Here at My Hygge Home, we LOVE a party and are full of party planning tips. From first birthdays to thirtieth birthdays (and beyond, we’ve stopped counting!), gatherings to reunions and even book club catch-ups, there’s no occasion un-worthy of celebrating. We’re especially fond of throwing a party at home. Sure there’s the clean-up, but the reward of leftovers is worth it.
Planning a party can get the better of us. We like to keep it simple by following these foolproof party planning tips to ensure even the biggest of celebrations goes off without a hitch.
6-3 weeks before the event
The date, location, and time is set. Capture this information in an invite and get those deets out to your guests. Some big events may need longer notice periods. Use a Save-The-Date to lock advanced dates in early. Online services like Paperless Post have revived the nostalgia of receiving a party invite in the mail. This is a great way to ensure guests have received their invite (and won’t lose it).
Book your basic catering. Ordering a cake or an abundance of food? Lock down your catering package now to avoid finding out your favourite bakery is booked out.
2 weeks out
Stockpile any DIY decorations and equipment. Organise your items into the following lists to make sure you haven’t missed anything important.
Food – Drink – Music – Entertainment – Decorations – Equipment – Miscellaneous. Categories help with delegating and prevent double-ups.
Buy in bulk and shop when the specials are on. There’s value to shopping in bulk as dry goods and decorations can be stored for future or repeated use.
1 week out
RSVPs are in. With confirmed numbers, you can finalise any tweaks for catering.
Review your to do-list and check in with anyone (friends and family) who are pitching in, so they feel confident about what you’re expecting on the day and how they can help.
Day before the event
For onsite parties, pre-pack as much as you can into plastic containers with lids. These tubs will help store excess supplies or gifts after the event. For events at home, you can start to dress the space now. Firstly, ensure any furniture has been moved to free up time the next day.
Collect any catering that isn’t being handled by a third party on the day.
Make a playlist to suit the occasion. D-floor tunes, throwbacks, hot hits, funky jazz, indie-pop, or RnB? Curate your favourites, keeping in mind that music strongly influences the party vibe. Music streaming services such as Spotify have awesome playlists for every mood.
Event day!
Get ice! Often this item is on the checklist, but isn’t remembered until 5 minutes before guests are expected to arrive. Make this the first task on the list.
Dress the space with decorations. Final decorations are laid, and perishable items including cold food and drink are brought out. Try and give yourself as much time for set-up ahead of the start time for your event.
Play music whilst you set up. This serves as a basic sound check making sure there’s no bugs with your playlist, and creates a party vibe ahead of the first guests arriving.
Most important of all, remember to enjoy the party! As the host, we can get caught up in worrying about if everyone else is enjoying themselves. If you’re relaxed and smiling, your guests will be too.
What’s your foolproof party planning tips? Tag us on Instagram @my_hyggehome.
