Here's a great checklist taken from the website tagvenue to help you plan a boise birthday party or event at our St James event space.
Table of Contents
Ultimate Party Planning Checklist
A month before, or even more:
Select a date and time
Decide on a theme
Plan your guestlist
Determine your budget
Hire a venue or host it yourself
Book entertainment and extras
Organise home cooking or hire a caterer
Invite your guests
Line up some help
Three weeks before
Plan the details
Devise a programme
Place your orders
Create a seating plan, if needed
A week before
Follow up
Finish DIY projects
Make a party playlist
Confirm all deliveries and pickups
Speak to the neighbours
The day before
Pick up rentals and flowers
Shop for last-minute items
Charge your camera
Check your party program and checklist to tie up any loose ends
On the day
Start the party before the real party gets started
Decorate
Queue up your music
Welcome your guests!
Connect different people in the same room
Relax and enjoy
After the party:
Thank yous
Cleanup
Check your camera
Bonus tips and tricks
Write your own checklist
Make sure the bar is well stocked and there’s plenty of ice
Hire a venue with a built-in activity
Hiring a venue? How about making a venue hire checklist too?
Party Planning Checklist A month before, or even more: Select a date and time Keep a date in mind, but don’t narrow yourself down to just one day. Be flexible and check whether the most important guests are available for your chosen date. If you have a favorite place where you want to organize your event, it’s also good to check with the venue beforehand to see if they are available for hire on your selected day. Decide on a theme Decide what type of party you’d like to host and book/decorate your venue accordingly. Plan your guest list Begin deciding whom you would like to invite, bearing in mind that the expected turnout is usually around the 70-80% mark. Determine your budget Be realistic and concentrate on where you’d like to splurge and save. Hire a venue or host it yourself Choose whether you’d like to host your party at a specific venue or at home. Bear in mind the number of guests you plan to invite and the activities you will organize. Hosting at home can save you a lot of money, but hiring a venue can also make your life easier and alleviate the pressure. Book entertainment and extras DJs, bands and photo booths are all popular options – just be sure to let the venue manager know what you’re planning in advance. Organize home cooking or hire a caterer Consider everyone’s needs. Do your guests have allergies or special dietary requirements? If you’re taking charge of the cooking, devise a menu that’s easy to prepare and will also accommodate all your guests. If you’re using external caterers, be sure to let them know all the important details before they begin proposing a menu. Invite your guests Your invitations should include the date and time, dress code, and party theme. In addition to paper invitations, you could also create a special event page on social media, such as Facebook. This will inspire your guests even more and help create a buzz around your party, while hopefully maximizing your turnout. Line up some help If you’ve hired a venue, find out who your go-to staff at the venue will be. If you’re organizing from home, try and enlist a few friends to lend a hand on the day. Three weeks before Plan the details Research Pinterest, blogs and magazines for decoration and party ideas that tie in with your theme. Devise a programme Try and come up with a rough schedule for your party. As well as checking if you have enough activities for your event, it will also give you a general outline on how the party should progress. Place your orders Having placed your big orders, now’s the time to focus on the little things. A cake, DIY decorations, and party favours are all popular at parties. Create a seating plan, if needed This is well worth considering if you’re having more than 50 guests. Be sure to seat people evenly between those they know and those they don’t know, to try and encourage mixing. A week before Follow up Call or email guests who have not yet responded to your invitation. Finish DIY projects Making your own decorations or finalizing your party plan? Inviting your helper friends over can make for a fun pre-party! Make a party playlist Music will set the tone for the rest of your party. Aim to get the floor filled early, but don’t waste all your biggest tracks at the beginning! Build the atmosphere while keeping things upbeat. Confirm all deliveries and pickups Check that you have ordered everything you need and that it will arrive before the big day. Speak to the neighbors If you’re hosting a party at home, check-in with the neighbors to let them know there will be a party taking place. Communicate with them to see if they have any specific boundaries or desires, or allow them to make plans to go out themselves. Of course, you can always invite them to the party as well! The day before Pick up rentals and flowers Collect your orders and make sure all is ready for the big day. Shop for last-minute items Forgotten something, or realized you need some extra items at the last moment? Now’s your chance to buy them! Charge your camera Imagine not being able to capture the best moments of your party! Fully charging your camera the day before will make sure this won’t happen. Check your party program and checklist to tie up any loose ends Party planning is a long process and some things can naturally be missed along the way. Double-check your list and complete any small tasks that might be left over. On the day Start the party before the real party gets started If you’re in touch with your guests on social media, it might be nice to message them on the morning of the party with some last-minute hints, e.g. weather updates. Also, remind them about the details of your party and try and create some excitement by giving some teasers and encouraging them to bring their best attitude. Decorate It’s time to let your inner interior designer go wild! Place flower arrangements and set up the lighting, tables, serving areas and dance floor. Remember not to inflate balloons until 1–2 hours before your event! Queue up your music Double-check that your playlist is queued and conduct sound checks to avoid any awkward early silences. Welcome your guests! Remember you’re here to party as well! Welcome your guests with a smile and enthusiasm to set the tone for the rest of the night. Connect different people in the same room Try and connect guests that haven’t met before by introducing them through interests they have in common. If you do this early on it will create a relaxed atmosphere where everyone feels like they know everyone else. Relax and enjoy So long as you’re organized before, there shouldn’t be many issues that arise during the party, so try to relax and enjoy it yourself. If your guests see that you’re overwhelmed, this can rub off on them and dull the atmosphere. If you can afford it, it’s always possible to leave it to the professionals and hire a party promoter as well. Just remember that your main priority is for you and your guests to be happy and enjoy the night! After the party Thank yous Be sure to thank your venue, helpers and guests. If you want to use thank you notes, order them at the same time as your invites to save on shipping costs. Cleanup Either with a hired crew or with your team of helpers, make sure all the equipment and decorations are taken down and you leave the venue as you found it. Check your camera Go through any photos and videos you took during the party and send them to your guests as a memory. Bonus tips and tricks Write your own checklist Each party is different. Use this checklist as a guide and include any extras you may need to consider for your own party. Make sure the bar is well stocked and there’s plenty of ice Expect each guest to have about 1–2 drinks in the first hour, and 1 for each hour after that. This drinks calculator can give you a clearer idea on the amount of booze you should have per guest. Check your venue for alcohol policies.
Hiring a venue? How about making a venue hire checklist too?
We’ve already touched on the fact that you may be hiring a venue that could operate with more rules than if you were hosting it yourself. In this case, it’s a good idea to come up with a checklist of things to verify with your venue before you go ahead with your event. Here are a few initial ideas:
Ensure you have the venue manager’s contact information in case of any emergencies. Check what time you and your helpers can arrive to begin setting things up for the party. If you have any deliveries to wait on, check where they’ll be delivered to. Double-check what time you have to be out of the venue and when you should hand the keys back. Some places may let you leave things at the venue and pick them up the next day, so it’s important to check. Verify for how long alcohol and drinks can be served and when music should be stopped. Check with the venue manager about where the garbage should be disposed of and whether or not the venue recycles.
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