How to Party Prep | Checklist for a Party

Planning a party is exciting but it can be a hard task if you are not fully prepared. If you are feeling stressed about doing it now, continue to read this guide! We are going to offer you a complete party preparation list to help everything run smoothly. 

Whether you are a seasoned event planner or a first-timer hosting a party for your friends and family, you are bound to get some insights from here. Read this party pre guide now and enjoy a stress-free organizing experience with us!

What Things You Need to Prepare for a Party

Here's a list of things you need for a party to make sure things will work well. Have a grasp of them, and you'll make everything ready. This is very helpful to make a real party pre from the beginning to avoid a series of challenges that you may come across in the following stages.

• Venue: Popular party rentals and setups are expensive and hard to reserve. So, being an early bird! Make a reasonable budget plan and book the place in advance - ideally 2-3 weeks before the event (or even a month or more for highly sought-after spots).

If you want to hold an outdoor activity and, at the same time, save on costs, then your backyard would be a perfect location.

• Food: Prepare food and drinks ahead of time, as you'll likely be busy hosting and entertaining your guests on the day of the party. In case that happens, you can hire a catering team to supply the snacks, beverages, and dishes for your event.

• Decorations: Avoid mixing too many styles, as this can make the venue look cluttered and lose its cohesive tone. Instead, use decorations that align with your theme to create a visual appeal for your venue.

• Aim of Our Party: Figure out what you're going to host a party for. Whether it's a wedding to celebrate your marriage or a backyard gathering to strengthen friendships, every party has a goal. Keep this aim in mind as you make a party pre. This ensures that every detail supports the overall purpose.

• Fun Activities: Don't forget about arranging some interactive and interesting activities. The key is to avoid boredom. You can tailor some activities to the guests' preferences or infuse some popular trends into them.

• Weather Condition: The weather condition of the party day is important. You can have a party pre by checking the weather forecast. But it is not always so accurate, especially in unpredictable seasons.

Therefore, consider preparing a frame tent. It will not only provide good protection for your guests and items but also work well in resisting harsh weather like UV rays, rain, or snow.

How to Party Pre for a Stress-Free Day?

Having a stress-free party is easier than you think. The key is to learn tips ranging from how to plan food ahead of your party to deal with some unexpected situations. With the following party prep suggestions, you can turn your party into a really enjoyable event.

Prepare Party Food Ahead

Food is a top priority during the party preparation. Opt for dishes that can be prepared in advance. For example, you may choose those foods that are easy to get from the local supermarket a few days ahead of your party.

Arrange different dishes, snacks, desserts, as well as beverages for your guests to choose from - think it as a buffet-style setup. This allows everyone to enjoy their favorites. It requires you to start by creating the menu, and then go to the grocery store to gather all the necessary ingredients.

Decorate Your Party

There are a lot of things to do for the decoration of your party. It often involves many details, so focus on key areas rather than scattering decorations randomly.

Consider making a backdrop that shows the main theme of your party and allows guests to take photos from there. At the same time, decorate the pathways, entrances, and other key areas to help level up the overall atmosphere of your party.

It's important to prepare decorations according to your party theme. That is to say, if you're gonna have a party for kids, you'll prepare cute cartoon stickers, colorful balloons, playful elements, etc.

But things can be totally different if you're planning a wedding party; you may need many fresh flowers, candles, streamers, and other romantic elements.

If there's something that you need to purchase or even do it yourself, it's better to complete such a task a few days before the party. Then there won't be any rush during the whole party and everyone can have some fun at the event.

Prepare the Cleaning

A complete party pre should also think about the cleaning of your venue. Check if you have prepared the tools on hand to clean and refresh your location when the party is over.

That would include trash bags, bins, wet wipes, brooms, mops, dustpans, etc. 
Sweep the floor right away after the party. If there are some stubborn stains left on it, then you should wash it.

Manage the Party Expectation

It's okay if you are not ready for a party, especially if you are doing all the stuff on your own or it's your first time doing this. A party pre involves many details and sometimes it's easy to be distracted by other things.

If you happen to have this problem and feel nervous about it, just hire some professional teams to do it for you. Directly turn to a party planning company, for instance.

It's also common to outsource part of your party pre. There are numerous catering teams, music & party entertainment specialists, and even an expert decoration crew available. Plus, ask for help from all of your friends and guests; they will be happy to help.

And the final rule: it’s not about perfection. If something goes wrong, don’t stress—just let it happen in its natural course. The only thing you need to do when any awful situation occurs is to make sure your guests are happy and having the best time ever together.

Party Pre Checklist

Work out a timeline for the party pre, and it will keep everything on track. Start planning at least 2 months before the event date, and as the day approaches, break down tasks into manageable steps—whether it's by months, weeks, or days.

Party Checklist 2 Months Before

This is the starting point of your party pre. It won't be a complex stage if you have done things like:

• Pick up a theme: figure out what you are going to do with your party. Are you going to celebrate some great news? Or just make it for fun or get together with friends? You may get some insights from popular trends or personal interests.

• Make a budget plan: knowing your financial situation is a basic step for the party prep. Avoid under-budgeting or overspending on your party. A reasonable guideline is to plan for $30–$60 per person.

• Set a date: choose the most suitable date from your shortlist. Ideally, pick a holiday, weekend, or a day when most guests are available to ensure maximum attendance.

• Reserve the venue: at this stage, select and book your venue promptly. Popular locations tend to get reserved quickly, so securing your ideal spot early is essential.

• Arrange fun activities: prepare interactive games, music, photo backdrop, etc. This will reduce boredom and get everybody involved.

• Create a guest list: this simplifies subsequent arrangements, such as planning seating layouts, organizing food preparation, and coordinating decorations.

Party Pre List 1 Month Before

If there is 1 month left for your party, you need to do the following things:

• Invite guests: contact your guests according to the list. You can also make beautiful invitation cards and send them to your friends via email.

• Prepare food & drinks: make sure the food is ordered at this stage. Prepare the drinks, order cocktails, wine, champagne, etc., and soft beverages such as soda, juice, lemonade, etc., to cater to most guests' tastes.

• Purchase decorations: prepare all decorative elements for your party at least one month before the event. If you're creating any DIY decorations, finish them as early as possible in this period.

• Hire professional teams: consider finding party helpers like a catering team, professional DJ, host, etc. This will help you save a lot of effort in holding a perfect party.

Party Preparation List 1 Week Before

It gets more and more exciting when there is only 1 week before your party. The major things you should do at this stage include:

• Ensure the final guest list: over the past month or two, your guest list may have changed - some people might no longer be able to attend, while others may have expressed interest in joining. Now, with just one week to go, it's time to finalize the guest list.

• Send the guest list to party helpers: after making the final guest list, it is time to share it with your party helpers. Let them know the number of attendees to help them plan for food, seating, venue setup, and other logistics.

• Order cakes: if cakes are necessary for the event, like you are having a wedding or birthday party, then it is time to order them now.

Party Checklist 4 Days Before

This is a critical period for preparing food. You have to nail down everything about the food and drinks so you won't get stressed when the party day arrives.

• Create a dish menu: decide what dishes you are going to offer to your guests. Make a relatively complete menu that may include all the dishes, drinks, snacks, and desserts on it. Then, send it to your chef or the catering team.

• Purchase ingredients: go to the local grocery store or supermarket to purchase all the ingredients. Once you have them, store everything properly - keep perishable items in the refrigerator and non-perishables in a cool, dry place.

Party Planning Checklist 1 Day Before

Even with just 1 day left before the party, there's still plenty you can do.

• Wrap foods: wrap all the desserts, snacks, and pre-made dishes that you have prepared, then store them in the refrigerator until the day comes. 

• Pick up the order: don't forget your order if you have booked one for baked goods. Contact the seller now to confirm the best pickup time and ensure everything is ready for your party.

• Prepare tips for party helpers: prepare tips in envelopes for your party helpers or the professional teams you've hired. Generally, entertainers will receive a tip of $15-$20, while chefs may be tipped $50 to $100. This depends on the level of their services.

• Check the space: the last thing you should do is check if everything is ready.  Meanwhile, clean up the venue to offer a tidy and fresh place for your guests. Also, make sure the decorations are securely in place and the food is prepared.

Ready for Your Party? Just Relax and Have Fun

The last rule for party pre is to stay relaxed. The more stressed you are, the harder it becomes to create a successful event. As long as you make a complete checklist and do the right things step by step, there won't be any trouble getting ready for party.

One of the most important parts is to make sure you have covered all the essentials: food, music, decorations, seating, locations, and a party tent. If you're looking to save time and effort, you can outsource each part to professional suppliers. And for a reliable tent - just come to us! Sheltent is ready to offer you the best tent for any kind of party!