Party Planning 101

Choose a theme.

This post stresses that choosing a theme—whether inspired by holidays, personal interests, abstract ideas, or quirky “fun holidays”—is the foundational step that makes all other planning decisions easier. It guides you through brainstorming, reality-checking ideas (considering time, energy, and budget), and narrowing down to a theme you can realistically bring to life.

Choose a venue.

Once you’ve got your theme, the next task is selecting a venue—from using your home or a friend’s space to booking an outside location or finding a free spot—that aligns with your needs, budget, and logistical constraints. It highlights considerations like parking, food and drink policies, setup time, and transit to ensure guests are comfortable.

Create the guest list.

Start by asking whether you're covering costs or guests are paying, then brainstorm a long list of possible attendees. Refine it based on capacity, guest chemistry, reliability, and RSVP likelihood to build a balanced, manageable group.

Manage the logistics.

This installment walks through logistics—creating a week-of action plan, setting-up checklist, and “what-to-put-out” list—to ensure smooth execution from confirming RSVPs to grocery shopping, decor prep, cleaning, and reminders. It emphasizes planning timing, delegating tasks, and anticipating guests' needs so everything runs seamlessly.

Plan the menu.

Here, I break menus into light, medium, and heavy fare and offers examples and tips for each, including when to serve appetizers, sandwiches, or sit-down meals. Her advice centers on balancing simplicity with flavor, matching the menu to your party’s flow and guest needs, and keeping things manageable with one standout dish.

Send the invitations.

This guide covers invitation delivery methods—from snail mail to digital invites—and then dives into what essential details to include: who’s invited, where, when, why, plus RSVP info, directions, access tips, and whether it’s a surprise. The post prioritizes clarity and ease for your guests, so no one shows up confused or unprepared.