Taking the stress out of party planning

**Collaborative post**

Every season seems to be party season, be it Christmas parties, Birthday parties or even Wedding and Anniversary parties – we all love to celebrate in some way or another – let’s just gloss over the whole pandemic hindering our best-made plans for what seems like forever and remember what normality looked like. Gosh, I do miss those days, and hope we can return to the normal world we all remember and miss so much!

While we all love a good old party the organising and planning can become a tad stressful at times for many of us.  I personally like the planning part far more than the organising and getting ready on the day and I hate the tidying up so much – I try to enjoy the day but it can be very stressful for those organising the event.

Here are a few tips to help remove part of that stress:

Make a list

Write down as much as you can in bullet points so it is easy to read.  You can then break down your list into sections of what needs to be sorted out/booked straight away and what you can leave for another day.

Don’t forget to tick them off once you have completed them – it is SO satisfying to see a list get shorter before your eyes.

Things to include:

• Do you want the party on a set date or are you a little flexible?
• Venue: you can either have your party at home or hire a hall.  For Birthday parties, Anniversaries, etc. you’ll probably be keeping it local but for Weddings and Christmas parties you will be looking at venues further afield.  You may have an idea of where you want or you could visit wedding fayres, local area websites/Facebook sites for your local area as you may find some scout huts/sports halls that are cheap to hire. However, if you have a backyard, you have the perfect space for hosting your next event. However, if you have a backyard, you have the perfect space for hosting your next event. Proper preparation, such as applying quality rubber sealant to any outdoor fixtures, can ensure your space remains weatherproof during the celebration. Not only will you save money on venue rental fees, but you’ll also have the ability to customize the space to suit your needs. For example, you can create a unique party atmosphere by setting up some special decorations and lights. If you want to create a truly special party atmosphere, you can blow up unique inflatables and set them up around the venue. They can be customised in all sorts of shapes and sizes, from giant blow-up animals to dragons and castle towers. By setting up a few inflatables, you can transform any space into an exciting and festive environment. And best of all, your guests will be sure to remember your event for years to come. So next time you’re planning an event, don’t forget to consider your backyard as a possible option.
• Numbers – You’ll want to have a rough idea of the numbers a venue can hold and then look at who is on your list, you probably won’t want the whole class of 30 children in your house for a party or 200+ wedding guests unless you live in a mansion and have a huge garden, and then still would you really want that amount of people there? (I wouldn’t – 10 children in my house for a party is my absolute maximum and even that amount is rather stressful!)
• Theme/dress code – Generally for Birthdays etc.  Is there a dressing-up theme? a character theme etc? Some ideas could include Prince & Princesses, Super Heroes, 70’s 80’s etc. You may also want to grab yourself a new outfit for that special occasion, even if the party isn’t for yourself you’ll be in many of the photos and a new outfit always helps to make you feel elegant and special – be that your child’s party or a special party for yourself who really needs an excuse for a new dress?
  If it is a special new years party you may want to look at getting yourself a new party/cocktail dress.
  Your 30th/40th/50th birthday party etc – a dress to make sure you are the centre of attention and stand out from the crowd.
  I know personally that even when I’ve thrown parties for the kids, I always look at getting a new outfit for myself when I buy the kids new clothes as photos taken on that special day are usually framed or used as thank you cards to be sent out. Searching dresses for women always brings up some wonderful and affordable choices which can be worn over again for many different occasions.
• Entertainment – This could be tied into the party theme: Frozen parties could have Elsa & Anna visiting the party, or it could be a disco, magician, bouncy castle or if you are anything like me and want to go for the completely different you could have live animals at your party – we had skunks, owls, ferrets and much more at Harry’s 1st Birthday/Christening
• Food
• Hire an Event Planner: If it’s not possible for you to manage all of the above yourself, it’s always a good idea to seek help from professional party planning services who can take care of the details for you.

Once you know how many people are coming you can elaborate on this list