“
I don’t know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve.”
This is a favorite, funny quote I enjoy from the first book of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Fellowship of the Ring. It reminds me that, while party planning is enjoyable, the purpose of parties is NOT to showcase how much time we spend on Pinterest, how crafty we can be, or the amount of sweets we can fill up on. It’s about TIME spent with others and getting to know them. Let’s not make the same mistake as Bilbo and get to know the people around us. (Except for the Sackville-Bagginses of course. Read the books, lol.)
So, in an effort to get to know others, here is a simple guide to make party planning simple.
I’m an outline, bullet points and lists kind of person, so this type of system works best for me.
PARTY PLANNING GUIDE
Event
Date & Time
Venue/Location
Theme
Schedule
Assistants
Guests
Menu
Desserts
Games
Specials/Extra
Shopping List
Prep Schedule
Thank You Credits
I like writing down my ideas on paper first, something about the ease of brainstorming and scribbling it out before I finalize plans. It’s also simpler to navigate Pinterest without changes pages or applications on my computer or iPad, lol.
Here’s an example of my party planning in progress:
Event: Solo Baby Shower
Date & Time: 3/15 @ 6:30pm
Venue/Location: Henry home
*The main information needed, especially for invitations, regardless if it’s a printed formal invite or just an announced event. This is easy to find and share if any guests need a reminder or ask about it again (because we all forget things every now and then).
Theme: Hedgehog, Woodland Animals
*Having a theme, color, etc, helps narrow down ideas on Pinterest and keeps events fresh and different. I’ve had to plan LOTS of baby showers, especially for boys, so this makes it unique and personal, especially for the family.
Schedule: 6:30-9pm; 6:45 - Dinner; 7:30 - gifts and diaper raffle; 8:30 - Clean up
*Know your guest list! Punctuality is a gift (one that I have always struggled with) and few excel. So,
I always, always, always plan a 15-30 minute window before beginning any type of activity. By doing this, you ensure that most people have arrived and guests can allow themselves to get comfortable. (Want to know a secret? For my wedding, the invitation stated the ceremony began at 12:30, when we really planned for it to begin at 1.) Also, any event with kids gives times for bathroom breaks, snacks, dropping them off at nursery/babysitter, etc. Parents will thank you!
Assistants: Gina - Salad
*Don’t forget to list your assistants! Delegating jobs relieves your stress and allows others to be involved and show their love for the guest of honor, etc. Allow others to help you, no one can do everything alone! This list provides an easy way to share the load and not getting bogged down by too much to do. Also, as a side note, although it doesn’t happen very often, but sometimes people forget what they committed to doing or bringing. Listing it here can help you send out friendly reminders, or just get help with something that isn’t critical if missed. The key is to share the workload with as little stress as possible.
Guests: church ladies, about 10-15, no rsvp
*This part can be tricky, depending on the event. Most of mine are open invitations to the church. Sometimes they are specific to “ladies only” or “family event”or “adults only”. Many times I don’t know who will come and what they’ll bring, if it’s a potluck, but usually it’s worked out for the best. Only once did I have a baby shower where less than 8 ladies showed up, and there was barely any food. I had to raid the church fridge for something to serve (frozen taquitos, lol) and find out that most guests were gluten-free. I was stuck with a full size cake that only 2-3 of us could eat.
Menu: Baked Potato Bar (potatoes, Butter, cheese, sour cream, bacon bits, feta, cream cheese, chives, olives, pepperoni, etc.)
*Raise your hand if you’ve ever prepared a dish for an event but you forgot it in the oven/microwave/fridge? I’m raising both hands. This list can help you make sure you plan for every meal need. Don’t forget to include any dietary restrictions.
Desserts: Hedgehog cake, hedgehog chocolate loaf, hedgehog cream puffs
*I always separate dessert from the rest of the meal because its the best part!
Games: Diaper Unwrap Raffle
*Ive been phasing out games for most baby showers, since the ladies’ groups enjoy sitting and talking more. I’m including one game for this event because it was requested. (This is a game I made up: Everyone who brings a box of diapers or wipes, gets a wrapped diaper. They get to open it to find a prize: nail polish, jewelry, candy, etc.)
Specials/Extra: Devotional led by Monica
*With church events, we always include a devotional. Other special events can include party favors, picture slideshow, craft, etc.
Shopping List: White cake, sour cream, dark chocolate, chopped nuts, dark sprinkles, white chocolate, pudding, heavy whipping cream, wafers, sultanas, coconut shavings, diaper prizes
*This makes it much easier at the store. Also, don’t spend on useless items that you don’t need or may already have.
Prep Schedule: Shop Tuesday, Make cake & loaf on Wednesday, Clean house & set up Thursday
*Planning and preparing ahead make the day of and event less stressful!
Thank You Credits: Monica, Gina, thank you list for gifts
*An important, and often overlooked aspect of party planning is officially thanking everyone who made the event possible. People are more willing to help if they feel appreciated and that their contribution is worthwhile.
I hope you find this Party Planning Guide helpful! What parties are you going to plan now?
