Parties comes in all shapes and sizes, there's weddings, birthday milestones, graduations, anniversary's, baby showers, religious events or just a shindig with family and friends. Whatever the party I either want to be there or planning it, my dream job would actually be a wedding planner! Planning a party is meant to be a fun experience and not stressful in the slightest, unless you leave it until the last minute that is. I think i'm quite easy going and very organised so when I plan a party for a relative or friend, I write myself a checklist and tick them off one by one and of course I'm never afraid to ask for help.
My party planning experience
The last party I planned was my sisters baby shower which was an intimate affair with about twenty people and it was a surprise which meant it was even more fun to plan. I didn't have to plan this event alone though, which in my opinion makes it a lot smoother process. We each played a part in the day, mine was decorations and because we already knew the sex of the baby (a little girl) we knew we could make it as PINK as possible. Other essential items for the party included a venue, embarrassing baby pictures, a cake, food and fun games!
Tips for planning a party
- Always invite more people then planned as not everyone is going to be able to make it.
- Stick to a theme - depending on the event you can either keep it minimal or go all out. Weddings are great for themes as you always want your wedding invitations to match your decor and the colours on them to match the outfits.
- Remember that your guests are coming to spend time with you and to enjoy themselves, so entertainment whether its music, games or just fab conversation is a must.
- When people arrive at the party you want to draw the eye and amaze them with your well thought out decorations.
- Never hesitate to ask for help, think about any friends or family who have some free time to to help you.
- If it's just a party buffet keep food simple and if you can do it yourself with each person bringing one item of food then it keeps costs down.
How to invite people to your party
At the end of the day you can't have a party without guests! So it all comes down to how you invite people, I know I usually think it has to be done in person with a personal touch using paper invitations either posted or delivered to their house but with the internet anything is possible, such as sending invitations online. Enter Paperless Post! Whilst digital invitations are relatively new to me, I do think it's a fab idea because the designs they have on offer are much better than what's on the high street here in the UK and I can see why a lot of party planners around the world have started to use them for all kinds of events. And I wish I had thought of using them sooner! Why?
- Save money and time
- Immediate RSVP
- Update the invitation quickly online
- You know they will arrive
- Keep track of which invitations were sent, who replied and what guests will or will not be attending
- Stylish designs
Paperless Post offer chic well-designed invitations by designers such as Kate Spade and Vera Wang, or you can get creative and upload your own. All the invites can be edited even the envelope and each invite costs coins which you buy once you have registered for an account. Below are a few example invites, I have put together myself.
Modern Elephant Baby Shower Invite
This elephant design would of been perfect for my sisters baby shower because we actually had that as a theme as you can see from the cake above.
Shine Sixty Pink Invite
My lovely mum is turning 60 next year, not sure if she will want a party but paperless post have plenty of invitations for all ages and what says it better than a bit of sparkle.
My lovely mum is turning 60 next year, not sure if she will want a party but paperless post have plenty of invitations for all ages and what says it better than a bit of sparkle.
Kate Spade Tandem Save The Date Invite
I'm not getting married anytime soon, but all girls think about their dream day what colour scheme and decorations they will have and invitations plan an important part in that, which can be costly with save the dates and the actual invites. This lovely bike design below is by my favourite designer Kate Spade, it's simple but cute all at the same time.
Would you use online invitations over traditional invitations?
*This blog post is in collaboration with Anagram Interactive
Liz x
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