1. Don’t panic, stay calm and work through the party details.

2. Make a list of everything that needs done, and put it on a timeline to help put things in perspective.

3. Recruit a friend or two to help.

4. Forget about mailing invitations, call everyone on the guest list, or send out e-invites. Mailing invitations can take several days, calling or emailing is almost instant.

5. Be creative and use what you have for decorations, and food.

6. KISS~ Keep it simple silly! Parties don’t have to be elaborate to be fun. Go with what you have and enjoy each others company.

Just have fun with your party, don’t get too stressed out. The main thing is to enjoy each others company, and have a good time. All the details don’t have to be perfect, go with what you have.

Image via sxc.hu

Post from: She Knows Parties

Post from: She Knows Parties

It’s a good message about making sure your guests are safe from walking out the door with too much alcohol in their system. I would hate to ever be responsible for someone causing a wreck after leaving a party from my house. Be a responsible host and make sure your guests have fun but can also drive themselves home safely.

Post from: She Knows Parties

Post from: She Knows Parties

• How many people can you accommodate at the location?
• Is there another location, besides your home, that might suit your needs?
• How much can you afford to pay?
• Do you want an outside or inside location?
• Will the location allow you to decorate if your party is themed?
• How long does the location allow you to stay for your party?
• Is there a place to park?
• Do they allow alcoholic beverages, in case you are serving those?

Now, how about a nice long list of possible places to host a party?

• Ranch
• Country Club
• Banquet Hall
• Restaurants
• Gardens
• Winery
• Park
• Zoo
• Art gallery
• Community Centers
• Other People’s Houses
• The Beach
• The Pool
• Conference Center
• Museum
• Houseboat
• Skating Rink
• Church Meeting Room
• The Zoo
• Your Back Patio
• Castle

Now that you have the where, let’s go onto the guests list and invitations!

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The most important thing to consider is what type of party you are comfortable hosting? If you are not into the formal thing one bit, then there is no need to throw a formal party. If you plan a party around your talents, your desires and your style, then the party will be successful and fun.

Here are some questions to asked yourself when you are trying to decide on the party type?

• When you have attended parties in the past, which one did you have the best time at?
• Do you like to entertain in a formal or informal environment?
• Can you accommodate a large or small group? Which do you prefer?
• Is this a “just because” party or is it for a holiday, birthday or other celebration?
• Is this party for just family, just friends or a mixture of both?
• Do you enjoy themed parties?

Here is a list of some different type of parties to consider (I’ll go into each theme in detail as this blog grows.):

• BBQ Cook Out
• Formal Wear Party
• Family Get-Togethers
• Children’s Party
• Adults Only Party
• Gag Gift Exchange Party
• Informal Dinner Party
• Graduation Party
• Dinner and a Movie
• Pool Party
• Potluck Dinner Party
• Holiday Party (Christmas, Mother’s Day, New Years, Fourth of July)
• Celebrate a Special Event Party (such as a new business, promotion or for someone who is retiring)
• Anniversary Party
• Office Party
• Wedding Shower
• Baby Shower
• Victory Parties for Teams
• Raise Money for Favorite Charity Party
• Scavenger Hunt Party
• Cocktail Party
• Prom Party
• Progressive Party
• Bar Mitzvahs
• Karaoke Party
• Block Party
• Open House

Just to name a few! Well now that you know what type of party you are going to throw, it’s time to decide where the party will be held.

Item pictured above is the Caspari Mix N Match Plates and Napkins 12 Assorted Packages.

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1. Who should I invite?

• If it’s for a kid’s birthday party, your child can choose to invite all girls or all boys.
• If you are planning a party with females and males, try to make sure it is balanced, meaning don’t invite 10 girls and 2 boys.
• Only invite as many guests as you can handle. You want your guests to be comfortable, so make sure you can accommodate the number of people you have invited.
• A rule of thumb for a dinner party, is to only invite six to eight. If you invite any more they may not all be able to fit around the table.
• Invite a group of guests who you know all get along well. Unless it’s family and you may not have a choice, lol! Just alert them ahead of time that you would like them all to be civil. If you are inviting couples, it’s best not to invite 3 couples who spend a lot of time together and one couple that doesn’t know anyone. Instead, invite 2 couples who you would like your guests to get to know better. That way, no one will feel left out.
• For a wedding shower, invite only those who are actually invited to the wedding. This may seem like a no-brainer, but I have witnessed someone being invited to the wedding shower and not the wedding before and they were a tad bit insulted.

2.  What are my host duties? 

• Invite everyone 2 weeks before the party date.
• Make sure you give everyone accurate directions. Check for any road closures or construction and make your guests aware of these. They’ll be in a better party move when they arrive if they didn’t have to take a detour they were unaware of.
• Make sure your house is presentable, especially areas like the bathroom, living area and kitchen. Your whole house doesn’t have to be spotless, but make sure the areas that your guests will be using are clean and presentable. Also, make sure there are at least 2 rolls of toilet paper and fresh hand towels in the bathroom.
• Introduce everyone to each other.
•  If your party is at night, turn on your porch light or a few inside lights that face the street.
• Give everyone a tour of your house and let them know where everything is so they will feel comfortable.
• Be sure and mingle with everyone. Make your rounds and make sure everyone has what they need.
• Let your guests know what will be going on during the party and the order of events. You may want to put this on the invitation.
• Clean up as the party is going on. Do not wash the dishes, but pick up trash and put dirty dishes in the sink (rinse if you’d like).
• It’s okay to ask your guests for help. Most guests like to be involved in the party and help when they can.
• Attend your own party. Make sure that you are not stuck in the kitchen the whole time. Plan well so that you can have fun too!

3. How long should I wait to start the party if some guests are late?

• As a rule of thumb, don’t wait longer than about 15-20 minutes. It’s not fair to the guests who showed up on time. If you are serving a meal at your party, be sure and make the guests aware of that ahead of time and how important it is to be on time so that the meal doesn’t get cold. No one likes a cold meal, unless it’s supposed to be served that way.

4. Smoking or non-smoking?

• If some of your guests do not smoke,  it will most likely be offensive to them. Let your smoking guests know where they may smoke. It may seem awkward at first to mention this, but they will appreciate it later when they need a smoke.

5. What do you do if the part is over and some guests won’t go home?

• Usually when you start cleaning up and putting away the food and drink, they will get the hint. If that doesn’t work try these phrases:
• “Would anyone like some coffee or snacks to take with them?”
• “Thank you for coming. I had a great time and can’t wait to do this again.”
• If you are really good friends with the guests, you can be completely honest with them and say, “Alright you party animals, it’s time for me to turn in. I hope you had a great time.”
• For a child’s birthday party, start handing out the goody bags. That’s usually a sign for everyone that the party is over.

There are actually many more etiquette questions that relate to each individual party type that I will cover as I talk about the different parties. These tips should help get you started in the right direction.

Ciao!

Post from: She Knows Parties

When you take the time to really think about the party you are throwing, it can make a real difference. It helps the party to run smoother. Your guests will feel more welcomed and at ease and it helps you actually enjoy the party you are throwing. If you do a few simple steps to plan out your party, you can eliminate stress and those last minute trips to the store because you forgot something.

So, what all does party planning involve? I’m going to cover Party Planning 101 in a series of 10 posts, which will go into detail of planning the perfect party. You will not need to go through every step for every party. For example: choosing the party games. If you are hosting a fancy dinner party for your spouse’s boss, most likely you’re not going to be playing charades.

Here is a list of the Party Planning 101 steps:

• Party Etiquette
• What Kind of Party?
• Where Will You Host the Party?
• The Guest List and Invitations
  
• What Kind of Decorations Will You Have?
• What Kind of Activities/Games Will You Have?
• What Kind of Entertainment Will You Have?
• What Kind of Food and Drink Will You Serve?
• What Will the Dress Style be?
• What Order Will the Party Go in?

Are you ready to start planning some awesome parties? Great! Let’s get started.

Post from: She Knows Parties