How to plan a birthday party: a step-by-step guide
Planning a birthday party is not hard. It is just a lot of small things. With some order you can do it without stress. This guide works for kids and adults, and you can shrink or expand it to fit.
Step 1: who, when and how many
- Who is celebrating, and what do they enjoy. A good party is built around the person, not a template.
- Rough guest count. It sets the venue, the food and the budget.
- Date and time. If your group is large and the date is not obvious, send a poll to find a date everyone can make instead of texting everyone one by one.
- Budget. Pick a number up front, even a rough one, and split it three ways: venue, food and drinks, and activities or a gift.
Step 2: the venue
Ask yourself:
- Is the home big enough, or do you need another place?
- Is there parking and access for every guest?
- What happens if it rains or it is very hot?
- How late can you stay, and are there noise limits?
Step 3: food and drinks
- Start with a list of allergies and preferences (vegetarian, vegan, kosher, halal). Ask before you invite, not after.
- Plan by the time of day: if the party falls around a mealtime, guests need a meal, not just snacks.
- Order the cake ahead, and check the wording on it and how you will get it there.
- Have plenty of drinks, especially water.
Step 4: invitations
A good invitation says what, when, where, reply by when, and how to reply. A link where guests can reply in one tap beats a phone call with each person. Send it by text, messaging app or email. More tips in the guide on getting RSVPs.
Step 5: activities and photos
- For kids: two or three short activities beat one long one.
- For adults: good music, a drinks corner and one person in charge of photos.
- Pick someone ahead of time to collect everyone's pictures in one album so you do not have to chase them afterward.
A checklist by timeline
Three weeks before
One week before
The day before
The day itself
Things that are easy to overlook
In PlanOra you can create the event, send an invitation with RSVPs, list and assign tasks and keep shared costs in one place, so you can see what is done without asking. More in how to split up event tasks.
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