Tips for Creating a Party Planning Checklist
Planning and hosting a party involves a lot of work. If you want to make party planning simple, a checklist is a must. A checklist ensures that you do not have to say “oops” on the day of the party. A checklist can save you a lot of embarrassment and helps the party go smoothly.
The first item in your party planning checklist should be to create a budget. Without a budget, a little bit of money here and there suddenly turns into a big sum of money. When you have a budget, you can remain in control of important spending aspects of the party. For instance, if you know how much your budget is for food, you can determine just how big a size your guest list should be.
Your party planning checklist should also include creating the guest list. A party isn’t a party if there aren’t any guests. You need a list of people to invite. You need to pick out invitations, create them, and then send them out. All of this needs to be done by a certain time. A failure to send out invitations on time is generally a symptom of a failure to make a checklist.
Make sure your invitations are scheduled on your checklist. Send out the invitations at least three weeks before the party if you require guests to RSVP. Make sure you include RSVP responses in your party planning checklist so you can follow up on guests who fail to send in their response.
You need to make sure you include time to select a party venue on your checklist. It is important to complete this item early enough so you can make any arrangements such as renting the venue or hiring a caterer. Remember to allow time for you to obtain price quotes and do price comparisons. If you intend to prepare the food yourself, you will need to create an ingredients checklist and figure out where and when you will need to purchase the food ingredients and related party supplies.
You may want to compare the cost of preparing the food yourself with the price of purchasing the food from a third party. If you do go with a caterer and rent the venue for the party, make sure your checklist includes a reminder to confirm each of these about a week before you hold the party.
Some of the most common supplies you will need to include on a party planning checklist include beverages, cups, napkins, plates, snacks, and utensils. If you want to make a lasting impression on your party guests, you can also include finding party favors on your checklist. Party favors are small tokens you give out to each of your guests. Some larger equipment items that may need to be on your party planning checklist include chairs, trays, and tables. If you are holding the party outdoors and you need to provide shade, consider renting or buying a portable shade tent.
