Top 5 Party Planning Tips 

At Seacoast Events, party planning and execution is our way of life! We enjoy working with customers to plan parties, events, fundraisers and get-togethers for friends, family, coworkers, and classmates. Over the years, we have gotten pretty good at looking at the big picture and knowing how to deliver what our customers want. 

If you’re looking to plan a perfect party for whatever organization you manage, we have a few time-tested tips that will help you host a memorable and fun event. 

Start Planning Early 

Like with many things in life, the devil is in the details and details can take time. Be sure to give your planning committee plenty of time to secure a venue and entertainment, send out invites, and nail down the nitty-gritty details that will make the event spectacular. 

Many clients find it helpful to use a calendar to reverse plan an event, meaning count from the planned event date backward, giving yourself an appropriate amount of weeks and months to complete your checklist. For many organizations, this means reserving a venue a year or more in advance and then creating a schedule based on that date. Give yourself adequate time to create a guest list, acquire decor, schedule entertainment, book a caterer and so on based on your timeline. 

Carefully Choose An Event Date 

If it feels like everyone in this world is busy, it’s because they are. 

That’s why choosing a date based on your group’s needs is critical. If you are planning something for work, know when larger projects are due or when scheduled downtime is so that all members of your team can enjoy the event. If you are planning a school event, take a look at the district’s calendar so as not to interfere with other school events. The same goes for planning an event during the day or night all based on the ages of your attendees. 

Make a Checklist & Enlist Help 

Once you have secured a date, start making a master list of all the tasks that will need to be completed before the event. Those tasks should then be organized into categories such as supplies, catering, entertainment, invites, decor and so on. Try to give each task a deadline for completion so that you can stay organized and on time. 

One of the biggest challenges organizations face is getting enough help so that one or two people are not overwhelmed with taking care of each task. It is best to delegate responsibilities and assign members of your planning committee to each task, asking them for scheduled check-ins to report on progress. 

Stay Within Budget 

While many party organizers are financial wizards, some struggle to follow a budget for the event. Be sure to have someone on your team whose responsibility is to keep track of the budget and cut back where needed. As a part of your initial planning meetings, discuss how much should be spent on each part of your event including food, decor, entertainment and prizes. 

Hire Professional Help 

As event planners, our process has become fine-tuned and well-organized. If your event requires specialty items like event components, it is worth dedicating part of your budget to hiring a professional who can deliver, set up and help manage the entertainment during your event. It will be one less item on your responsibility list on the day of your event. 

Are you planning a future event at your school, work, or for family? Talk to the team at Seacoast Events about our games, sports, interactive entertainment and photo booths that can elevate your party!