Ask The Expert: Party Planning Tips
Whether you want to rock around the clock with our 50s inspired dinner party theme, or you have a special milestone coming up, you’ll want to mark the occasion by preparing for success. Here are some pro tips to avoid some of the headaches.
Planning a party takes proper time and planning, but it doesn’t need to be too difficult. Event expert Olivia Pilip, from Boutique Events says, if you’re new to party planning keep it simple. “Focus on less dishes, a smaller menu, reasonable portions and great drinks.”
She also suggests doing as much as possible in advance, “don’t plan to be doing much the hours before event. You need that time to prepare yourself.”
When picking a theme, Olivia says to do your research. “Trends you may think belong to an era may miss the mark slightly.” She advises researching all elements of the theme, from colours, to fashion and food, incorporating as many as you can. “Influence on decor from fashion trends is an easy way to draw in the theme.”
At home, parties can be fun but also expensive. To keep costs reasonable, Pilip says to do some cost comparisons between stores. She also recommends renting certain items, or shopping at discount stores to stay on budget. “Dollar stores are a great place to find a variety of items, as well as Michael’s, or the discount bin at Winners,” she says, but warns while some discount items are low cost, they also have a limited lifespan.
Once the big day has arrived, Olivia says the goal is to create a fun, social environment. “Have a pre-set playlist and assign someone to door duty to greet guests and take jackets.”
Learning the ins and outs of event planning doesn’t happen overnight. Don’t expect everything to go perfectly. Sometimes the little mishaps make the best memories.
There is also no one-size-fits all solution when it comes to event planning.
“Know the crowd,“ says Olivia. “If you keep your guests’ comfort in mind, the rest becomes secondary.”