So, you’ve been charged with the task of planning the big event. Whether the party is a small gathering at home, an extravagant birthday bash, or the most important day of your life (The Wedding Day), the planning process can seem extremely overwhelming at first especially when you don’t know were to start. The good news is that with planning, organization and creativity you can enjoy every step. The best advice I can give any one is: plan ahead. Planning can save you time, trouble, and money! I’ve chosen a few of my best practice tips to help you get organized, make a plan, and get started on a positive note. The other best advice I can give you is take a deep breath, relax, relate and release. Now let’s help you get started.

Style and Personality

First things first, if you are planning your “big day” ask yourself what is your style and what is your partner’s style? If you’re planning your dad’s 50th birthday day, then what is his style? Knowing your style and personality will help your create an image or them for the event. To help you find your style I suggest you check out the latest magazines to get inspiration. Clip out everything that appeals to you and keep it in a binder; a brightly colored room or trees with red and yellow leaves as the seasons change can inspire a color concept. Check out home decorating, fashion and bridal magazines for the latest in color, décor, and party themes. You can also browse online and print out pictures that catch your interest as well. With visual images to refer to, your idea of the perfect wedding will start to become clear.


The Guest List

The infamous guest list is probably the most important, challenging, and sensitive list you will have to create. Take your time. I suggest finding a quiet space where you make a dream list of everyone who you would want to share in the special occasion or be included at your wedding. Then divide that list into the A list and the B list. The A list will consist of those guests you must invite and the B list will consist of those guests you’d love to invite if sky was the limit. Knowing the number of guests you want to have will help determine everything from your budget to your location and put a realistic face on what you can to do and what can’t do. For example, if you decide you want to plan a small celebration, you’d send invitations to a selected few on your “A” list and look for a location that is small and intimate instead of one that is spacious and more costly. If you start by looking for a location without realizing the number of guests you might find a great location that is too small to accommodate your guests. Knowing the number of guests will save you time and energy. You won’t travel to visit location sites that are not suitable for your event.

Location, Location, Location

Like in Real Estate, location for a party is everything! Now that you have an idea of the number of guests the location will need to accommodate visit at least three locations before you set a date for the event. I’ve seen it happen all too often when a client sets a date for the event and the venue is not available. This can create anxiety and frustration. Remember our goal is to have you enjoy the planning process. So don’t limit yourself to one date. Select a few alternatives and begin your search for a location. If you settle on a date and you find a great location where the date is not available you may be very disappointment. Great locations get booked quickly so planning ahead is essential. If your planning your event with your fiancé or a group of friends include them in the process, keep in mind the time of year, the day, the time of day, and the weather before solidifying a date or site.

The Invitation

Invitations set the mood! They are the first thing your guests see that conveys the style of your event. They also of course convey the date, time, and details of your event. More importantly, invitations allow you guests to plan ahead as well. It is very common that guests have busy lives, hectic schedules, and full weekends. A helpful gesture is to send out “save the date” announcements as soon as you possible. Your guests will appreciate knowing that the event is soon to come. This will help you get an idea early in the planning process of those guests that may not be able to attend and you can choose to invite someone you’re your “B” without them even knowing they were on the “B” list, perfect!

It’s been my pleasure to share my basic first steps and best practices. I hope they have helped to get you on your way to an enjoyable planning process and that you will check back with us often to learn other ways to make planning easy, get ideas on invitations, décor, unique party favors, host/hostess gifts, bridal party gifts, and much more. You can also register to receive my quarterly newsletter and sale announcements. My next article will include ideas on wedding and party attire, the menu, the cake, and party favors.

Until then, Cheers!

Cynthia