Start early – make lists and create a budget
Lists are extremely important in planning any party, as you can jot things down as you think of them. Focus on getting the basics planned and written down first, this will help clear your mind to be more creative with the food, fun and décor.
Make a guest list
Invite only the number of people that you can realistically handle. Remember this is not the only expense you’ll have this month. So don’t throw a shindig for 50 people if you can only afford to feed ten. Also take into account the size of your place and the fact that some of your guests will probably bring their children or friends without asking you.
Choose a date
Parties should be set on any Thursday, Friday, Saturday, or Sunday on or before a specific holiday date. Send out invitations and send them out earlier rather than later (at least 3 weeks in advance of your party date). If it’s OK for your guests to bring children or friends, indicate it on the invitations and ask them to RSVP the total number in their party attending. It’s not unreasonable for you to know how many people to expect and prepare for. Also don’t forget to indicate how guests should dress for the party. Words like “causal” will indicate that jeans are OK, while words like “festive attire” will create a different set of expectations. Consider sending your invitations out with an easy-to-manage service such as Evite.com (http://www.evite.com). It is free and easy to use. You can even add graphics to your invitation. People can see who has RSVPd to your party which is another great benefit. This is a great way to help you manage your guest list. Do indicate a date for RSVP.
Set a budget
Setting a budget is key to the success of any event planning process. Plan a realistic budget and stick to it. Make a list of everything you absolutely want to have for your party and then estimate a reasonable cost next to each item. Include everything – party food from appetizers to desserts, table decorations, party favors, party music, flowers, party games (and prizes for the winners), and presents. When assigning a cost to each item on your list, overprice when in doubt. After you’ve made your budget list, total the cost of all of the items and then add another 10% to the price. Don’t forget essentials like paper napkins, flatware, and even extra toilet paper that you’ll need. If your budget comes out over what you wanted to spend, then revise your list. When you finally go shopping, avoid buying anything that’s not on the list, unless it’s something important that you forgot. Impulse buys are the quickest way to kill your budget.
Plan your menu
Have fun with this, but don't go overboard! Plan your menu around foods that you know your guests will love, but also things that you are confident cooking. It's a good idea to never make a recipe for the first time for a party. There's nothing worse than struggling with an unfamiliar recipe while your guests are enjoying themselves in the next room. Plan some classic dishes that your guests are sure to enjoy.
When selecting your menu, avoid items that will can spill and cause a stain. These can include things like recipes with tomato sauces and asian flavors (soy). Often parties are filled to the gills with people, and so often people can knock into each other and a spill can occur. This can cause damage to your guest's clothes, or it can cause damage to your rug or other furniture in your home. Improve your odds substantially and select a menu that is more stain-proof than most. Are there any dietary concerns among your guests (are any of your guests vegetarians or does anyone have severe food allergies)? The more information you know, the better you can plan your menu. Most guests will stand as they eat and try to balance a beverage in one hand. Plan easy-to-eat foods that are not too messy.
In order to have free time to spend with your guests choose your menu carefully so that it will allow you to make some of your recipes before the actual day of the party. It is much better to have everything done, and ready to just pull out of the fridge and serve, or pop in the oven or on the grill. Some suggestions: deli platters, vegetable platters, crackers and cheese, seasonal fruits, and anything that you know you can cook well and in sizeable portions.
If you don’t want to have the burden of cooking everything for your party, you can make it a potluck. As the host, plan to be responsible for the bulk of the food, especially the hot dishes. Divide the types of food you want others to bring by names of the guests (example names that start with A-E bring dessert, F-H bring something salty, etc.). If a potluck meal does not strike your fancy, you could consider having your party professionally catered. That takes one big item off your hostess plate. Finally, if you don’t have the time to prepare your party food AND you don’t want to do a potluck meal OR hire a caterer, consider purchasing gourmet food for your party from the many excellent online retailers that offer wonderful gourmet food, appetizers, and desserts.
Think about how you want to decorate
Plan on getting your party decorations at least two weeks in advance. If you're artistic, you can make your own party decorations which can be extremely fun and cost-efficient. On the other hand, if you're pressed for time you can purchase a wide variety of lovely party decorations from your local stores or from online retailers. Two ways to quickly and charmingly decorate your tables is to add elegant party favors and candles or tealights along with color coordinated tableware (try strong disposable tableware even!). Just by adding these few things will really jazz up your party table in a jiffy. Decorations for your party can also include other things like streamers, balloons, flower arrangements, printed tablecloths, colored napkins, glitter, candies, nuts, marbles, beads, and even chair slipcovers.
Shop first and buy ahead if you can
If you buy as much as possible (that is non-perishable) well ahead of party time, you will be assured of best quality as well as a well-stocked pantry and no problems with trying to find some critical ingredient that is out of stock at the last minute. Even then, you may still find some extremely popular items out of stock and may have to order foods locally or through mail order. If this is the case, place your orders to local purveyors at least a few days in advance of your pickup date, and place your orders with mail order retailers at least a week or two in advance of your deadline. For online retailers be sure to state in their Comments section (most have them during checkout) the date you need the item by to ensure you receive it on time. Shop for your perishable items a few days ahead and buy all fresh ingredients the day before the party if possible.
Have a trusted friend(s) "on call" on the day of the party
If you discover at the last minute that you need more ice or that you have run out of sugar, milk or don’t have enough drinks, you will have someone who can stop at the grocery store on their way over to your party.
Preparation
Clean, clean, clean! A spotless house is not only hospitable, but you will feel more at ease knowing that a guest isn't going to come upon an unexpected mess. The kitchen and bathroom(s) are the rooms to pay special attention to. Enlist family members to help clean the house a few days before the party so all you have to do the day of the party is light clean up. During the party, in an effort to contain the dirty dishes and keep them out of the way, have a wine box from your local wine or liquor store handy to put in all the glassware and a heavy duty office box to put the dishes in. Put pots and pans back in the cold oven and in the morning move everything to the dishwasher, put on soak and then wash. It’s what the caterers would do!
Food preparation and decorate! Do your food preparation, washing, and cutting the night before the party to make food prep the day of the party a little faster. Any recipes that say it takes 1-2 days to prepare – start preparing early. Try to decorate your house, remove smells, set the table(s), decorate well ahead of the party day. Prepare any foods that can be prepared early.
Also keep in mind that the most important secret to get a party off to a great start is cocktail and appetizer hour. It might sound a bit silly but having delicious cocktail and appetizers waiting for your friends and family as they arrive will buy you that well needed extra half-hour in the kitchen to finish the final preparations. Go to our appetizer recipes page or our premade appetizers section to get some great ideas for party appetizers to get the party started!
Choose Party Music. The choice of party music is always a challenge for those doing party planning. Just go ahead to choose what pleases you as the host. Choosing the appropriate music will set the mood or atmosphere for the party. Combined with the lighting, you will be giving your guests that wonderful ambiance that will make them comfortable and feel festive. Whatever mood you want to create, test it out 2 to 3 days before your party. Check all your lighting and dimmers to make sure they are all in working condition.
Choose Party Games. To liven up your gatherings even more at your party, why not try some fun party games? There are lots of games that are fun for all ages, from eight to eighty! Also there are many party games for all types of themes available on the Internet. Finally, if your guests have very young children, do get someone to be the "nanny".
Family involvement. Get every family member involved with the party - from who to invite to how to decorate your home. Also give each family member a job to do the actual night of the party. It does not have to be an enormous responsibility, but it can be terrific to have older children in charge of taking guests' coats and putting them on your bed or hanging them in the closet. Children can also help set food up on the table or pass hors d'oeuvres.
Remember your camera. Parties are a great time to get photographs of your loved ones and friends enjoying themselves. Be sure to take lots of photographs and send around copies of the photographs! If it is a cold time of year, and you have a fireplace, pile it high with logs and keep it blazing all through the party. Recruit a friend to keep it going. If your fireplace does not burn real logs, arrange pillar candles at different heights and burn them in the fireplace. They'll cast a beautiful flickering light around the room. Don't forget to turn on all your party lights before your guests arrive.
Have fun and enjoy yourself!
A relaxed host and hostess are key to the best party. If you're enjoying yourself, your guests will be happy and relaxed too.
