Party/Event planning has always been a favorite thing of mine to do. Especially when I am given the freedom to plan on my own as I believe in not overlooking a single detail. It may be overkill to some, but to me it would seem incomplete without all aspects planned. Here are some steps to get you planning:
Initial Brainstorming & Gust List: Be creative, begin by coming up with a fun and catchy theme. A play on words is usually the way I go here. For example, for a kid’s birthday party you could go with “Young, Wild and Three”. This is also a good time to put together your guest list and make sure you have all contact information.
Venue: Find a place that fits your theme, or just a favorite place. Some places will do most of the work for you. Once you confirm they have the date available you can begin planning all the other details.
Invitations: Get them out 6 weeks prior to the party so that you guests can plan ahead. I prefer the old fashion way of mailing out paper invitations (my age is showing here), but there are plenty of on-line options that will help you to create an invitation as well as keep track of your guest count.
Décor & Food: All things theme related. If you get stuck, search on-line for ideas. Flowers and food can be used in a creative way and incorporate the theme. Be sure to think of your guests’ preferences and allergies when planning the menu so that everyone has something to eat. Have fun with the cake, I always like to tie that to the theme as well. Most grocery stores these days make incredible cakes or search online for a local bakery and see what they have.
Party Favors: Try and do theme related favors that will be used and looked at fondly as a memory of the event. For example I love using frames for event gifts so guests can put a picture from the party in it and remember the good time they had.
*TECH TIP* Zazzle, Evite, Paperless Post, Punch Bowl, Shutterfly & Minted are a few of the sites I go to for invitations. They have paper invitations as well as digital invites with a ton of free templates.
*ORGANIZER TIP* Start to plan early. Like 6 months early. One month select a theme, next month a venue, invites the next month, party favors and the cake the next month, and any other details in the remaining time prior to the party. Planning this way, you will never feel rushed, and you will have time to plan every last detail.