Party Planning 101

Hello there everybody! Today, I am here to talk party planning. For those of you who have ever had a party (probably most of you, right?), you know that planning a party can be somewhat stressful if you don't have a clear process of what to do in preparation for the party. Luckily, I have done it so many times, that now I can throw a party together pretty easily. Here, I have highlighted the 5 important parts of party planning and how to approach each of them. Let's go!

1. Theme/Occasion.  The first thing to consider about a party is the occasion for which it is being thrown, and then determining whether or not there should be a theme. If the party you want to throw is a Halloween party, then it already has a built-in theme. But if the party is a bit more random, like a birthday party or a just-for-fun party, you might consider adding in a theme to spice things up. For example, my friend's birthday party is coming up, and it is hippie themed, so all the guests have to dress up like hippies (hence the picture). Your theme can extend to all other aspects of the party, including your food, decorations, and activities. Some of my friends had a Hunger Games themed party before the movie came out, where they all dressed as characters from the book, played games related to the book, and even prepared food similar to what was described in the book! Now that is a theme!

2. Activities. Now that you have your theme out of the way, what are you going to do at your party? You could do crafty little projects, like making god's-eyes like the one above. You could also spend your party at the beach or at a park. Or you could play games and do other things which relate to your theme. Just choose things that are fun and simple, and your guests will enjoy themselves. 

3. Guest List. One of the keys to a great party is inviting great people. So invite all your great friends who are fun to hang out with! It is also sometimes more interesting if you invite a few people from different groups, so that the guests are all grouped together with other people that they don't get to hang out with as often. However, the familiarity of a close-friends-only party is not to be overlooked! It's your choice :)

4. Food. When it comes to food at your party, it's great to provide a few options. Foods I like to include at my party are fresh fruit trays, different kinds of pizza, and many dessert options. Personally, I enjoy baking new recipes for parties, but you can never go wrong with bakery goods either. Your foods should suit the occasion or formality of your party, and they can also be linked to your theme, if there are certain types of food associated with it. You can even have a dessert party, where everyone brings one kind of dessert and all the guests get to taste every dish. Yum!

5. Decorations and Party Favors. Decorations are a great way to set off the mood of the party and make the area look more festive. You can use simple inexpensive things like balloons and streamers and flowers for a general fun look, or you can spend more time on this aspect of the party and really make something cool. My sister once had a Spiderwick-themed birthday party, so we decked out our front room with old candles and books and magnifying glasses and other things to make it look like Arthur Spiderwick's workshop. Relating your decorations back to your theme is always a fun way to go. At the end of the party, you can hand out little goodie bags of party favors that relate to your theme also, or you can just give out random little prizes. 

Now that you know all the ways of party planning, doesn't it make you want to have a party?

Let's celebrate!