It could be a kids’ birthday, a special 18th, 21st, 40th, 50th or whatever birthday, it could be a retirement party, an engagement party or it could even just be ‘the cat finally returned home from his adventures safe and well’ party. Whatever it is, when you decide to hold a party you need to plan ahead and we have the best party ideas for you.
First of all you need a theme. That might be obvious because of the nature of the party, such as a Halloween party, if not you can go with superheroes, fancy dress, 70s retro, famous celebrities, James Bond or anything. You can decide, but this needs to be thought about early, because it can then dictate how you ‘theme’ invites, table décor and banners etc. Other things you need to plan early are a date and venue, obviously, and a guest list, and of course the five things you need to buy right now:
- Invitation cards
It stands to reason that you need to get these sent out ASAP, so that people can save the date and no conflicts arise. It is a great touch to personalise these invitation cards with photos and messages so people feel wanted and welcome. Using the theme you have already decided on is a great way to tie this in to the design of the cards, and if people see you have gone to a lot of effort, it will raise the excitement levels that this is going to be the best party of the year.
- Decorations
Again these can tie into the theme for the party, and you have great options for personalising banners and table décor with jokes, photos and messages based around the theme or the central focus of the party. Personalised banners are a great way to quickly and easily decorate a room, and if it is a surprise party they can’t fail to increase the impact in that brilliant and unique moment when the party and the guests are finally revealed.
- Entertainment
If this is a kids’ party then you may want to hire a bouncy castle or some sort of inflatable fun for the garden. You can also hire magicians, puppet shows and entertainers. For a slightly older age group you might consider a karaoke kit or a Bucking Bronco – if you have safe outside space - or maybe a band or a DJ or a hot tub? Whatever you decide, if you know how to plan a party with X factor, you will book it right now. These kind of party features can get booked up really early, particularly if your party is in the summer months. You’ve set the date, and that isn’t changing, so book your entertainment now and make sure you don’t miss out.
- Drink
You can’t have a party without drink, so get your order in at the bar as early as you can. And as a smart gesture which is bound to go down well, you can personalise your beer, cider and champagne as a great gift for the party and ensure that it really goes with a pop.
- Presents
Whatever the occasion, presents are the best way to make someone feel special and if you are feeling generous you can even extend this to a small gift for all the invitees. This is usually the case at kids’ parties anyway, but you can extend the party theme and add personalised wrapping paper to make sure you have everything, literally, covered.