My “Favorite Things” Party was all inspired by a Navy and Orange bag I saw in a catalogue a couple of months ago.
Pick a date that will work best for your family and guests. Be very thoughtful around school events, community happenings, and sport programs in your area. Talk to friends to make sure you’re not forgetting about anything important. The biggest party planning mistake is scheduling your party on a very busy night for your friends. I find Thursday nights are the best for girlfriends and Saturday night for a couples or family party.
Pick your guest list. It may be a small dinner party, a larger girls night, or family BBQ. Make sure that each family or guest knows at least 1-2 other guests. I often bring many different groups of friends together and as long as they know a couple of other people it will all run smoothly. Everyone DOES NOT need to know each other. I love bringing different sets of friends together. ** As nice as it would be, you can’t invite everyone. Period. If you stress and worry about this you will never entertain, plan activities, and it will only hold you back from inviting friends in your home.
Find inspiration pictures around color and/or theme of your party. Decide at least one month out on this. The more time you have to think about your theme/colors/type of party the more fun details you will come up with. Parties are all about the DETAILS! If you’re doing everything last minute you will have no time for the fun details that make any party extra special and have that “Wow” factor. Check Pinterest, Etsy, magazines, Amazon, and blogs for ideas. The more time you spend thinking and researching party ideas and decor it will help spark your own creative juices.
When I plan a party I think about the details and get online quite a bit (not just one night for a couple of hours but every couple of days when I have spare time over weeks). Once you have your general theme you can start thinking about your menu. (YES, one month before the party! By the way, by now I have already started buying decor, party favors, napkins or anything that I see that goes with the party. Don’t wait until LATER)
