Everyone loves a good party, but sometimes the effort that goes into coordinating the celebration can be stressful and somewhat intimidating. Invitations, food, favors, clean-up, and activities can seem like an endless list of to-dos. However, party planning doesn’t have to be stressful. In fact, hosting a party can be memorable occasion that doesn’t cause you to panic. By following an organized checklist you’ll discover a much easier plan to carry out parties.

Create a budget

Before you begin making plans, create a budget and follow it. Find out how much you’re willing to spend on the entire event and make a pact (to yourself) that you do not intend on breaking. Research easy do-it-yourself alternatives and create a list of the cost of each item. Creating a budget will alleviate any frustrations down the road because you’ll already know how much your budget is set for.

Create a master list

Instead of having multiple one-sheeters of information, develop one master to-do list that comprises a shopping list of all food and supplies, a guest list where contact information can be tracked and a list of duties that must be completed. Having everything together will keep your mind at ease and will keep you up-to-date on what can be checked off and what still needs to be completed.

Choose a theme

It doesn’t matter if you’re hosting a birthday or retirement party - choose a theme that you want to organize the party around. You’ll find that having a designated party scheme will help you financially and creativity wise. Knowing the theme of your party will also give you the opportunity to scout out decorations and activity ideas in advance.

Drinks

Serving drinks at a party can always cause more involved thought than necessary. If you’ve decided to provide drinks, set them out and allow your guests to self-serve. Allowing the party to drink on their own terms will save you the time and energy of adding bartender to your party duties.

Keep the menu simple

Don’t go overboard with multiple menu options. Try to keep it simple – you can give your guests an option but, it’s not necessary to have multiple dishes. Make it easy on yourself, plan out a menu and stick with it. While you want to have delicious found available, you don’t want to stress yourself out with the prep and financial aspect of it either.

Set up a kid’s table

If you’re hosting a kid friendly party, set aside an area that is designated for just children and make sure that there are plenty of activities to keep them busy. It’s important to keep the kiddos entertained so that they can enjoy themselves as well./

Stay relaxed

Remember, as the host, you are setting the tone for the party. Try to leave yourself an enough time, after cooking and setting up, to freshen up. Set things up the night before – if possible. Call a friend over, the night before, and see what you can achieve together as far as set up and cooking are considered. Also, you can ask friends and family to make a dish or perhaps order food from your local grocery store. There are a lot of options out there for every host.

If you follow these easy how-to’s you’ll be able to enjoy your festivities without unnecessary drama or anxiety. Throwing a party is a lot of work, but it doesn’t have to be stressful. Anything is possible with a well thought out plan.