Planning a party of any size can be a lot of work, but with a little organization, you can have an OMG kind of party. Just take a few minutes to read the steps below and make sure to check each one off as you complete it.
4 Weeks Before the Party:
1. Make the invitation list.
2. Decide on the theme, if there is one.
3. Send out invitations.
4. Plan the menu/specialty drinks (I’m into St-Germain based drinks at the moment, they were served at our open house and were quite delicious!)
5. Gather help if needed. This means you need to inquire about a caterer, bartender, and/or rentals.
Two Weeks Before:
1. Call your favorite rental company..hint hint.. it’s called A Classic Party Rental. You may need to rent party rental supplies or party equipment. If you do not have enough china, glassware, flatware, tables, chairs, linen, or any other specialty rental items, you may need to rent. Even if you own enough, most of our clients agree that it is easier to just rent, then you do not have to do ANY dishes! If you are not sure what you need, browse our rental guide.
2. Create music playlist.
3. Prepare any food that you can freeze.
One Week Before:
1. Clean your house thoroughly.
2. Rearrange furniture and “set the stage.”
3. Confirm rental order with A Classic..that’s us…and with any other vendor you may have.
4. Make sure you have all serving pieces and trays you need for apps, main course, dessert, or any other course throughout the night. If you don’t have enough, you may need to call us again…don’t worry this happens all the time (317-251-7368).
5. Stock the bar. Most people drink 3-4 cocktails in a 3 hour span. You can plan for 3 bottles of wine per 4 people just to be safe.
3 Days Before:
1. Decorate the house.
2. Make sure you have cleaning supplies in case of an accident.
3. If it’s cold, specify a place for coats or rent a coat rack.
4. Finish grocery shopping. Make a detailed list before going to the store so you do not forget anything. Buy extra if needed…nobody wants to leave a party hungry.
One Day Before:
1. Set up tables, chairs, and rearrange furniture.
2. Finish as much cooking as possible.
3. Do a once over clean up and put anything away that you do not want people to see.
Day of Party (stay calm):
1. Finish cooking.
2. Finalize chair arrangement and any seating you could not do the day before.
3. 1/2 hour before guests arrive, place any food out that will not spoil out, but make sure it’s wrapped tightly. Once guests begin arriving, tear off saran wrap.
4. Greet your guests and get out of the kitchen!!
Some final tips:
1. Don’t forget the ice.
2. Be as organized as possible so you are free to mingle and are not tied up in the kitchen. A good hostess will socialize with each guest and not be constantly cleaning and/or cooking, which tends to make guests uncomfortable.
3. It’s your party- You can have fun if you want to!
Thanks to REAL SIMPLE.COM for the party planning checklist. Feel free to add on anything I may have forgotten!
