Party Planning Essentials: The Ultimate Party Planning Checklist

Regardless of the size and scope of your upcoming event, you want to have a checklist ready to go so that nothing in the planning process falls through the cracks.

A checklist will serve as a guide as you prepare to host the big party. Here are five things to include on your ultimate party planning checklist.

Table of Contents

Guest List

The first thing that you need to decide when hosting a party is the guest list. The size of the venue and the reason for the occasion will largely dictate how many people you can accommodate.

You should also take care of inviting people who will mesh well with each other.

In addition, be sure to consider the theme of your party when deciding how many people to include.

A more intimate affair will necessitate that you trim down the guest list to meet the theme of the event. Conversely, a large celebration will open up more spaces on your invite list.

Food and Drink

The centerpiece of most events is the food and drink offerings. If you are preparing the food yourself, it is a good idea to choose menu items that you can make ahead of time so that you are not overly stressed during the actual party.

You also need to decide how you plan to serve the food. For a more casual event, a buffet may be the most appropriate.

This means that you will need to ensure that you reserve the right serving and chaffing dishes.

If you are hosting a formal affair, part of your party planning checklist should be hiring staff to help with the catering and serving.

Catering Essentials

In addition to the food and the drink, you also need to ensure that you are ready with the appropriate serving pieces and dishware. The formality of your event will guide what type of dishware that you select.

If you do not want to mess with the hassle of extensive cleanup after the event, you may want to consider using fancy plastic cutlery and dishware for your event.

Not only will this save you time and work, but it will also create a more formal vibe.

Setting the Mood

Once you have all of the tangible party essentials in place, you need to think about how you are going to set the desired mood for your event. There are a variety of elements that you can lean on to create the right vibe.

One primary way to set a mood is to play music. Creating a playlist ahead of the event will ensure that you are not going to be stressed about changing the music during the party.

Another great way to create a mood is to use lighting to achieve the look that you are going for. Soft candles will deliver a romantic or intimate vibe while bright lights are better for a high-energy blowout.

Entertainment

Every great party includes some element of entertainment. If you are booking a professional to provide this service, it is important to read reviews and do your due diligence in selecting the right match for your needs.

Be sure to keep in mind that popular entertainers will book up far in advance, making it important that this is one of the first pieces that you put in place for your party.

Following this formula for success will ensure that your party goes off without a hitch. As a bonus, you will be more likely to enjoy yourself and spend time with your guests if you have a good plan in place.

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Emma

A mother and lover of all things practical. My blog covers about motherhood by exploring all areas of life. Our tips and tricks help the large community to do more in less time so they can spend time enjoying happy, healthy families.