Life's a Party!

Being ladies we've got a lot of hats to put on throughout our years! Amongst everything else we are; we're daughters, friends, housekeepers, therapists and lots of times party planners! Since party planning is so much fun and sometimes a pretty big job, I thought I'd put together a guide to help us all through it!


Let's get down to the basics:

Who *** What*** Where*** When*** How

Who: Figure out who you or the person you're throwing the party for wants to celebrate with. 

Things to consider: 

Space~ To ensure you don't over crowd the established venue find out the max seating and or capacity.

Compatible Guests~ To be fair to everyone and dodge a gossip girl-esque drama; choose your guest list with grace and care.

Mingling Opportunities~ Who's to say everyone has to know each other?! Some of the best parties have dynamic guest lists!  

Children or No Children~ This can be a sticky one; but you are the host and know what's best for the party you're planning. It's great to add a little note on the bottom of the invitation regarding guests' children. They'll want to know if they should, should-not, can, or cannot bring the kids. If it's a grown-up cocktail party, a fragile home, or you simply can't deal; Say it sweet at the bottom of the invite like "grown-ups only please, not much for the kiddos to do" 

Invitations~ This is where you start the tone, colors and theme of the party!These should go out 4-6 weeks in advance whether you choose mailer invitations or e-vites. 

*We would save E-vites for very low key, impromptu, or large impersonal get togethers. 

Dress Code~ There are so many versions of casual and cocktail attire. So try to be as specific as possible with the dress code you're aiming for and let them know if shoes will be left at the door.  No one wants to get all dressed up and then told to walk around without shoes.

What: Here's where you get to be creative! You want to lay out the details so you can organize to-do lists and time frames.

Things to Consider:

Party start time

The Menu

Decor

Games 

Speeches 

Theme

Colors

Music

Photographer

Figure out your style and try to go into as much detail as you can so you're not caught off guard or end up needing more help than you anticipated. That being said if you're throwing a large party you'll most definitely need to delegate some jobs. Other wise you'll be too frazzled to enjoy it all and loose ends will be left untied!

Where: You know what they say... "Location, location, location" 

Things to Consider:

Choose and decorate wisely! 

If it's not your home or a place you've been to before you'll definitely want to see the space in photos so you can lay out your plan and get an idea of the vibe going on there. 

Find out if there are tables and chairs available, a kitchen, bathroom, etc.

Book the location before you order/send out the invitations!

When: Juggling the schedules

Things to Consider:

It's always nice to throw out a couple dates to your extra special guests so they can let you know if there's something going on that'll interfere or so they can move things around in order to make a certain date work. That way you won't be shocked at RSVP declines and everyone is happy.

How: Dom Perignon Taste on a Cooks budget or My Sweet Sixteen Style Allowance. You're gonna want to have a budget!

Things to Consider:

A budget is important whether you have lots or not-so-lots to spend. It'll keep you in line for what you planned on vs. what some companies might want to up-sell you with and hey, could also get you a good deal when letting them know "it's not in your budget."

Once you figured out your overall budget you can go through and disperse it within all the plans and purchases needed. It's a good idea to go as deep as to attach amounts to decor, food, venue etc. Then you'll get a real picture of what things cost. 

Most often you'll see that food and the venue will be your biggest expense!




There's a lot that goes into party planning! Pinterest is a great tool to get yourself inspired and you can collaborate boards with your friends that are helping so everyones ideas get thrown in! Click here to see my board called "Life's A Party" I've spent LOTS of time gathering some of my favorite ideas!:)

Hope it Helps and Have Fun!