Organizing A Party

You have a special event coming up and you're in charge of the organizing a party! No problem! It doesn't have to be an overwhelming task if you plan ahead. Instead, it will be an event you can be proud of and you will help to create a special memory.

I have a party planning checklist already done on my computer that I've tweaked as I've organized parties. Let that be your basic guideline for any kind of party you're throwing. It includes your basic party necessities:

• Date
• Time
• Location
• Theme
• Guest List
• Menu
• Party Supplies
• Shopping List
• To Do List
• Notes

If you have all of these things laid out in advance, you are way ahead of the game.

Checklist for Organizing a Party

Date, Time, Location and Theme
These are pretty self explanatory. Find a date that's most suitable for you and your guests, and a time that works best. You will not be able to satisfy everyone's schedule, so just do your best and go from there. One large factor in your decisions will be if there are children coming to the party. Decide on your location and book it, if necessary, as soon as possible. You can also decide if you're going to have a theme or color scheme so you can keep that in mind when shopping for supplies.

Guest List
Write up your guest list. Be sure to keep track of how many are adults and kids. You will also want to keep tab of who has RSVP'd to plan your total number of guests. You will need this number later for the rest of your planning. If you're going to pass out party favors, add another column here to keep track of how many you'll need based on who is coming.

Menu
Write down everything you plan to serve including the hors d'oeuvres, main course, dessert, cake, and beverages. Based on your guest list RSVP's, you can calculate how much of each item on your list you will need.

Party Supplies
This portion of the list includes items such as invitations, utensils for eating and drinking, decorations, party favors and any party activities you may need to purchase. Again, that total number of guests will dictate how much you will need, but you already have the list so that makes it easier to calculate.

Shopping List
Write down every single thing here that you need to buy. Include all of the party supplies and the menu items that you have decided on, and how much of everything.

To Do List
This is your master to do list. Keep everything here, in one place so things don't get forgotten. Include everything from buying or making invitations to shopping for supplies to decorating. Write things down as you realize them and smile as you cross them all off and know you're ahead of the game!

Notes
This is a great place to scribble down price comparisons for items you plan to purchase, theme and color ideas, etc. It doesn't have to be pretty, just keep it on the list so everything is together.

The key to organizing a party, or any kind of planning for that matter, is to keep everything in one place, keep it organized and use it!

The best organizers for any kind of event write things down... they use a system to keep on track. So use this simple list to keep yourself on track and you'll throw a great party, and be relaxed enough to enjoy it too!

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