Many things are worth celebrating in life. Most people always look forward to experiencing and enjoying wonderful moments and events, whether it’s just a simple promotion, or something grand, like matrimony. These days, people usually throw parties to celebrate momentous times in their lives.

Special occasions come in different kinds, like weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, holidays and even corporate gatherings, but whatever type of party you’re having, you always have to go through a planning process. With proper planning and organization, you’re sure to end up with a successful celebration.

Here are some important factors when planning a party for a special occasion.

Throwing A Party: Basic Considerations

Throwing a successful party isn’t just about buying a cake, putting up a few decorations and serving some munchies. To make the party a success, you need to cover many simple but important aspects. Remember these basic guidelines:

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  Creating time table
  Create a timetable. In order to end up with a marvelous celebration, you need to know what you’re going to do, when you’re going to do it, and how much time it’ll take for you to complete it. Write down the things you need do and schedule them in a calendar.
• Set a realistic budget. Every party, no matter how simple or cumbersome it may be, will require you to pool out some cash. This isn’t very difficult, but the problem is that many people tend to overspend. Before hurrying and buying different kinds of party materials, set a realistic budget first and make sure to stick to it. Determine how much you’re going to allot for different aspects, like the food, invites and decorations. By doing this, you’ll be able to narrow down your choices and you also won’t need to break the bank.
• Involve the involved. If you’re planning a birthday, anniversary, wedding, going-away or graduation bash, this aspect is important. Unless the party’s a surprise, involve the person or people who you’re throwing the party for in every step of the preparation process. Find out what are their likes and dislikes are. It’ll be a shame if you prepare a magnificent celebration, only to find out the celebrant isn’t available or is not enjoying it.
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  Listing for a back-up plan
  Always have a back-up plan. This includes everything, from the guest list up to the party favors. Be ready for problems, boo-boos or any accidents that might come. You can never tell what will happen at your event. For example, if you’re having a garden party, prepare a tarp or tent even if it’s sunny so that when a little rain comes, your guests won’t get drenched.
• Ask for help. Who says you have to do everything by yourself? With all the party aspects you have to attend to, you’ll end up exhausted and worn out if you do them all alone. Involve your friends, family members or even your colleagues in all aspects of your celebration. Their advice, inputs, and physical labor will be a great help when you’re planning the event. You can also get an event planner to help you out.

Preparing The Guest List

Your guest list is one of the basic aspects you have to cover as soon as you decide to have a fun celebration. Knowing how many people you’re expecting will let you decide on several crucial factors, like how many invitations to send, the amount of food to prepare and what venue to pick. Remember these considerations when preparing the list.

• Decide first whether you’re having a small or large event. Is it an intimate gathering strictly for your closest friends, family and relatives? Is it big and extravagant? Are you planning to invite acquaintances?
• Settle on a number. Decide how many people you’re planning to invite at the most. For example, for a grand wedding, 200 people is all right, but if it’s simple and intimate, 30 will be enough.
• Make sure the list is manageable. Inviting 200 people to an extravagant wedding is all right, but can you and your budget handle it? Remember, the more guests you expect, the more expensive the party will cost.
• Create a priority list. Write the names of the people who you can’t afford to remove from the list of attendees. Put them on a separate list you won’t accidentally remove them when crossing out names from the original one.
• Recount. Keep counting and recounting your guest list before you finalize it so you’ll be sure of the final number of attendees.

Making It More Unique With A Theme

If you want to make your party more special and unique, why not follow certain theme? Having a theme can unify the party and can also make planning easier.

Examples of popular themes include:

• Beach theme (Pool Party, Hawaiian or Under-The-Sea theme)
• Sports theme (Basketball, Football, Baseball, Super Bowl)
• Cartoon themes (Dora the Explorer, Scooby Doo)

Pool party

Superhero theme

Costume party theme

• Superhero theme (Superman, Batman)
• Costume party (Mardi Gras, Hat party)
• Culture Themes (Chinese party, Greek Party, Indian Party)

Special Invitations

Once you’ve finalized the guest list and the theme, you can begin sending out party invitations. Remember, this must be given weeks, or even months before the party. If the party is casual, you can send the invitations two or three weeks before. If it’s formal, the invitations should be in the guests’ hands a month or two in advance.

Here are other important tips when making invitations.

• Pick a design. Your design should fit your theme and color motif, if you have any. Most people opt for ready-made invitations, while those who have creative ideas up their sleeves prefer homemade kinds.
• Check the wordings. Formal occasions will need formal wordings like “Mr. And Mrs. ____ request your presence on ___”, while casual ones can be fun, like “Have a splashing good time at ___’s birthday pool party!”. Check also the spellings, the titles (Mr., Mrs, Dr., Atty.) and the addresses on the invitations.
• Add an RSVP. Put in your contact details so your guests will be able to confirm or decline. They can also call you up and ask for information about the event.
• Don’t leave out important information. If you require them to wear costumes or if you have a gift registry where they can get gifts for the party, make sure you include the details in the invitations.
• You don’t need to splurge too much on invitations. Remember, you’ve got a lot of other stuff to buy and pay for so these items shouldn’t take up much of your budget.
• For more tips on creating an invitation, read how to make an invitation.

Occasion Decorations

Any special party will not feel festive without ample decorations to brighten up the place. You need to get the proper décor to make your party look enjoyable and exciting.

Decorations can be very elegant, or very crude and simple. They can be store-bought or crafted using typical materials found all around your home. The choice of décor depends on your taste, theme and the occasion itself. Here are some helpful reminders:

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  Beach chairs
  Decorate according to your theme. Since every aspect of your party must fit your theme, your decorations should be able to blend in too. If you’re having a beach party, use sand, shells and beach stuff (beach chairs, beach balls) to decorate the place. If it’s a safari theme, get stuffed animals, animal pictures and plants for the venue. If you don’t have a theme, just use a color motif.
• If you’re pressed for budget, stick to the basics. Use streamers, balloons, confetti, banners and posters. They can provide your place with a festive aura.
• Don’t forget your tables. Place table centerpieces in the middle and place mats for every setting. Place cards with the names of the guests are also a wonderful addition.
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  Tables for party
  Only get expensive décor for extravagant celebrations. A chocolate fountain or an ice sculpture sounds great, but don’t you think they’ll look out of place in a kiddie lawn birthday party? It’s not practical. Expensive and exuberant decorations like these should only be used for very formal gatherings, like weddings or debuts.
• Play some music. Nothing can create a better party mood than music, whether it’s slow and romantic or fast and wild.
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  Music
  Hire someone to help you decorate. Find someone who can assist you. For example, if it’s a wedding, hire a florist to get the flowers and a wedding planner to primp up the venue.
• Don’t exaggerate. Having a lot of decorations may seem delightful and festive, but having too much will make the place look cramped. Excessive décor can also get in the way of your guests as they move around the place.

Party Activities For Entertainment

Parties are all about socializing and celebrating, but even the most crowded and festive parties can be a little boring without any activities to entertain the guests. No matter how simple or grand your party may be, make sure you have some wonderful activities to keep everyone preoccupied and merry.

Wanna see costume party! Check out this video.

• Games – These can be as simple as board games or as complicated as scavenger hunts or relays. They can be very childish, like “Pin The Tail On The Donkey” and “Musical Chairs” or as mature as “Truth Or Dare.” If you’re planning on having games at your party, make sure these suit both the event and the guests. For example, you can’t have relays at a black-tie occasion or play adult with young kids.
• Craft Activities – These are usually seen during kiddie gatherings like birthdays or back-to-school parties. They can range from painting, molding clay, putting puzzle pieces together or even mural-making.

Board games

Dancing

Toasting ceremony

• Dancing – Prepare the dance floor and let your guests groove to the music.
• Toasting Ceremony – This is a simple, short activity that makes the event more meaningful as it honors the special celebrant. It’s usually seen in formal events and held before or after the meal.

Delicious Party Food

You have to prepare refreshments to satiate your guests’ appetite. Here are some quick tips:

• Set a menu. Even if you’re just having cocktails, you need to choose from a variety of finger foods and appetizers. Decide on how many different kinds you want to have and how much of each one you should make. (Wanna know the top party foods, read Top ten favorite party foods)
• Consider your guests . Will there be young kids during the event or is it a strictly an adult gathering? If there are children, then you should consider serving basic snacks like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, cupcakes, ice cream, and Jell-o. If it’s for grown ups, you can serve cheese and crackers. Shrimp cocktails, caviar, lamb and crème brulee are more appropriate.
• Prepare food that fits the theme. Be creative! If it’s an under-the-sea party, serve seafood or tuna sandwiches. If you’re having a fiesta, then Mexican food is your best choice. Having a summer barbecue? Grilled meat is great.

Shrimp cocktail

Fried turkey

Punch juice

• Think about the party time. You need to consider the time when you’re having the party when preparing the food, to consider the amount and kind of food you’re serving. If you’ve set the party at lunch or dinner, then you have to prepare full meals, but if it’s in between, light finger foods are better.
• Homemade cooking versus catering. If you’ve got a lot of time on your hands and you’re a whiz in the kitchen, it’s great if you can prepare the banquet yourself. Homemade food can cost less, and you also get to put your own special touches to the food. The only trouble with this is that it can be time-consuming. If you’re pressed for time, then you can serve catered food. It’ll be just as delicious, but not too tiring. It might cost you a bit though.
• Don’t leave out occasion food must-haves. For example, if it’s a Thanksgiving party, don’t forget to serve the traditional turkey, even if you’ve got a lot of dishes already. If it’s a birthday, a birthday cake complete with candles should always be present.
• Choose your drinks carefully. You can’t have a filling banquet without delicious beverages. For example, kids are more likely to get sick from drinking too much soda, so fruit juices or punch are more advisable. For sophisticated grown up events, prepare red wine and champagne. Men also like drinking beers at parties so make sure you prepare some.

Giving Out Party Favors

To make your party an event to remember, it’s nice if you can give out small gifts or party favors for all your guests. Most events have these items, so everyone will be reminded of the wonderful time they had.

You can give out any kind of party favors, from simple figurines to inexpensive kiddie goody bags. Just make sure it suits the theme and the mood for the party.

Remember these three tips when taking care of this party aspect.

• Keep it sweet and simple. You don’t have to spend a lot of money for these things. Find simple but useful items that don’t cost much, like paperweights, keychains or picture frames.
• Give out fancy memorabilias for smaller, more intimate parties. If you’re only having a small gathering for 20 people or less like a bridal shower or baby shower, then you can splurge. You can give out beauty kits or fancy décor pieces made from glass.
• Opt for edible items. Giving out delicious treats is a good party favor idea. Put some cookies in lovely tin cans or give cupcakes wrapped in fancy colored paper. They’re yummy, but not very costly.

Any occasion can be very special as long as you have a successful, enjoyable and unforgettable party to celebrate it. Remember these tips when you’re having one. It’ll surely be an event to remember.