Birthdays are a special day that is to be celebrated!

Funny story, growing up I told my dad that I wanted to have a birthday party for my teddy bear; not only did my dad arrange a party for my teddy bear but he went all out with the streamers and balloons.  We even invited my friends and had cake. 

Having planned a few birthday parties of my own, I’ve realized that birthdays are a special day in everyone’s life and should be commemorated. Even if it is your birthday that you are celebrating, you are still celebrating a special moment.

Birthday parties are such a delight, and why wouldn’t they be? I mean there’s cake involved (what calories?). Planning a birthday party especially for someone can seem a bit daunting. It can be confusing not knowing where to start, so before you lose your cool, this blog will help you plan a birthday bash that everyone will remember. 

Here are six things to remember while planning a birthday party.

1. Set a Budget- 3 Months in Advance

Write down exactly what kind of function you want. Do you want to invite a few close friends over and share a pizza and drinks with? Are you thinking of having a private event at a restaurant? Or maybe it’s a milestone birthday and you want to make it an extravagant event.

Knowing what reception you want will help you decide on other factors such as venue, menu, décor, number of guests to invite, event style, and budget.

2. Date, Time and Venue- 2 Months in Advance

I cannot stress this enough! Before you pick out that delicious cake or decide on a mariachi theme birthday, you need to decide on date, time and venue.  You cannot have a party if your guests know don’t when and where to show up. 

The first thing to do is pick a date, preferably the birthdate itself, but if that is not possible then choose a date in the weekend.  You could have your party midweek; it depends on your guest list and how many people would be willing to attend a party during the week.

The next thing is select a time.  Do you want to have the party during the daytime? Is it going to be a soiree? Knowing when the party takes place will help you create an effective party schedule.

Once you have your date and time, next is to choose a venue. Write down every venue you would like to have your party at; it doesn’t matter if its at home or the beach.  Write down every option.  Next consider the pros and cons of each venue.

Having a party at the park per se is great if you are going for something casual and relaxed, but some of the cons may be unpredictable such as: weather, your guests could be allergic to pollen, or you might not find the ideal table. 

When looking for venues, consider the style of the establishment. You want the venue to reflect the style of the party. If your party is intimate, you could consider a private room in a restaurant. If it’s more fun and relaxed then you could reserve a room at a karaoke bar.

If the party is taking place at home that’s a great choice as well and you can skip this part and move on to the next section.

You have set the date and time and have decided on a venue, the next thing is to pick a theme.

3. Pick a Theme or Color Scheme- 1 Month in Advance

Choosing a theme for your party will help in selecting the décor easier.  It will also help bring the party together.  If you can’t decide on a theme; pick three colors as your color scheme, you want one of the colors to be the focal point.  For example, if you do green, yellow and orange then either make green or orange the main color and the other two will accentuate it. This will also help in picking out the table clothes for the the venue.

4. Create a Guest List- 1 Month in Advance

With your venue chosen and your date and time selected, it’s time to work on the guest list.  Write down everyone you want there for your special day. If you are planning the birthday for someone else, ask them who they would like at their party. 

5. Send out the Invitation- 3 Weeks in Advance

Once you have finalized your guest list, you will start to invite them.  Now, if it’s just a casual get together then a text or even an Evite will suffice.

If it’s a formal event, then it’s only proper that you mail out the invitations. In order to do so, call the people on your guest list and extend the invitation; if they accept it then ask for their mailing address.

6. Your Choice of Entertainment- 2 Weeks in Advance

Decide what kind of entertainment you want to provide your guests. Before you book someone such as a singer, a band or even a DJ, preview their work. You want something that you and your guests can enjoy together. Even if it is your birthday, remember your guests are there to celebrate with you, so it’s important that they too have a good time.

7.  Menu Selection- 1 week in Advance

The possibilities are endless with this one.  Do you want to serve cocktail style food? Do you want your guests to enjoy a nice sit-down style meal.  Perhaps, you want to treat them to a live burger and hotdog stand. If you want your menu to reflect your theme, you could do that as well. 

Next, decide if you are going to make it yourself or are you going to cater it.  Most venues do have in house catering so do consider them when selecting your venue.

If you are having the function at home and are considering catering, then most local grocery stores and restaurants cater for parties.  This is also when you will order your custom cake.  If you are going to get a generic store-bought cake, then you can do but it 3 days prior, just make sure you have plenty of space in the fridge.

8. Decorate- 2 Days in Advance

The day before the party, you want to finalize your seating arrangements and have your decorations put up.  If you are having it at a venue, then this is something the staff will take care of the day of the party.

This will also be the time you start to prep the food for your party; you want the main course and dessert made at least 2 days prior to the event.  You could make the appetizers 1 day before or even the day of the party.

If you are having catering or the food is being provided by the venue, then you don’t need to worry about it since the vendors will take care of it.

It’s the day of the party! Decorations are up and the dessert table looks Instagram worthy. The only left is the most important step: have fun!

Tell me about a birthday that was special to you. 

If you want to plan a milestone birthday and need help, how can I help you?

I hope this blog help you plan a birthday party effortlessly.

Until next time!