Party Planning Tips

Image by Sarah Thompson of Style Me Gorgeous

Hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend. Ours is a long weekend here in Perth for the Queen’s Birthday and we’ve had lots of fun things keeping us busy. This morning I had my cousin’s baby shower which I organized the invitations and decorations for. I will share some photos of the morning tea in the next few days.

One of my favourite things about holding a party is the actual planning stage and gathering of ideas for decorations and invitations and all the small details. Today I thought I’d share my top five tips for planning a successful party, accompanied by some images from my favourite blogs about entertaining…

Image by Mrs A In The Cove

1. Have a colour scheme

Everything looks more cohesive and less busy when you stick to a few key colours or patterns. You don’t have to have everything matching but small decorative details like napkins, table runners, flowers, balloons or bunting look more pleasing to the eye when you stick to a ‘colour theme’ or style.

Image from I Am Baker

2. Balance the savoury and sweet dishes

When deciding on the types of food I am going to make for a party where finger food is being served, I try and aim for a balance. Usually I will have a few savoury dishes and a few sweet dishes. With savouries I try to have a few different choices such as sandwiches, something involving pastry like sausage rolls and something vegetarian such as quiches. For the sweets, I try and incorporate something with chocolate, something cake-y, something with cream and a platter of fruit.

Image by Sharnel of My Life My Loves

3. Make a sketch of your food table

Whether I have a dessert style ‘help yourself’ food table, or am placing the food in the middle of the table around which guests are seated, I always have a good idea of how I’d like the table to look and how things will be positioned. I usually make a brief sketch and try and have plates positioned at various heights using things like cupcake stands, cake stands and even boxes covered with decorative paper. I like food to be served on white dishes or ones only with a small pattern which compliments the colour or style I am focusing on.

Photo by Leo Patrone via Green Wedding Shoes

4. Encourage guests to mix

If you have a small number of guests seated around a table, make sure that things placed in the centre of the table aren’t too tall or an obstruction which will make conversation difficult. For parties with larger numbers, rather than having seats placed in one huge circle where guests can only talk to those on either side of them, I like leave clusters of chairs around smaller tables so that small groups can talk more easily.

Original photo by Anna of Around My Table found via Birthday Girl

5. Plan a timeline for yourself

I always have ‘to do lists’ for things to be organized before the party day itself as well as a more specific order of things to do on the actual day. I try to do as much as possible beforehand, especially when it comes to preparing food. Anything that can be made in advance and frozen is a lifesaver and food that can be cooked earlier and just reheated on the day is also perfect. Besides the food, things that can be done in the days before the party include ironing tablecloths, having platters and cutlery out ready, hanging any decorations (so long as they are safe from the elements) and positioning tables and chairs.



Hope you enjoyed my little list of party hints. Are there any tips you agree with or would you add something different to what I’ve suggested?

I’d love to hear your thoughts…