Hey friends!
Today we are going to dive into my 5 tips for making birthday party planning a breeze! As you can imagine, this topic is timely for me because I am getting ready to jump into party planning for my daughter’s upcoming birthday. This isn’t a “milestone” birthday, but I think that she has convinced me to throw her a party. It is funny because I screamed from the rooftops that last year was her last party until her Sweet 16! But per usual, the joke is on me! 🙂
It is amazing to me how each year I know that my daughter’s birthday is coming up, but yet I find myself waiting until the last minute to finalize the details. In the past, my timeline started at least 90 days before the party date so that I could be prepared. This year, I don’t even have 60 days…at the time, I was serious when I said that was the last party. Silly me!Â
Now that I am in party planning mood, I’m working to get organized quickly so that I don’t overspend, but most importantly I need to make sure that I don’t forget anything.
I hope that you find this plan helpful as you get ready to plan your event! These are the 5 categories that we are going to cover today:
1)Budget
2)Location
3)Invitation List
4)Decorations
5)Food
Budget
The very first thing to do when party planning is to set a budget! Setting and sticking to a set budget will hopefully allow you to avoid overspending! This set budget determines everything else involved with the party (location, decorations, food, and gifts).Â
I know that I can go overboard with spending 🙂 because planning her parties is one of my favorite things to do along with seeing her smile! Also, I feel like birthdays are the one day every year where the world literally revolves around you. Why not make it special?
 After determining the budget, I always start with researching locations to have her party. Many places offer birthday party packages based on the number of attendees. When researching places, I know the budget is based on the cost of additional items that will need to be purchased in order to make the party a success. The cost of party packages determines if the budget will need to be adjusted before anything is booked.Â
*I would recommend not going above $200 from the original budget if you can help it.
Location
Kid-friendly venues are great at appealing to families as venue options for birthday parties. If a venue has your child’s birthdate, they typically email party promotions around the birthday month. Venues offer various options as far as entertainment and food packages. Think carefully about the age of the child and the entertainment options that are available carefully before committing to a party venue. You don’t want to book a skate party for a child that is too young to skate. Instead, think about having a party at home or at your local park. For older children, look into venues that your child has expressed interest and think about having the party there if it fits your budget.Â
Invitation List
Figuring out how many party guests you should invite to a birthday party can be super tricky! If your child is a social butterfly like mine, be very careful when discussing birthday party attendees because that list will get out of hand really fast! Keep re-visiting sections #1 and #2 above to keep everything within your budget. Pay close attention to the packages offered at the venue you have selected and the number of guests that are allowed with each package. Sometimes, adults are included in the party headcount, and if that is the case it really limits the number of party attendees! Don’t forget to think through how you plan to invite children to the party. If your invitation method is an additional expense, include invitations in your budget.
Decorations
Location, location, location! Location is super important when determining the type of decorations you are selecting. Depending on the party venue, decorations may not be allowed or even needed. I strongly suggest that you read the party package details in their entirety when deciding on a venue for the party. You do not want to purchase decorations UNTIL the party venue has been confirmed! You could be wasting precious budget money if the items you purchase are not permitted in the venue, or if the items need to be hung with tape and the venue doesn’t allow that. Always re-visit your paperwork before making any final decisions on decorations.Â
Food
Birthday party food and dessert are vital to making a successful birthday party. Things to consider: budget, location, and invitation list.
Be mindful of the venue’s policy on food. Sometimes venues will let you bring your own food sometimes you can’t. This policy can also apply to cakes! Think about the most budget friendly option for the number of guests that you are expecting. Pizza is usually my go to option because most children and adults like pizza. It is filling and pretty easy to clean up. However, if the chosen venue doesn’t allow outside food, you will need to re-think your food plan.
When thinking about dessert, I usually go to Publix for all of our cake/cupcake needs! The cakes can be customized and always come delicious and pretty! (This is not an endorsement but my opinion!)
I really hope these party planning tips make party planning less stressful for you!
See you soon- MQ
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