of your party. How many guests do you wish to have? What day and time - will it be a daytime event or an evening do? Are you celebrating a special occasion and do you wish to follow a particular theme? Are you intending to have a formal or more casual affair? Answering these questions will paint a good picture in your mind of the party you want to host and all other decisions you have to make will become more simple.
If you would like your home just to be the finale of an event, what other locations will you be using? It is very important to make any arrangements when booking function rooms or restaurants well in advance. Beginning the party somewhere other than your home can make planning easier for you, removing the troubles of supplying a full course meal to an extended guest list. However, I wish to focus more on what you can do in your own home - to continue the party at least.
Have a budget. As you get in the swing of things it is easy to go off the beaten track and run up costs that you are not in the position to pay for. Setting a budget in advance for individual areas such as food and drinks, decoration etc will ensure that you don't leave yourself with a big hole in the pocket. It is perfectly acceptable to ask guests to bring an item with them - perhaps a bottle of their preferred drink or a selection of games. You might be able to borrow tableware or seating from your neighbors instead of renting or buying new.
Planning a big party alone is an intimidating task and you could advance in greater bounds if you had a little helper. Family or good friends will without doubt be willing to throw you a hand or two - you only have to ask. On the day of the party you might need last minute help with decorating or cleaning the house, it might be that something has to be collected from downtown - a cake for example that your chosen helper could pick up while you concentrate on other tasks.
As far as invitations go, send them a few weeks prior to your party. This enables people to respond with plenty of time and reserve the given day for your party. If you leave it until the last minute, you might find that most people have made other arrangements. Invites can either be passed around by hand or over the Internet, with tons of designs for you to choose from.
If you plan to cater for your guests, whether it is a 3-course meal or a few canapes, time is of the essence. Yet again, organization is the key here so do spare a moment or two to think about how much time you will have on the day and are there any preparations you can make in advance. Check that you don't have any guests with special food requirements and if you do, be sure to cater for their individual needs. If you have very little time or none at all, you can always have an open buffet of cold foods prepared by a local catering agency or by your mother! If it is a more casual event you could call for takeaway - pizza is good as it can be eaten by hand and you can go for several varieties.
If you can, start decorating a day or two beforehand. That might not be possible if you are using balloons or if it is a surprise party, but at least have everything stored in one place and at hand to arrange when the time is right. Decorations really boost the atmosphere of a party - for elegance or for fun, simple or exquisite, a little decoration can go along way to set the ideal mood.
It is a nice afterthought to hand out guests a little gift or reminder of the party when it's all over. It might just be a piece of cake to take home with them, but they will really appreciate your kindness.
by: Danielle Brooks
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