Wednesday, May 22, 2013

How to plan an event in 11 easy steps

1. Make a budget!
Find out how much you can spend on the event. Create a spreadsheet to track and manage the money to prevent going over budget. Microsoft Excel would be a great program to use.

2. Create a guest list!
How many people can you feed? Your budget will determine how many people you can invite. Invite people from your friends, family, people you like to get to know like your neighbors and old friends you will like to catch up with.

3. Figure out a theme!
This will help the process along. Once you figure this out the buying process will be a breeze.

4. Find a location!
Think about your budget. How much are you willing to spend on a location? One of the cheapest places to have it is your own place. Take notice of how many people can fit inside your home. This may cause for you to readjust your guest list.

5. Put together a menu!
What is your theme? Do some research on different types of food that best fits your theme. Test cook new food before serving it to guests.

6. Organize a check list!
Make a T-chart[Draw a line in the middle of the paper going up and down] and write down on one side what you "want" and the other side what you "need". Determine the prices for every item and the location of where to buy it at. Once you have everything on your "need" list and have money left over then you may add on the things you "want".

7. Invitations!
You can make them online at vistaprint.com, have a friend that does graphic design to make the invites, buy invites in the store and fill out the information by hand, or even home-made invitations. Send these out about 2-4 weeks in advance to give everyone enough time to prepare.

8. Plan Activities!
What is it that you like to do? Think of games that will "break the ice" for your guests who are not familiar with others at the party. It wouldn't hurt to find games that will go along with your theme.

9. Create a play list!
Music is a great filler for the dead moments in the party. Have the top "Today Hits" so that your guests will recognize a few songs. This will make your guests feel a little more comfortable especially in a place they may never been before.

10. The Big Day!
Go over the checklist to ensure that you have everything 1-2 nights before. Recheck the list the day of and make sure you give yourself plenty of time before the party to set up. Sometimes it's best to setup the night before if possible.

11. Have fun! 
Do not stress over what may go wrong, you have everything under control as long as you have everything ready. Things tend to go wrong at times so stay calm and remember to have fun!


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