Planning a party is a lot like writing a news story. You need to think about the 5 W’s and a How. Take a few minutes to answer the following questions and half the battle is done.
- WHO
- WHAT
- WHEN
- WHERE
- WHY
- HOW
I’m a list maker and love little journals and notebooks. I even keep a party journal. Every time I entertain, I write down all the details including who I invited and what I served. If it is a big party, I write down how much food and drink I had on hand and what was left over. It takes a lot of the guess work out of our next event. Why reinvent the proverbial party wheel?
I started my first party journal for my son's 5th birthday party. My third journal is almost full!
WHY have a party?
- Celebrating a holiday or event
- Just for the fun of it
- Before or after an outing
WHERE?
- At your home
- Living room or family room
- Sit around the kitchen table
- Rec room
- The whole house
- Indoors or outside
- Hall, restaurant, park, barn, pontoon boat
WHEN?
- Choose the day of the week and time
- Open house (guests are free to arrive between certain hours)
- Meal served at a set time
WHAT?
- Sit down dinner
- Picnic
- Cocktail party with appetizers
- Buffet
- Dessert and coffee
- Meeting with food and drink
- Brunch
- Luncheon
- Afternoon tea
- Watch the game on TV
WHO you are inviting?
- Friends
- Family
- Business colleagues or associates
- Neighbors
- Club or organization members
- Teenagers or children
It doesn’t matter if it’s your child’s first birthday party or a 25th anniversary celebration or a back yard picnic, careful planning will help ensure success!
Next time: HOW are you going to pull it off?
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