What’s Your Party Style?

Do you know your party style? It is important to answer this question before you begin planning your next party. If you are comfortable cooking gourmet dinners for your guests, invite your guests for an haute cuisine extravaganza. If you can only cook chips and salsa, you can still have a great party.

You have to know what style makes you feel comfortable. After all, you want to be able to relax and have fun. You may be more comfortable with a pizza or BBQ party.

Before you do anything else in terms of party planning. Figure out what makes you comfortable, but keep the needs of your guests in mind. Just because you enjoy a certain kind of theme, your guest may prefer something else. Even though you may prefer a formal dinner party your guests may prefer something casual like a pool party. If you enjoy theme parties, the possibilities are endless.

When planning a formal dinner party you should remember a few important factors. Most importantly, it is your dinner party so you can do whatever you wish. You are the one throwing the party, the one planning the party, and the one paying for it. You can put in as much or as little effort as you deem appropriate.

The other factor you should keep in mind is what your guests want. Your guest may not enjoy a formal dinner party as much as you. Your guests may not enjoy getting dressed in a suit and tie for a party. Know who your guests are, what their likes and dislikes are.

There is no correct or incorrect party style. Whatever party style you choose, be sure you are being yourself. Don’t try to create a party where you feel uncomfortable. After all you are trying to have fun and enjoy yourself. Your task is to figure out what suits you best.

Unless you are a full-time party planner you don’t have a lot of time to plan your party. Make sure you don’t take on a larger project than you can handle. You don’t want to get overwhelmed by party planning. Your friends and family will enjoy your company no matter what kind of a style you have for your next party.

The Game Plan – For Your Next Tailgate Party

In order to prevent possible food borne illness, you need to have a strategy to keep food safe. Your game plan should include preparing your food for an environment where a stove, a refrigerator, or running water is not readily available. Make sure you pack enough clean utensil for eating and serving the food. You may bring a thermometer along to make sure the food you server is cooked thoroughly. If you serve uncooked meats harmful bacteria can cause serious illness.

Make sure you keep the food hot. Do not eat hot take-out food more than two hours after purchase. It is best to chill the food in a refrigerator before packing for your tailgate party. To keep food like soup, chili, and stew hot, use an insulated container.

Fill the container pre-heated with boiling water, and let it stand for a few minutes. Once you have emptied the preheated food container put in the hot food. Keep the insulated container closed to keep the food hot (140 ° F or above) for several hours.

Bring perishable food like hamburger meat, sausages, and chicken in an insulated cooler packed with several inches of ice, frozen gel packs. Other perishable cooked food such as cooked sausages, pasta, and potato must be kept refrigerator cold, too. When packing the cooler for a tailgate party, make sure raw meat and poultry are wrapped securely to prevent their juices from cross-contaminating ready-to-eat food. Actually, it is best to keep raw meat and poultry in a separate icebox from other foods.
If there is no drink quality water, bring water for cleaning. Also, bring wet disposable cloths for cleaning hands and surfaces.

At your next tailgate party make sure you keep hot food hot and cold food cold. Bacteria multiply rapidly between 40 °F and 140 °F. Avoid leaving food in this “danger zone” more than 2 hours (1 hour when the outside temperature is above 90 °F). Cook meat and poultry completely.

Many people have so much fun at tailgate parties that they never make it into the stadium to see game. Regardless of when and where you eat the food you brought to the party, it doesn’t mean it’s safe for the food to stay unrefrigerated. Store food in the cooler as much as you can and only leave it out briefly while serving. Cook only the amount of food that will be eaten to avoid the challenge of keeping leftovers at a safe temperature. Do not consume any leftovers that are not ice cold after the game.

Selecting A Party Theme

Coming up with a theme is the easiest way to create an atmosphere for your party. Selecting your party theme should be one of the first steps in your planning process. A theme doesn’t eliminate spontaneity from your event it makes it more complete. Before you create your party theme think about how some themed parties made you feel in the past. Was it the Hawaiian party theme, or the 60s flower child theme, or Mardi gras party theme was the most precious experience? Your theme could be a single theme or variations on other themes.

Whatever your party theme may be make sure you incorporate it in as many aspects of your party as you can. For example, if you go with a Christmas party theme make sure everything speaks “Christmas.” You should ask your guests to come dressed in Christmas theme close. Make sure you prepare foods normally served around Christmas time, and serve it in Christmas theme plates. The possibilities for decorating your house for a Christmas theme are endless. Even the colors you use should reflect your theme.

If you are having a party for your child, get her involved. Your child will have a lot of fun just choosing the party theme.

Because most holidays reoccur every year, you have plenty of time for planning and preparing. You can stock up on supplies long before your event. If you have a Christmas party every year, you may be able to save a lot of money buying decoration items after the holiday season. By planning ahead you are not only better prepared but you can also save a lot of money. Gift and party stores are full of great deals to be had after the holidays. It gives you an opportunity to pick up holiday themes plates, napkins, tablecloths, cups, and many more items you may need for your party.

The fundamental difference between theme parties and parties that feature themes is the amount of planning involved. With some thought, a lot of creativity, and careful planning you can create a great theme party everyone will love.

Party Planning 101

Planning a successful party can be a complex project. There are many factors to consider to minimize embarrassing mishaps or possible conflicts. The more import the party you are planning the more attention you should pay to the planning. A 50th wedding anniversary party is usually going to require more complex planning than a small backyard barbeque party.

The first and most important aspect of party planning is to determine the reason for the party. The reason for the party usually determines the size, the budget, who is invited, and how many people you want to accommodate.

Setting your budget is crucial. The size of your budget can determine how many people you invite, the kind of food you serve, etc. You can do some very creative things with limited budgets; so modest budgets should not deter you. The most important thing is not to spend a dollar until you have your budget.

If money is an issue you may want to partner with someone to pay for the party. For example, if you are planning a birthday party you may have your party with a friend whose birthday is close to yours. Celebrating two peoples’ birthday may be even more exciting. When you are faced with a problem try to think of it more as an opportunity instead of a problem.

How many people you invite has not only to do with your budget, but your location. If you plan the party to be held in your house, you should know how many people you can accommodate. You can invite about ten percent more than you can accommodate since some people may have to cancel in the last minute. When you invite guest to your party, try to avoid inviting people who can’t stand each other. You want people to have fun, and you should do everything you can to avoid fights.

Party Budget

There is one thing certain about parties; they cost money. The question you have to answer is, how much money are you able or willing to spend on the party. If you have a limited budget, you can organize a potluck, where all the invited guests are expected to bring something. When you host your party at home, you are more likely to spend less than having your party at a hotel ballroom or a fancy restaurant.

No matter how small your party is, you must set a budget. Your budget has to be a realistic one. Don’t plan on spending fifty dollars per guests, when you can only afford ten. Your budget will determine how many people you should invite. One of the first tasks you have is to set your budget. Make sure your budget is somewhat flexible. You may need to spend money on unanticipated expenses.

The kind of party you are planning will have a great impact on your budget. For example, a wedding is going to require a very different budget than a Memorial Day backyard barbeque party. The number of guests you invite doesn’t always determine your budget. a small formal dinner could easily cost more than a Hot Dogs and Hamburgers backyard event.

A small budget doesn’t have to be a dull boring party with bad food. If you are creative, you can provide great entertainment for your guests. Good cooks are famous for creating great food with the most modest ingredients. If you can’t afford an all around expensive event, you can focus more on just one aspect of the party. For example, you may purchase an expensive gourmet cake.

You don’t have to get in debt to have a great event. A big budget is certainly very nice, but it doesn’t guarantee good times. The people you invite, your friends and family present at the party, should have a lot more to do with how everyone feels than how much money per guest you are able to spend. Most importantly, it is people that make us feel good or rotten about an event not just what kind of food we were served.

Open House Party Planning

A non-traditonal party is an open house. It is very similar to traditional party, but there are some differences. Most importantly, an open house offers your guests greater convenience. Because open houses longer than traditional parties, your guests have a larger window of opportunity to visit you. Normally, open houses are scheduled earlier in the day than many parties. Open houses are usually daytime affairs.

Open houses require the same amount of planning as traditional parties. Because they are longer affairs, they are usually less structured. The longer schedule allows your guests to come and go more freely.

Open houses are great neighborhood parties. The less formal style fits perfectly this kind of event. It gives people living on the same street interact freely without worrying about a schedule. Your neighbors can drop by for a few minutes or several hours. It is up to them how long they stay. Your guests can arrive at different times throughout the day.

An open house allows you to have a party without having to manage its progression much. It is normally an informal event that requires no structure. You simply dedicate a certain amount of time for the open house that allows your guests to come and go whenever they please. Because there are usually no activities to plan you don’t have to worry about a schedule. Due to the more relaxed atmosphere, you may have more time to socialize.

Keep in mind that open house parties are longer than traditional parties. Therefore, the food you serve should hold up for the entire duration of the party. The foods your serve should not spoil easily. Make sure you have enough extra food to accommodate unexpected guests. Some of your guests may bring additional people, so be prepared to fee a couple of extra guests. Appetizers and various finger foods are great for open houses.

Because open houses are long affairs, you need to have a lot of energy to keep the party going all day. You should try to delegate as much as you can to help you with the workload. Welcoming guests throughout the day can be exhausting, so save your energy.

Final tip: Make sure your guests understand that they are invited to an open house and inform them of the duration of the party in advance.

Modern Or Traditional Party?

Do you prefer structured parties or would you rather have unusual theme parties? There is no right or wrong answer, but you need to determine what kind of event you want to plan. Traditional does not have to be a negative experience; it does not mean “no fun.” It is just a different style, but it doesn’t have to be boring.

If you are a traditional party planner, you take pride in sending printed invitations. A modern party planer may e-mail party invitations. Traditional parties have been making guests and hosts happy for a long time. It is a proven system that works.

Modern hosts like to do things out of the ordinary. You may server food in nontraditional surroundings with an unusual theme.

It is quite possible that your party style is a combination of modern and traditional. It is perfectly normal to have a fusion ideas guide you throughout the party planning process. A traditional person can throw a modern party with a little imagination and vice versa. If your friends know you as a casual persona, you may be able to surprise them with an unexpected formal affair. Either style should work for anyone.

A traditional party may be more expensive. Serving a formal sit down dinner can be expensive. It may require more work than an informal pizza party.

You have nothing to worry about when it comes to mixing up the styles. Your creativity can shine through either whatever style you embrace. It is your creativity that can shine through your planning efforts. As long as you have the right attitude you will have a success. Know how much of modern and traditional you want to use, and you will have no problems finding the kind of event that works for you.

Coming up with your party style is one of the first things you should consider. Be honest with yourself when you decide. Think about which style would make you and your guests happy and stick with it. Don’t be pressured into a style that doesn’t work for you. Take some time to reflect on your personality, and start planning your next party.

Low Budget Party Planning

A great party doesn’t have to be done on a great budget. It is possible to throw a memorable party that costs next to nothing. Be honest about your budget and work with it.

Even a low budget party has to have a budget. For example, if you are unable to spend more than $10.00 per guest and you have a $200.00 budget you can only afford to invite 20 guests. It is pretty straightforward. If you want to invite more people, you either need to decrease your expenses or increase your budget. Neither one of them is easy, but you are going to have to make a decision.

You have to make sure your budget covers the venue, the food and drinks, the decorations, the party favors, and everything else you may deem necessary. Be realistic about determining the expense per person. If you have a $10.00 per person budget, you are not going to be able to afford gourmet catering and Don Perignon champagne.

If you would like to host an elegant party on a small budget consider inviting less people. Your guests will reap the benefits of having less people, but better quality food and drinks.

You could have a small dinner party by inviting two or three couples. For such a small cook you can afford better ingredients, such as fresh seafood and a bottle of fine wine. Since most guests will bring a bottle of wine you don’t need to worry about spending money on several bottles.

Potlucks or barbeques are great low budget party options. If you plan correctly, your party is sure to be a big hit with your guests regardless of your budget. Your attitude, creativity, and effort will have as much to do with how successful you party is as your budget. You may not have a budget for an all around first class event, but you may be able to afford gourmet dessert, or the freshest local caught fish. Upgrading some aspect of your party can help your guests perceive your party as pricey and classy.

Final tip: If you are undecided about how much to spend per guest set your total available budget and divide it by the number of guests you want to invite.

Entertain Or Not

Calling up a few of your friends the day before for an improvised barbeque party requires no planning whatsoever. Such an impromptu event may work really well once, but good parties require good planning. Every party, regardless of size, place or theme, requires some planning.

Normally, the larger the event, the more planning required. For example, weddings are usually planned about two years ahead, but it is not unusual to find people planning their wedding for an even longer period of time. A smaller formal event may require just as much planning as a neighborhood 4th of July block party.

If you are going to plan a party, you need to try to anticipate potential difficulties, unplanned events, mishaps, and small catastrophes. Make sure you minimize potential obstacles, such as a rainy day for a backyard barbeque. If rain is a possibility, think of how it will affect the party. Think of the things you can do to better prepare for such an event.

Some parties involve large groups of people. Large formal events, such as weddings, normally work better when you hire a professional event planner. Although event planners will charge you, but the experience they bring to your event is going to help you create a better event. The event planner can help you with hiring the caterer, securing a great venue, etc. The event planers are experts in making your party a success, so take advantage if them.

Every party is going to cost some amount of money, so make sure you set your budget as early as you can. Your budget will have a lot to do with how many guests you can invite, the kind of food and drinks you serve, the venue, and more. If you can host your party at your house, you are going to spend less than if you had to rent a venue at a hotel or a restaurant. Don’t start shopping or inviting people before you have set your budget. If you only have a budget to entertain 20 people, you can’t even think about inviting 40.

Small and large, parties require planning. Parties cost money, but they don’t have to break the bank. With a little effort you are on your way to a great party.

Do You Want To Party?

What sort of party do you want to throw? Are you going to celebrate a special occasion, such as a 20th anniversary, a wedding reception, a retirement, or do you just feel like getting together with some friends and family. Parties can be just a few people over for some drinks and good food to an elegant wedding reception at a five star resort. A friendly group of people, good food, a comfortable setting is all you need to throw a party.

Parties are as old as fire. People have been coming together to share food, engage in conversation for ages. Young and old, rich and poor have been inviting each other to party with each other throughout history. Sharing food, at home or elsewhere, is just as old as civilization. Parties are among the activities that tie us together as people. Without exception, every holiday, special occasion, or celebration is centered around the sharing of food, company, and conversation.

Rituals and traditions guide and emphasize a lot of the celebrations people have come to love. Some, like the birth of a child, weddings, and death are rites of passage. Others, such a New Years, Christmas, Hanukkah, Thanksgiving focus on secular and religious holidays take place at certain times of the year. Still others, such as the Oscars, the Super Bowl, are special events that present a chance to gather together with friends and family members of similar interest. We not only celebrate the occasion but the opportunity to be together with people we care about.

As you get ready to plan a party you have to ask yourself whether or not you enjoy to party. While you may find it hard to believe, many people don’t enjoy parties. There is nothing wrong with not caring for entertaining, but you have to know this about yourself. You may be afraid something will go wrong, or that you forget something, or you don’t enjoy to have too many people at your house, whatever the reason may be, you need to know if parties are for you or not.

Having people in your home is a private event. Your home is part of you, and what happens there is going to have a lot to do with your overall mood. We all are different, and we all have our own preference about parties. What’s yours?

Beach Parties

Without a doubt one of the best places to party is the beach. Any beach for that matter is going to be more fun than almost any other location. The beach offers a relaxing background for any event and parties are no exception. Any kind of party works well for beaches.

Although daytime beach parties are the most popular, the beach is an excellent location for evening parties. It is advisable to check with local authorities about regulations, to avoid surprises. Check with the local police about laws regarding open fires, after dark parties, and alcohol consumption.

Due to its informal nature, beach parties are very easy to organize. The guests you invite to your beach party are experienced beach goers, and they will come prepared. Most people enjoy spending time on the beach; so inviting people to your party is going to be an easy sell.

Even though the beach is great fun, it is not without its challenges. Sunburn and wind are almost inevitable parts of the beach party. Sand on you and on your food is part of the day. Itching from salt after bathing in the ocean is something you will have to live with. Even with its challenges, a day at the beach is a lot of fun. Having a meal prepared on a grill at the beach is good as it gets.

Make sure you come prepared with suntan lotion, and apply it as soon as you arrive to the beach or before you leave home. Once you have applied the suntan lotion reapply it every 30 seconds. Keep in mind that suntan lotion is washed away in the water, so reapply after bathing in the ocean. To be safe, you should have your party on a beach with a lifeguard on duty. Drowning and rip tides are a reality of any beach party, and it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Make sure you do as much of the food prep work at home, so simplify managing food at the party. Keep meat, dairy, and cheese products. Only remove perishable foods from the cooler when consuming. Bring plenty of water to avoid dehydration on the beach. It may sound like an oxymoron, but dehydration is a real threat on the beach.