Party planners can help make the planning of your large event run smoother. With a massive checklist and an arsenal of caterers, florists, disc jockeys and more at their disposal, they’ll be sure to see to your every need. Keep in mind they can be a bit pricey, but for many the benefits are undeniable.
Party Planners can:

Plan every little detail: From the menu to the favors to the decorations. The party planner will pour over samples and visit with professionals until she has a short list fitting your needs.
Get a discount on your party professionals: Because she uses …read more

It’s that time of year again, teens all over the country are making hair appointments and looking for that perfect dress. Many are nervous too, not having attended a formal event before, how does one behave? Are there prom dos and don’ts? Here are a few bits of prom etiquette to help you along:

You don’t have to have a date to go to the prom. Go solo, or with some friends, there’s no reason to miss out just because someone didn’t ask you.
Proper etiquette dictates the person who did the asking buys the tickets. So if the girl …read more

Times have changed. Back in the day we had birthday parties at home and opened the presents towards the end of the party after eating cake. Nowadays this is rare. Many kids have parties outside the home and there’s no time for present opening. In fact, many parents feel it’s better manners to open them either on the child’s actual birthday or after all the kids leave. Personally, I just find it too stressful to deal with gifts at a kids’ party.
Hey – those aren’t your birthday presents!
When my son was two and three, we had his “kid” birthday party …read more

I was always told you never attend a party or social event at another person’s home without bringing a gift of some sort. Now, you don’t have to go out to the fine crystal section of Fortunoff’s but a bottle of wine or sparkling cider is always nice. I also like to bring baked goods. Candles make good hostess gifts as do flowers.
Should you bring a hostess gift? The answer is no, you don’t HAVE to, but it’s bad manners to do otherwise.
 
Image via Morgue File

Today I’d like to feature an email from a regular reader.
Dear Deborah,
How far in advance should I send out party invitations. I want to give people enough time to plan, but don’t want to send it so early they forget about it.
Thank you for your answer,
Lisa M.
 
Hi Lisa,
Party invitations for informal events like birthday parties or barbecues should be sent out a month to three weeks in advance. For little kids, two weeks is fine. For weddings, anniversary parties and more formal events, six to eight weeks is the norm.
Thanks for writing!
Deborah
 
If you have a question regarding parties feel …read more

I have heard many people comment how one of their New Year’s resolutions is to go green. There are so many ways in our daily lives that we can take better care of our environment, and one of those ways is going green with your party planning. When it comes to throwing a bash, going green can be thrown right out the door!
Over the next few weeks I’ll share some ideas for going green with your party planning and what you can do as a hostess to throw an environmentally friendly party.
If you have ideas of your own, please email …read more

Do you find it weird that the Bowling Green Kentucky Police Department is giving you party planning advice? I did, until I watched the video and realized what they are saying.
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.

So what is Party Etiquette exactly? Well, it’s a little bit of everything from: what are my duties as a host, what do I do as the guests arrive, what do I do during the party, who do I invite or don’t invite, what do I do about late guests, etc. I’ll answer all these burning questions and cover some things you may not have thought about before when planning and throwing a party. Alright, here we go with some party etiquette guidelines:
1. Who should I invite?

If it’s for a kid’s birthday party, your child can choose to invite all …read more