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How To Plan An Event
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Published: September 27, 2006
Stressed out because you are hosting a surprise birthday party for a friend and you have no idea where to begin? Or maybe you are putting in overtime at the office while going to school and raising a family, and your boss (the one person you can't say no to) asks you to help plan the annual office Christmas party.
If you want to get through these stressful times with as few headaches and worry-free nights as possible, it's important to know how to plan an event that is sure to be a huge success.
The first step of how to plan an event is planning ahead. Whether your party is 12 months away or next month, it is important to begin planning for the event as soon as possible. By doing so, you’ll have more options in terms of location and types of food and can avoid the headache of making last-minute decisions.
Next, to save money while planning an event, be sure to create a budget to cover all expenses. Save your money and budget your funds based around necessary expenses like food, decorations and entertainment. You don't want to end up penniless after all is said and done.
Perhaps the most helpful way to organize and plan your special event is to create a checklist. Serving as a step-by-step guide, a checklist can help you discover how to plan an event in an orderly fashion by dividing everything into organized categories. Below are just some of the items that could be included on your checklist:
Invitations
Once you have decided on a date, time and location for your special event, invitations should be sent to those whom you would like to attend. Whether you decide to buy them at a stationary store, or create them yourself, invitations are the stepping stone to planning your special event. Be sure to include an R.S.V.P. with a phone number or address at the bottom of each invitation to ensure a proper head count. Remember, the sooner you get the invitations in the mail, the sooner everyone has to respond.
Decorations
Decorations should revolve around the theme of the event. For example, if you are hosting a graduation party, decorations could match the colors of the graduate's school colors, and may include: streamers, balloons, tablecloths, and candles. Other themes include 70’s night or a luau.
Beverages
What will you provide your guests to drink? Is this going to be an alcohol-free event, or will you be serving alcohol to those 21 years of age and older? If you do not plan on serving alcoholic beverages, but do not mind if your guests would like to bring their own, be sure to include such information on the invitations (listed as BYOB). Also, because there are sure to be an array of tastes at your event, be sure to have a variety of beverages available to guests including water, juices and different types of sodas.
Not only can these few suggestions help you learn how to plan an event without the headaches that many party-planners endure, but they can help make your event an enjoyable experience, as well!
Meskauskas, Debra. Planning Special Events: Blueprint for Success. Friends & Foundations of California Libraries. 11 Sept 2006. http://www.librarysupport.net/librarylovers/eventt ips.html
Partydirectory.com. Party Supplies and Decorations Checklist. Copyright 1999-2000. Dave Maskin Entertainment. 11 Sept 2006. www.partydirectory.com/guide/partylnk.htm
TheGreatEvent.com. Event Planning Checklist. Billhobson.com. 1999. 11 Sept 2006. http://www.thegreatevent.com/content/ap.asp?id=4
Related Articles
The first step of how to plan an event is planning ahead. Whether your party is 12 months away or next month, it is important to begin planning for the event as soon as possible. By doing so, you’ll have more options in terms of location and types of food and can avoid the headache of making last-minute decisions.
Next, to save money while planning an event, be sure to create a budget to cover all expenses. Save your money and budget your funds based around necessary expenses like food, decorations and entertainment. You don't want to end up penniless after all is said and done.
Perhaps the most helpful way to organize and plan your special event is to create a checklist. Serving as a step-by-step guide, a checklist can help you discover how to plan an event in an orderly fashion by dividing everything into organized categories. Below are just some of the items that could be included on your checklist:
Invitations
Once you have decided on a date, time and location for your special event, invitations should be sent to those whom you would like to attend. Whether you decide to buy them at a stationary store, or create them yourself, invitations are the stepping stone to planning your special event. Be sure to include an R.S.V.P. with a phone number or address at the bottom of each invitation to ensure a proper head count. Remember, the sooner you get the invitations in the mail, the sooner everyone has to respond.
Decorations
Decorations should revolve around the theme of the event. For example, if you are hosting a graduation party, decorations could match the colors of the graduate's school colors, and may include: streamers, balloons, tablecloths, and candles. Other themes include 70’s night or a luau.
Beverages
What will you provide your guests to drink? Is this going to be an alcohol-free event, or will you be serving alcohol to those 21 years of age and older? If you do not plan on serving alcoholic beverages, but do not mind if your guests would like to bring their own, be sure to include such information on the invitations (listed as BYOB). Also, because there are sure to be an array of tastes at your event, be sure to have a variety of beverages available to guests including water, juices and different types of sodas.
Not only can these few suggestions help you learn how to plan an event without the headaches that many party-planners endure, but they can help make your event an enjoyable experience, as well!
Meskauskas, Debra. Planning Special Events: Blueprint for Success. Friends & Foundations of California Libraries. 11 Sept 2006. http://www.librarysupport.net/librarylovers/eventt ips.html
Partydirectory.com. Party Supplies and Decorations Checklist. Copyright 1999-2000. Dave Maskin Entertainment. 11 Sept 2006. www.partydirectory.com/guide/partylnk.htm
TheGreatEvent.com. Event Planning Checklist. Billhobson.com. 1999. 11 Sept 2006. http://www.thegreatevent.com/content/ap.asp?id=4
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