Parties are fun. No one can dispute that. But if you have ever hosted a party, you probably know how difficult it is a plan for it and make sure everything goes smoothly on the D-day. Luckily, today, you have the option of hiring party planners to help with everything from deciding on a theme and the menu for the day to looking for vendors and service providers, and everything in between. However, if you are working on a tight budget, you may opt to do the planning yourself so as to save on costs. It is still possible to put together an amazing party that will be the talk of the town for years to come even without the help of a party planner. This article provides tips on how to make sure your party is a success, whether it is the office end-of-year party, your child’s birthday party, or your wedding anniversary.

1. Start planning in good time

First things first; you need to start planning way ahead of time. Anything could happen along the way — your caterer may bail on you, or your décor supplier may change their mind about their availability on the said day. Talk of unreliable service providers! In case of any such occurrences, you will have enough time to source for new vendors and still ensure your party is a success if you start planning in good time. Otherwise, you will be left stranded and with disappointed guests cursing you for wasting their precious time. You would not want that, would you?

2. Choose a suitable theme for the party

While this is not a must, it is a good idea to have a theme for your party so that you can have something to base your décor and other aspects of the party on. This will help you end up with a well-organized party that is not all over the place. The theme you choose should be determined by: the type of party, the venue, the average ages of the guests, and of course your budget. For instance, it might be a good idea to have a princess-themed party for your daughter’s 7^th birthday party. But the same may not work for your 7 year old son. A pirate-themed party might be a better idea for your son.

If you are planning a party for someone, for example, your child’s birthday party, or your sister’s graduation party, you should seek their input so that you end up with something they will love. If you want a themed party, consider hiring a gazebo party tent to have a unique party venue.

Below are a few reasons why having a theme for your party is important:

• It helps to gel everything together

The theme is what holds the various aspects of the party together and creates a unified look and feel. Whether you want a serious atmosphere or a playful one, the theme is what will set the tone of the party and determine how guests behave at your party.

• It makes the party memorable

You do not want your party to be just like all other parties in the neighborhood. Having a theme will help set your party apart from the rest and make it very memorable. People will refer to it as the ‘Glitz and Glamor’ party, or the ‘Wild and Whimsical’ party, or the Moana party; not just some party.

• It creates a buzz

Your guests will be excited about the theme of your party and if you have décor, furniture, props and backdrops that are consistent with the theme, they will want to snap away and share with their social networks. In fact, you can even have a dedicated photo booth to enhance the theme and make your guests even more thrilled.

3. Choosing a date

You need to choose a date that is convenient for most of the people you plan on inviting to your party. You cannot plan to throw a party on a Wednesday morning if you know most of the people you plan on inviting are usually at work from Monday to Friday, unless you want to eat all the food and cake yourself. If that is the case, then please go ahead. Another important consideration when choosing a date is whether it is a holiday, or there may be other events that your attendees are likely to attend. You do not want to make them choose between spending Thanksgiving with their families and coming to your wedding anniversary party, which just happens to be on Thanksgiving. You will end up with a poorly attended party and your friends and family who cannot make it will be left feeling guilty for missing your party.

You should also consider the weather on the date you choose. If you want to have an outdoor party, it is not a good idea to schedule it during the rainy season.

4. Invitations

As soon as you make up your mind about the date, send out invitations to your guests. Make sure to include the date, time, venue and any other special instructions such as the dress code if any, and whether they are required to bring any food or drinks. This will give your guests adequate time to prepare for your party. You should also ask them to confirm attendance in good time to facilitate easier planning on your part. If you are working on a tight budget, you can choose to text or email people as opposed to sending out invitation cards. But if you opt to send out invitation cards, be sure to match it to the theme of your party. This does not have to be very expensive either.

5. Décor

Choose your décor according to the theme of the party as well as your venue. Be careful not to overdo it though. Exaggerated décor can be a big turnoff for your party guests. Just keep it simple and elegant. If the venue is a place that you are not familiar with, try and visit before the party so that you get a feel of what you will be working with and plan your décor appropriately. If you feel somewhat lacking creative ideas, you can place some inflatables according to your theme. Today’s manufacturers allow us to have our own personalized inflatable of any kind that will show our personality and uniqueness. Whether it’s a character, an animal, or has a man-like appearance, an inflatable is always a good idea. If you are doing the décor yourself, try and have everything together at least two weeks before the big day. You do not want to be running around at the last minute looking for ribbons or balloons. If you have hired someone to do your décor for you, be sure to explain everything to them so that your venue can end up looking exactly the way you want it to.

6. Entertainment

You need to keep your guests entertained during the party. The entertainment you choose should be determined by the kind of party, and of course the average age of your guests. If you are going to have kids at your party, a bouncy house will be a great way to keep them entertained. Many events companies can provide you with a bouncy house for rent that is consistent with the theme of your party. They will also provide you with someone to set up the equipment and supervise the kids as they play. You can also have things such as face painting and craft projects to keep the kids busy. This way, you can be sure the kids will be busy all through and the adults will be able to have a good time without distractions from the kids.

For the adults, you can hire a DJ for your party. While you can opt to have someone in your family or a friend in charge of the music, a DJ will have a wider selection of music and will even be able to play your guests’ special requests. Music can really transform a party. You can also plan for fun games for adults to keep them entertained.

7. Food and refreshments

No party is complete without great food and refreshments. Again, this depends on the kind of party you are hosting and your budget. You can either hire a caterer to take care of this or do the cooking yourself. You can also request your guests to come with something from home. This is a great way to save on costs. Then again, this depends on the kind of party and your relationship with the guests. If you are going to have cake at your party, it should be consistent with the theme of the party so that it can blend into the décor.

Conclusion

Planning a party is a lot of work and requires careful thought throughout every step of the way. To ensure that everything is taken care of, have a list of the important things you need to do and purchase, and tick them off as you go along. This will ensure that everything runs seamlessly come D-day and your guests will have a fantastic time at your party. You will also have an easy day and be able to enjoy the party with your guests. Who said you cannot enjoy the party just because you are hosting?

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