A well planned party is the key to it's success
So your thinking about having a party right? Get your pen and paper ready because this page will help you decide the what, when, where and why's of planning a party. Great planning is the key to a successful party and a successful party means your guests will have memories to last a lifetime! That's the idea right! So what type of party do you want to have? Do you know yet? Maybe it's the holiday season and your looking for traditional holiday ideas. Or maybe your simply looking for an idea that will get your family and friends together! Either way, we will help you think it through-
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1st- Let's decide "What Type Of Party" you want to have:
- Common Holiday Parties: Are you wanting to have a seasonal holiday party such as a Christmas party, St. Patties Day party, Halloween or Easter?
- Theme Parties: Now if your interested in learning about theme parties then by all means visit or Theme Parties page. It gives you some great ideas on planning a theme party. The best part is- you can have a theme party at any time of the year. You just pick a subject that you like and you run with it! Yep, you base your whole party of the love of what ever it is you pick your theme to be and your on your way to a great party.
- Weird Holiday Parties: Now if you looking for a bit more wacky & weird; we have ideas for that too! Did you know that our holiday calendar has a list of unusual holidays that people actually love to celebrate? Well it sure does! Visit our list for the most popular Weird Holiday Parties and it will give you the date to celebrate, the traditional way to celebrate it and a few extra tips too. These holidays are real National Holidays that are a bit strange but gives you a great excuse to have some wild fun.
By now you should have a pretty good idea on what type of party is perfect for you so let's go to the next step.
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2) It's Time to make some Decisions:
Here's what you need to think about
- What is your budget? Everybody has a budget and the best way to see how far your money will go is to make a list of all the things that cost money. On the list put the most important things at the VERY TOP and write down the cost of each one. Once you reach your spending limit- then see how many things are left on the list. Can you do without those things to pull off a great party? If yes then full steam ahead. If No then you need to either save up more money and have the party at a later date or have others go in together and split the cost of the party. At last resort- pick a different type of party.
- How many people do you want to invite? Are you wanting a nice quaint party of 6 to 8 that could easily be seated at one table or are you looking to invite 12 to 24 people which would require a more buffet style of eating?
- Where do you want to have it? Remember you need to pick a place that will accommodate the number of people you are inviting. Will everyone fit in your living room or will you need to reserve a conference room somewhere? Maybe it's warm weather and you would like your party outside?
- When do you want to have it? Make sure you give yourself at least 3 weeks ahead for planning the party. Think about who you are inviting too. What shifts do they work? Give the guest enough time to request off from work if they need to. Will you be having your party on a week day or the weekend? Network
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3) Now let's talk about the Invitations:
You may be having a party that doesn't require Invitation and a simple ring of the cell phone will do. But if you do want to send out Invitations then here's a few tips. Make sure you send invitation at least 2 weeks before the party. Everyone needs time to prepare to come but don't send out so far in advance that the guest will forget the parties coming up. When you pick your invitations be creative. Depending on what type of party your having, have some fun with your invites. Visit our Invitation Ideas for some interesting examples of how people invite guest to parties. Keep in mind first impressions will entice your guests, so be creative.
- Use "RSVP" so you get an actual attendee count.
- Let people RSVP by email as well. After all, most find it quicker than snail mail.
- Loose confetti in the invitation: it's popular but some like it and some don't!
- If you're planning a dinner party include the menu and if it's sitting down or buffet style. Sometimes this helps the guest decide what to wear believe it or not!
- Include a map and directions: Is the party being held at your house? Do these people know where you live? Is the party being held somewhere else? Do they know it's not going to be at your house and do they know how to get to where the parties going to be?
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4) Let's talk about Decorating Ideas:
- Pick a theme color: Parties come in all colors and the party looks more organized if you decide on a color.
- Tablecloths: You can use fabric from the fabric store, plastic or paper tablecloths from party stores. Make sure your tablecloths are not to long. You don't want your guests snagging on it and pulling the whole thing off in the floor.
- Will your table have assigned seating? This is something to think about too. If so I bet you can come up with some really cool ideas for place setting cards. Visit our place setting card ideas
- Kids Tables: Many restaurants put buckets of crayons and coloring pages out for kids. You could steal from this idea and do it too. Maybe add a few other things to the bucket if your party includes children.
- Flowers and arrangements on tables: Parties usually always has some type of center piece on the table. At the end of the party you can always raffle off the flowers on each table or give them away as parting gifts or party drawings.
- Make sure your decorations are safe: If your using candles make sure they are melted in the holder so they don't fall out and start a fire. Better yet, use the battery candles instead.
- If alcohol is being served: it's a good idea to have adequate lighting on any door steps or stairs inside. You can do this in a decorative way.
- Table Setting: Are you having a dinner party? Visit our Table Setting page to see what a correct table setting looks like for a formal dinner party.
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5) Games and Activities:
Party Games are not suitable for all parties but most parties play games in some form or another. Below we give you game types that are posible at your party.
- Children's party games: Children's parties not only have party games but great game activities as well. Popular examples are (Pinata: A piñata is a brightly-colored paper container filled with candy and/or toys.) and (Pin the tail on the donkey)
- Common Party Games: This page will give you examples of games commonly played at parties. Many of these are board games that can be played by a large number of guest, groups or teams.
- Bingo: Bing is a game of chance in which randomly selected numbers are drawn and players match those numbers to those appearing on 5x5 matrices which are printed or electronically represented and are known as "cards."
- Door Prize Games: At a party or gathering, a door prize may be awarded to one or more persons attending, via a raffle or drawing. Prizes can be small things such as pens, bookmarks, and buttons or they can be larger, more expensive, items like gift baskets, Peju Wine, plants or cash. Adult parties, business parties and clubs alike love to give door prizes. Prizes are usually related to the theme of the party. If the party is a playful party then prizes are fun and playful as well. A good example of a door prize game is "Numbers on the bottom of chairs" This is a popular way to give away a door prize. Just draw a number and the person sitting in the chair with the correct number wins the party prize.
- Raffle: A raffle is a competition in which people buy numbered tickets for a chance to win a certain prize or prizes. It is often held to raise funds for a specific event, charity, or occasion.
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6) Food and Drinks:
Party Food: Anything and everything is possible when it comes to food at parties. A party just wouldn't be a party without food now would it? Part of the fun in socializing is eating. In fact many parties are based on the food itself and offer plenty of it. But don't let that scare you. You don't have to have tons of food to put on a good party. Just make sure you have good food for the party.
- Food Allergies: We always run across someone who is allergic to seafood's or nuts. Save yourself some heartache and skip these food if you can. If you do decide to serve them, make sure you label them so guest who have allergies can skip eating these foods.
- Vegetarians: Yes more and more people are becoming vegetarians so make sure you include dishes that cater to the Vegans. You want everyone to be able to have something to eat. You can't go wrong with a raw vegetable platter with dip! This will do just fine. (dips)
- Have choices for non-drinkers:
• Traditional Valentines Food
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Where can I buy party supplies?
It's Party Time! - Every Holiday deserves a party right?! So get ready for your next party by shopping for the latest supplies to make your holiday a real hit. You'll find fun stuff for children and adults.
