I was thinking recently about what are the top things everyone should remember to do to help make their event or party a true success. Are there absolutes that you must do for every party to have ensure that it is everything you want it to be? It’s a tough one, because every party or event has different requirements or elements, but, I think there are actually 5 easy things that you should remember to do for every party, no matter what the size, to ensure you stay on track and have a fabulous event.

Awhile ago I did a post on the 10 Must Do things, and the 7 things to avoid when doing a party or event and you can definitely read both of those to get much more in depth advice, but, here’s the nitty-gritty, top-line things that you must always do to have a great party.

Okay:

#1: HAVE A PLAN AND WRITE IT DOWN

This may sound simple but it’s something that we rarely do.  We have the plan of the party in our heads, we know what we need to do, and we just get it done.  But, without fail, there is something that we forget and so we usually find ourselves scrambling to bring everything together. Listen, I know you’ve been there, because I’ve been there.  I (maybe), was  a little arrogant sometimes thinking that I didn’t need to write everything down, I mean, come on, this is what I do!  But, invariably I forget some element or aspect and I’m totally running around when I should be relaxed.  So, take some time and plan things, write it down, whether in a to do list or a larger, what I call, critical path, and follow it.  It will make things run so much smoother for you.

#2: KNOW YOUR BUDGET

Again, obvious right? But it is a critical element that we honestly don’t give enough time to.  And it doesn’t matter the size of the event, budgets aren’t just for the “wedding” planning, it is for every event.  So for everything like, birthdays, showers, anniversaries, have a budget and be diligent about following it or checking in to make sure you are on track.

#3: ALLOCATE YOUR TIME

This is where the plan comes in handy!  With our every increasingly busy lives, it is so important to dedicate some specific time to handle your event details.  Set aside time to do invites, or to purchase any accessories.  I don’t mean a huge chunk of time to plan and do all the details, but be aware of how much time you may need to get each element done and be realistic of all your other commitments in your life.  Address things in blocks of time so that those event details don’t get pushed back and pushed back until nothing has happened and your event is happening like, right now!

#4: BEWARE OF TOO MANY IDEAS

Try to stay focussed, and don’t get wrapped up in doing or having too many elements.  I am guilty of doing this sometimes because I’m constantly thinking about things and new ideas come in and I’m like “ that would be awesome to do” or “this is so cool, I want to incorporate”.  You know, sometimes that works, but generally, staying with your original plan will help you stay focussed and not add any unnecessary stress.

#5: REMIND YOURSELF WHY YOU ARE DOING THIS PARTY

You know what I’m talking about.  Things get hectic and you’ve got to do this, and this, and this, and you think to yourself “why am I putting myself through this”, “why am I doing this?” and that’s totally natural.  But, those thoughts come in when we start feeling out of control and we lose sight of why we actually are doing this party of event.  It’s probably to celebrate something, you likely want people to have a good time and most likely in the beginning you were totally psyched about doing it.  Reminding yourself that it’s supposed to be fun will help to flip your mind-set back to positive.  But, if you are consistently following the previous steps, you’ll feel in control and will enjoy all of the planning.

These are the basic elements to remember for any event, large or small.  If you have a good handle on them, then you’ll have a blast with all the fun stuff like planning the theme, tweaking your menu or selecting some cool music.

Remember, doing a party or event is, most of the time, supposed to be fun. Have fun, try to relax and enjoy.

photo source: the pretty blog

We’ll see you again soon