Make Sure Your Next Event Is Perfect
- Every Party Needs A Plan. What’s the goal of your party? Are you honoring your parents’ 50th wedding anniversary, reuniting with your old classmates, or celebrating your 6-year-old’s birthday? Start with the reason everyone is gathering together in the first place, and plan the details around that purpose.
- Every Plan Needs a Budget. Once you’ve planned all the necessary details, create a budget. If your grand total is a bit more than you can afford, find some creative ways to cut costs. Maybe nix the full-service dinner in favor of a buffet or a potluck affair. You can also ask around to see if any of your party-savvy friends have spare decor or favors lying around they’d be willing to loan or donate to the cause.
- Choose The Right Time And Place. Let’s go back to that example of planning a 50th wedding anniversary party for your parents. It’s safe to assume that their friends are around the same age they are; so a dance party that goes until midnight will probably be poorly attended. Think about the demographic that makes up your guest list, and pick a date, time and location that is sure to yield the biggest turnout.
- Give Your Event A Test Drive. A day or so before the big event, visit the location of your party at the time of day it’ll be held, and give it a practice run. Walk through the door and take a moment to imagine what you’d want to see, as a guest. What music would you want to hear playing, or whose faces would you want to find greeting you. Try to picture every perfect detail, and then make some tweaks so that when your guests arrive, it’s a picture-perfect event for them too.
- Don’t Forget To Document. What’s the use in planning the perfect party, if there are no keepsakes to remember it by? You’ve got a lot on your plate already, so ask someone else to help with this task. Designate a photographer or videographer (preferably both!) for the night and talk to them beforehand about what you’d like for your pictures. Make up a shot list, talk about details, and then kick back and enjoy your amazing event.
