Getting
ready to throw a party? Who should you
invite? What should you prepare? Should it be a sit-down or a buffet
meal or should it just be snacks? How much room do you have? What can you do to
have people talking about your party for days to come? Planning the party can be just as much fun as
the party itself! To make it easier, we have assembled tips and tricks to
planning a successful party that will make yours memorable for some time to
come.
No matter what type of party
you are having organization is the key; be organized from start to finish. Having a clear understanding of what you want to
accomplish, organization and a set time-table to help you get everything done
so that you can enjoy your own party as much as your guests will. Know your time limits and be realistic about
how much time you really have to plan for your party. Do not try to do
the shopping, food prep, clean the house and have everyone over the same day.
You will be too tired to enjoy your party and run the risk of being behind schedule.
Instead do your shopping one to two days before the party. Choose recipes that you can make in advance.
Prepare as much of the food the day before or morning of your party as
possible. Save additional time by filling in your menu with premade food and
desserts from grocery stores like Rainbow Foods. Another option it to have your
event catered by restaurants such as Crave.
When you
invite guests into your home the environment should be welcoming. You do not
need to hire a professional to create the perfect party mood; you can find
great accent touches by visiting Parmida and Anthropologie at the Shops at West End.
Get help! The
best party planners know they cannot do it all. Enlist the help of friends or
family. Give them specific tasks and responsibilities
for pre-party, during the party, and to help clean up after the party. Don't be afraid to give suggestions if someone
offers to bring something. To raise the bar on your next party
consider hiring a bartender. Hiring a private
bartender can really take a lot of pressure off of you and make your party
something that will be talked about for days to come. A good bartender can help
you determine how much alcoholic and non alcoholic beverage to buy, will set up
before the party and clean up at the end of the party. If you are having cocktails, ask your
bartender to create a signature cocktail for your party based on a theme, if
chosen, or to compliment the food being served.
Your party
will be memorable with personal touches-cater to your guests. Be mindful of
dietary restrictions when planning you menu.
It is not always possible to make an entire meal with restrictions,
however having options to suit dietary needs makes guests feel special and
welcomed. Know what beverages your guests like to drink and have them on hand
for your party. Do not forget to have non-alcoholic and caffeine free options.
Weather you
are the host or the guest there are some basic party etiquette to keep in mind
The host
should always welcome each guest upon arrival by
greeting them at the door. It is
important to have a space for guest to put personal belongings. If you have a number of guests arriving at
the same time enlist a volunteer that can help show guest where to put their
belongings. If a guest does not know other guests, make introductions
immediately and share something the guests may have in common with each other;
once the guest start talking you are able to politely excuse yourself to greet other guests. Once your party is underway you should take
time to be with each guest, but do not allow one guest to monopolize your
time. At the end of the party the
host duties increase. It is important to
know if you served alcohol you take responsibility for the safety of your
guests. If a guest has had too much to drink a ride should be arranged for the
guest. As each guest leaves a good host
will help guest gather their personal belongings and thank them for attending.
Weather the
invitation is verbal, mailed or electronic the party host often asks for the
guest to RSVP. The term RSVP comes from
the French expression "répondez s'il vous plaît", meaning
"please respond". This
response tells the host whether or not the guests plan to attend the
party and can then determine quantities for food and beverages. If you know the host well and feel comfortable call and offer to help the host with
preparations or ask if there is anything you can bring, if appropriate. If the
host does ask you to bring something it is important you follow through on the
request.
Guests should arrive right on time for a dinner party and no more
than 30 minutes late for a cocktail party. Never accept an invitation and then
not show up just because you don't feel like going out. If you need to cancel
inform your host as soon as possible via the telephone.
When the evening
ends, guest should not linger as the host will still have final clean up to
do. If a guest offers to help clean up
it is up to the host if he or she wants the extra help. If the host accepts the
help the guest should leave once the work is complete.
You may not have
the budget to hire a professional party planner, but with good organization you
can be your own party planner and have a memorable party that your friends will
talk about for weeks to come.
Getting
ready to throw a party? Who should you
invite? What should you prepare? Should it be a sit-down or a buffet
meal or should it just be snacks? How much room do you have? What can you do to
have people talking about your party for days to come? Planning the party can be just as much fun as
the party itself! To make it easier, we have assembled tips and tricks to
planning a successful party that will make yours memorable for some time to
come.
Today at Parmida Home - I am part of their Open House Seminar: Holiday Entertaining 101 from 10 am to 11:20 am. It is a free event for attendees to learn tips and tricks for holiday entertaining and decorating. Discover how to mix-and-match colors and textures to create a unified seasonal masterpiece. Attendees receive 15% off their entire purchase (not valid with other offers, some restrictions apply), free snacks and drawings. http://www.theshopsatwestend.com/merchants/merchant-list/56-parmida-home.html