Make Your Life Easier With This Party Planning Checklist
I have planned and hosted 7 parties this year – everything from birthday parties to bachelorette parties – all while prioritizing family time with my 1- and 3-year-old and a full-time job. It’s not always smooth sailing… there has been a fair share chaos, as is typical. But I am learning how to refine the chaos and make the work easier to manage with this one tool: a party planning checklist.
I love a good checklist. I am all about breaking down work into smaller tasks, and checklists help us do just that. A timed checklist, like the one below, is great for events with specific dates on the calendar (like a party or a trip).
When I decide to commit to an event, I will often add a task to my to-do list along the lines of: “Plan out tasks for [event]”. And then I add each individual task in the list below as a dated task on my to-do list. The outcome? I don’t spend any extra time worrying about whether or not I’m on track for my event, because I know I’ll be reminded when the time is right.
When it comes to party planning, my checklist looks a little something like this:
Party Planning Checklist
| Task | Timeline |
|---|---|
| Set budget | 2 months before |
| Determine date, time, and location | 2 months before |
| Delegate out jobs to co-hosts | 2 months before |
| Choose a theme | 2 months before |
| Make guest list | 2 months before |
| Order invitations | 6 weeks before |
| Order anything custom (ex. outfits, decorations, special food) | 5 weeks before |
| Prep & send invitations | 4 weeks before |
| Plan & order decorations | 3-4 weeks before |
| Plan activities & order necessary supplies | 3-4 weeks before |
| Plan favors & order necessary supplies | 3-4 weeks before |
| Plan food & drinks (any allergies to consider?) | 3-4 weeks before |
| Make initial grocery list (don’t forget plates, napkins, etc.) | 3 weeks before |
| Make or find a playlist | 2 weeks before |
| Assemble make-ahead decorations, favors, etc. | 2 weeks before |
| Go grocery shopping / buy all last-minute items | A few days before |
| Prepare food that can be made ahead | A few days before |
| Set up decorations | Day before / day of |
| Buy ice | Day of |
| Make food | Day of |
The list is big because the tasks aren’t meant to be. Take the party planning one thing at a time, and focus until you finish the task at hand. For times when I anticipate having more work, I like to block off time on the calendar to help ensure it gets done – preferably with any co-hosts, if you have them.
Speaking of co-hosts, if you are hosting a party with someone else, I always feel that it goes more efficiently if you determine roles & responsibilities up-front and then divide and conquer your assigned tasks. Make sure you’re all in alignment on the overall vision/theme/feel of the party, but then feel free to go your separate ways.
Happy party planning!
