Planning a kids birthday party is tricky enough, but when it comes to an adults it's a bit of a minefield. If you're arranging something for a friend or family member you'll want it to be special and 'grown up'—you might want it to be elegant while still being fun and avoiding any tackiness. It can be a hard balance to strike! If you've never planned a party like this before you might not even know where to start, read on for some ideas that might help.
Start With Who's Coming
Before booking anything, it helps to know roughly how many people you want to invite. A cosy dinner for ten is a completely different event to a room full of fifty guests, so the list will shape almost every decision afterwards. Think about the kind of evening the birthday person would actually enjoy. Some people love being the centre of attention, others would rather have a smaller group they can really talk to. If you're not sure, it's worth asking them, or someone close to them, before sending invites.
Plan the Budget Before You Fall in Love with Extras
Once you know who's coming you can figure out your budget. It's so easy to get carried away so know how much you want to spend. If you're funding the party yourself then work out what you can realistically afford. If others are chipping in then figure out what their contributions will be before you book anything.
Pick a Venue That Works for You, Not the Other Way Around
It's tempting to book somewhere flashy and then try to fit the party around it, but it's much easier to start with what you actually need. Is it somewhere people can get to easily without worrying about parking for half an hour? Will there be enough space to move around without having to squeeze past strangers? For smaller gatherings, someone's home or garden can be ideal, especially if you want to keep costs down and avoid rigid timings. For bigger groups, look at different types of venue space like local halls, function rooms or even restaurants with private spaces, many of them will let you decorate and bring in your own cake without extra fees if you ask.
Theme or Not?
You might want to avoid a 'theme' in case it comes across as tacky or childish, but having a loose theme for the evening can be useful. Even something as loose as a couple of colours as your theme 'pink and gold theme', or something like 'vintage tea party theme' can help you to plan the food, decorations and just the overall vibe of things.
Vendors or DIY?
This depends on the scale of the party and your budget, but you'll want to think about who will be doing what. When it comes to the food, will you hire caterers or do it yourself? A good middle ground is go potluck style, if everyone brings something then it's plenty of food without much work or expense on one family. Will you do the decorations or hire someone? How about the music? You might hire one or two vendors then do the rest yourself based on your budget and skills.
Think About How the Night Will Actually Run
Even if you're not planning a strict party schedule, it helps to know when certain things will happen. If there's food, aim to have it ready before everyone's too far into the drinks. If there's a cake, work out when you'll bring it out so it doesn't get forgotten. Music makes a huge difference too, a playlist that builds up slowly at the start and gets livelier later on will keep the energy going without anyone noticing why.
MORE ON THE FLASH LIST
