So, you’ve decided to plan a party at home! Whatever you do, don’t let it become a source of stress and strain. After all, parties are not only supposed to be fun for the guests! If you have decided to plan a party at home a few well-timed tips from the experts will help you to avoid party planning insanity and turn your home entertaining into a roaring success.
Party planning basics like estimating food portions and amounts and choosing beverages as well as sticking to a budget will all be covered here to smooth your frazzled nerves and turn you into a party throwing Diva!
* The Party Budget
Probably the aspect of a party plan that is likely to get you the most stressed. Going overboard on your party budget won’t necessarily mean your party will be a treat. Some parties just don’t need champagne and caviar and let’s face it, after the big evening it would be nice to be able to eat for the rest of the month!
A good rule of thumb when you plan a party at home is to know what kind of budget is appropriate for your event, and what kind of event is appropriate for your budget.
If you are a newbie to party planning you may have no idea where to start, but don’t worry the experts have it all figured out for you. Start by deciding how much you can comfortably spend then subtract 15% for a cost overrun buffer.
The result is your party budget. If you use this figure as a guide you will be protected against inevitable slip-ups like forgetting to add taxes, tips and emergency items. Your buffer will protect you and set your mind at ease.
* Planning Time for Your Party
Decide how much time you have available to spend on your party. Remember when you plan a party at home it’s like having a second job. You will still have to do all your regular chores like housework and cooking meals so you need to be realistic about the time you can spend on party planning.
If you need help ask for it or pay for it, but get it – especially if you need to be very available for your guests for example if the function is to entertain a new client or business account. Be practical about the length of time tasks are likely to take for example, pre-party house cleaning or meal preparation and shopping for party materials.
If you plan a party at home, be prepared for emergencies and add a VERY BIG time buffer into your calculations. This way if anything goes wrong you will be able to deal with it and still have time to spare.
* How Many? How Much?
Make a decision as to how many people will be attending your party. Remember that each guest you invite usually ends up as a group of guests as you realize you can’t invite Brad without inviting his roommate Mike too etc, etc.!
Write up a guest list, especially if the party is being catered or your menu is complicated. The number of guests you invite when you plan a party at home has a great influence on your budget so be as realistic and accurate as possible without over-inflating it completely.
If you decide to hire a caterer to provide food, make sure you protect yourself against getting ripped off! Get out the yellow pages and call several caterers, restaurants, supermarkets and rentals companies. Request a range of menus, price sheets, and lists of services/inventory. Do the same for beverages and bar service.
Once you have them all, compare similar services and items and see which one offers the best value for money. It’s probably cheaper to serve wine and beer than cocktails and make sure, too, that there are drinks available for those who prefer non-alcoholic beverages.
On average your guests eat about 8 hors d’oeuvres per person, per hour of a cocktail party. Don’t let this figure fool you. If twenty people arrive at 6 and dinner is at 8 that is ‘er’….320 snacks! Your platter presentations should be included in that number when you estimate how much food to provide. Cheese and vegetable trays are a good choice and if friends want to help you plan a party at home by bringing one along, say yes please!
Hors d’oeuvres bought in-store are pricier than homemade ones, but you may not have the time to do all that labor so make a choice between time and money saving.
If you will be serving a dinner dish in addition to cocktails, work on a minimum of 8 ounces of protein, 4 ounces of starch and 3 ounces of vegetable per person. Ensure there are extras for people who want a second helping. It’s not a good idea to provide more hors d’oeuvres after the main meal has been served.
* Setting the Scene for the Party
When you plan a party at home consider how party-friendly your home is. Do you need more tables, chairs, glasses, platters, linens or ashtrays? Think about borrowing or hiring items like wine coolers, rubbish bins, trays or plates and think about the safety of the food from pets and children both of whom just love to sample the snacks from a little below hip level!
Consider the little things like scented candles in the bathroom and toilet paper stocks. Remove any medications from your cabinet and protect your computer by switching it off. Think about crafting a ‘guest kit’ for the bathroom.
This could contain feminine hygiene products, aspirin, ibuprofen, antacid, hair spray, lipstick, perfume, breath mints, saline solution, clear nail polish and any other useful items.
Make a similar one for the kitchen containing club soda and salt for spills on your carpet, a fire extinguisher, the phone number for the local cab company, Alka- Seltzer for tomorrow morning and other essentials!
* Relax and enjoy your party!
Yes, you wanted to plan a party at home and guess what? You did! Now put all the preparation out of your mind and get down and boogie with your guests. The mistake many people make is to act like the perfect host and perfect ‘mother’ at their functions. Stop it! When you plan a party at home you are inviting people to have a good time and they won’t if you are crazy with stress! Let your hair down! You’ve earned it!