First-Time Host: Party Planning Checklist for Beginners

Here is a checklist for beginners or first-time hosts that will make party planning painless, fulfilling and thoroughly enjoyable.

The final result is almost always the most rewarding, but most people don’t realize the work it takes to plan and host a special event. With multiple fine details to keep track of, you can’t help but wonder how the experts get it all done. No worries—here’s a party planning checklist for beginners curated with tips used by the most qualified in the game.

– Six To Eight Weeks Before the Event

Most parties and special occasions need a six to eight-week clearance before starting preparation to ensure you cover your bases.

1. Budget

The first thing’s first: confirming your budget! Whether you’re planning a family get-together or a corporate event, budgets are the guidelines that dictate how big or small the event will turn out.

2. Establish Your Venue and Party Rentals

Your venue and party supplies are vital elements that need adequate notification to secure beforehand. Now’s the time to identify a theme for your event and decide whether you need that pool dance floor cover you had your eye on.

3. Spread the News

And what’s an event without your esteemed guests? Remember to send out invitations with enough time for guests to adjust their schedules and RSVP. You’ll want to mail out invitations no later than six weeks before the party.

4. Hire Entertainment and Catering Service

You’ll need food and entertainment for this event, so don’t hesitate to shop around for DJs, performers, or dancers to liven things up. If you book a catering service, remember to inquire about hiring bartenders and waitstaff to help care for guests.

– Two To Four Weeks Before the Event

5. Purchase Decorations

The two to four weeks before the event are all about event décor and creating the vision of your party. While you’ll need a degree of familiarity in decorating, remember that you can achieve a fantastic aesthetic with inexpensive items. Don’t forget about reserving your tablecloths and chair covers!

– The Day Before Event

6. Decorate Your Venue

The amount of time it will take to decorate your venue depends on its size. Don’t hesitate to reach out for help if the decorating area is vast. The last thing you want to do is spend the night at the location thinking of confetti and balloons. When it comes to decorating your venue, there are numerous options to choose from, depending on the theme and occasion of your party. For example, if you’re hosting a 4th of July celebration, you might consider incorporating patriotic elements like flags, banners, and red, white, and blue color schemes. You can even create your 4th of July inflatable in any shape that you think might enhance the decor and add a fun and festive touch to the event. They will take minutes to inflate saving tones of time to spend on other preparations.

7. Consider placing unique favors

In case you want your guests to remember your party for a long period of time, you should think of some creative party favors for them. This of course is up to the party type and the guest list. For example, if it’s a corporate party, a birthday party, or a wedding, Cuban Vega Fina cigars may be an excellent and unique idea. Just one cigar for a person will make your party outstanding. Other cool ideas to consider, are mini champagne favors, customized candles, photo frames, or mini plants like succulents.

8. Cross Your Ts, and Dot Your Is

You’ll have time before the event to wrap up last-minute tasks like picking up reserved supplies and confirming catering drop-off times. It may seem chaotic during the final prep hours but trust yourself! You made it this far.

– Party Day!

9. Check Décor

It’s best to arrive a couple of hours early to meet your vendors, delegate set-up duties, and check your decorations for mishaps.

10. Enjoy Yourself

Lastly, grab a seat and a drink and relax! The most challenging part is over, and now all that’s left to do is enjoy your hard work and some great tunes.

First-time hosting is an overwhelming yet rewarding responsibility that requires structure and organization. However, there’s no need to fall into a spiraling pit of despair when there’s a party planning checklist for beginners out there waiting for implementation. So, why not use these tips to your advantage? You’ll never know when they could be handy.

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