Top 12 Party Planning Tips We Wish We Knew Sooner
At Triangle Party People, we believe party hosts should be able to kick back and enjoy their own party. It’s hard to have fun when you’re too busy answering questions, showing people where to put things, or doing last minute ice runs! We’ve compiled the top 12 tips for planning parties that practically run themselves so you can focus on entertaining and making memories with your guests.
Make a sign for coats, shoes, and gifts.
If you’ve ever spent the first half hour of a party showing people where to place gifts or coats, you know this tip is a time saver! Have a designated table for gifts with a very visible sign so nobody will have to look for you or ask. Same goes for coats, shoes, purses, etc.
Empty the trash and dishwasher before the party.
Make sure to start the party with an empty dishwasher, sink, and trashcans. Pro tip: Use the trash can or recycling bin in front of your guests. That way nobody else will be shy about being the first person to put something in an empty trash bin.
Keep extra toilet paper visible in the bathroom.
Make sure your guests know where extra toilet paper, menstrual products, hand towels, and plunger are when they’re in the bathroom. This will eliminate the need for awkward questions and extra chores for the host.
Have at least one mocktail available for designated drivers.
Having cocktails already prepared in batches prevents guests from rummaging through your cabinets or spilling sticky liquids while trying to make their own drinks. If you can make one of your premade drinks a mocktail, your designated drivers will appreciate the gesture!
Hide anything breakable, valuable, or important.
You never know how rowdy your guests might get, so go ahead and lock up anything you don’t want broken or mishandled before the party begins.
When hosting a pool party, hire a lifeguard.
This tip is important whether you’re hosting for kids or adults. It just takes the pressure off the host and other adults to constantly be supervising. With a paid lifeguard present, everyone can relax a little more and enjoy the event.
If borrowing items, borrow everything the day before.
Whether you’re renting tables and chairs, or borrowing decor from a friend, make sure you get everything you need at least a day before the party. The last thing you want is for other people to potentially be unreliable and show up late with crucial party items like seating! Not only that, you want to give yourself plenty of time to set up and decorate once you have the items, so definitely not something you want to be doing last minute on the day of.
Have a mini craft station.
This tip is normally reserved for children, but even adults appreciate a good craft station! It gives more introverted guests something to do as an icebreaker and creates a memorable party favor. And of course, it gives kids something productive to channel their energy into.
Have sharpies visible for writing names on cups.
No need to clean up dozens of plastic cups that got wasted because people forgot where they put their drinks. By giving guests a sharpie, they can hold on to their cup and reuse until they throw them away. If you use wine glasses, using cute, individual stem charms will accomplish the same thing.
Always get more ice than you think, and don’t delegate the ice to somebody else!
You can never have too much ice, and you often run out before you think you will, so always get more than you think you’ll need! When guests ask how they can help or what can they bring, never delegate the ice! It never fails- the ice person will show up late! Always handle this job yourself so you have it on hand right when the party starts.
Create a playlist with the tempo you want for the party. As the end time draws nearer, slow down the tempo and increase the lights.
Let the music and the lighting end your party for you so guests can take the subtle hint and start packing when you want them to.
For annual or recurring parties, do all of the planning in a journal or spreadsheet.
If you tend to host the same party every year, like a 4th of July cookout or a birthday party, it’s helpful to do the planning in a journal or excel sheet. That way you can reference previous year’s planning to get your to-do list, addresses for invites, and rental vendors all in one place. You can also jot down notes on lessons learned so that each time you host, the event goes more and more smoothly.
