Posts Tagged ‘Party Planning’
Planning A Successful Party
How To Plan A Successful Party
The key to any successful party is planning. If you put some thought into the event’s purpose and the types of guests who are coming, then you can be sure to pull of a party that is sure to be remembered for quite some time. The following are some basic tips for planning a successful party.
The first thing you should do is decide on a theme. A well-chosen theme can not only help you choose decorations and food for the shindig, but it can help psyche up guests because they will have a theme to think of when planning costumes or buying gifts. Consider the purpose of the party when choosing a theme. If this is a birthday party for a lawyer, you might want to have a Legally Blonde-type theme, and if the party is for a child, you could have a Dress as Your Favorite Prince, Princess or Pirate theme.
Next, you have to think about the food. Fantastic food is a party pleaser. Always have snack bowls around the party. This way guests will move around more and mingle and you will create a positive atmosphere for the party. Easy to eat snacks work best, so use finger foods. After all, you don’t want the event ruined because some spilled a messy snack all over themselves.
Don’t forget to plan activities and music. Activities are a great way to get people involved in the party and to make it fun. When activities are not in session, be sure to have music playing that fits the theme of the party. If you’re having an old-school Hollywood Night theme, you might want to go with classic songs from the 1940s and 1950s, and if you are throwing an 80′s party, music from 80′s hair-bands will get the party rocking.
How To Plan A Luau
A Hawaiian luau is a great way to have fun, eat some delightful food, and get together with friends. If you want to know how to plan a Hawaiian luau, follow these steps and you and your friends will be hula dancing before you know it.
Decorations
Bring out the islands in your decorations. Think palm trees, soft glowing tiki torches, flowers, palm trees, coconuts, and even beach sand if you have the place for it. Recreate the romance of Hawaii when you decorate, so think patio lights, grass skirts, leis, and more.
Food
You can be extremely creative with the food at your luau. Traditional fare at a Luau is roast pig, Kahlua Pork. The easy homecook method is to rub a big pork roast with coarse sea salt, wrap it in banana leafs (aluminum foil might have to do) and slow cook it in the oven until you can shred it. Pepare island staples like poi and island fruits like mango, papaya, and kiwi to compliment the roast pig. If you want more modern fare serve fresh seafood and Asian inspired dishes. Not up to all that preparation? If you are looking for less prep work serve grilled pineapple and chicken skewers and some fresh fruit salads topped with coconut. Serve a traditional mai tai for the grownups, and of course, serve Hawaiian Punch to the kids!
Entertainment & Activities
Find a little Hawaiian ukulele music for the background, or try more traditional Hawaiian music with guitars and drums. Be sure to play “Tiny Bubbles” by Don Ho, it doesn’t get more Hawaiian than that. You can find Hawaiian CDs or tune in to on-line Hawaiian radio stations.
Give everyone a grass skirt and teach them how to do the hula, or hire local Hawaiian dancers for a real, authentic native dance. Ask guests to wear Hawaiian-inspired clothing like shirts and sarongs and greet them with a lei.
Helping You Organize A Birthday Party
If you are in charge of planning a birthday party and are worried about ensuring its success, then consider having a theme party. While it can be difficult to come up with the perfect theme and you may worry about the success of the party, there are things that you should consider in order to plan a great birthday. When considering different themes you should keep in mind the age, gender and personality of the recipient, as this information will assist you in your party planning.
For example, for a “Sweet 16″ get together, consider a Glamour Shots type of party complete with gowns, gloves, makeup, etc. This is a perfect birthday bash for your teen as they can get dressed up in whatever they want and apply make-up and then be ready for their close-up. It is a good idea to start gathering different types of clothes and shoes; a thrift shop is ideal for choosing some clothes. It is advisable to have each girl bring their own brush and make-up or you can purchase individual kits for each girl and let them keep them as party favors. You can make a copy of the pictures and include them with a thank you note from the birthday girl.
Having a movie night theme for a birthday is clever and fairly easy to plan. For example, the invitations can be made to look like a movie ticket or you can design them to look like a movie reel with all of the details of the birthday party on them. Have someone dressed up in a tuxedo standing outside the door where the guests can hand them their ticket and they can check to see if they are on the “list.” No movie night theme birthday bash would be complete without a red carpet so check around and see if any carpet store has scraps of carpet available.
For an unforgettable winter birthday bash consider a beach theme. For the invitations, purchase several beach balls and write the party information on them in permanent ink with instructions to blow them up when they are received. You can also ask everyone to come dressed in beach attire, Hawaiian shirts, etc. You can hang beach towels on the walls, scatter some seashells around the room and hang fish nets for an authentic feel. For a truly amazing effect, if you don’t mind the mess, you can cover the floor with sand.
Party planning for a teen’s birthday can be a little intimidating, but consider creating invitations done in calligraphy style, rolled up as a scroll and tied with a ribbon inviting everyone to a Medieval Time birthday party. Perhaps have a birthday cake that has been decorated as an elaborate castle and have friends dress as King and Queen to greet the guests at the door. This type of party is a sure hit with the birthday boy or girl and their friends.
The Secret to Planning a Great Party on a Budget
With all the cost of consumer goods and services rising we have to find ways to save cash. Nowadays, planning a party means avoiding the traps that lead to overspending, without scrimping too much on the basics (food, drinks, decoration and entertainment).
Regardless of the type of party you are throwing, you want to be able to invite your family and friends and serve the most delightful dishes. Furthermore, you don't want to seem like you're on an extremely tight budget (even if you are).
So, how exactly do we allocate our meager finances when the party is only a month or two away? Here are some ideas for planning a party when you have little time and money available.
From afar, I can hear you say "don't scrimp on food!” and I agree. However, there are still ways to avoid spending too much on the food you are going to serve.
When planning a party, choose a simple menu.
For a sit-down dinner party, select one entrée and plan the rest of the dishes around it. You have to be realistic about your main dish and what you can afford. While meats and poultry are relatively cheap, the rest of the ingredients you need for a particular dish could cost you.
You can decide not to serve a meal; but you need to make this known to your guests. Suggest to guests that you are not serving a full meal by writing "please join us for cocktails after the wedding" clearly on the invitation.
Ask your guests to confirm their attendance at least two weeks before the party so that you can plan how much you need to spend on table and chair rentals.
Planning a party means considering your budget wisely. Below are some ways to do just that.
1. Besides food and drinks, your other priorities must be delineated at the onset. If planning a kid's party, then party favors must be purchased. If it's a picnic, you must invest on an extra grill.
2. Spend two-thirds of your over-all budget on preparations and one-third on last minute adjustments. You will make emotional decisions when you're stressed out, so make sure you have some cash handy when you need to rush out and buy extra stuff on the day of the party.
3. Hire a party planner. You cannot afford to take a leave of absence for a day to prepare your party because you need financial buffer when you've expended most of your funds on the party. Hiring a party planner will also ensure that things get done in a timely manner.
4. Supplies for the party are cheaper if you buy wholesale. Do a Googlesearch for companies that sell cheap party supplies and have a long talk with the sales representative to know more about discounts and delivery fees.
Finally, it's wise to ask the help of friends and family when planning your party. Our loved ones are more than willing to help out, and they work for free!
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