How to Plan a Birthday Party

Deciding When and Where to Have the Birthday Party

Choose a date for the birthday party. The sooner you choose a date, the sooner you can get started with planning other elements of the party. Consult with the person whose birthday it is to determine a good day for the party. Check their schedule and take note of any holidays around that time. Keep in mind that many people travel for different holidays. It is advisable to host the party on a weekend. More people will be willing and able to come if it is on a weekend, because many people do not have to work on the weekends.

Select a time for the party. Appropriate times will vary based on who the party is for and the age of that person. If you are throwing a birthday party for a child, host it in the late morning or early afternoon. This is most convenient for families. If you are throwing a party for an adult, then an evening party is appropriate.

Decide on a budget for the party. Parties can easily consume a great deal of money, so it is important to come up with a budget and stick to it. Come up with an overall budget, meaning a total amount that you want to spend on the birthday party. Most people believe that a budget up to £200-300 is reasonable, and many feel keeping party costs under £150 is completely doable. Break down each element of the party (e.g. invitations, food, drink, decorations, venue) and decide how much should be spent in each area.

Create a guest list for the party. There are a few reasons for doing this. A guest list will help you ensure that no one is forgotten when sending out invitations. It will aid you in deciding where to hold the party. A guest list of 12 people means you could host the party in someone's home, if you wanted to do so, but a guest list of 50 people will likely need to be held somewhere else. This will eliminate the risk of people the birthday person does not want attending showing up to the party. Having a number of guests in mind enables you to determine how much food and drink will need to be provided, if you are doing that yourself or having it catered.

Consider where to have the party. This involves knowing the individual for whom the party is being thrown. Take into consideration what the birthday person wants. If he/she wants a more elaborate party, then work to plan the party in a venue that enables that. If he/she is into small gatherings with close friends, then aim for that instead. You will need to decide if you want to have the party in your home or someone else's home in order to keep the venue cost-free. Think about making a reservation at a restaurant if your party is of a reasonable size. Most restaurants can accommodate up to about 25 people without too much issue. Another idea is to host the party at a party or banquet hall. This will be a more expensive option, but it can easily accommodate more people. Think about the guest list and keep in mind if any guests need accommodations. Be sure that wherever you choose caters to people who need certain accommodations, like wheelchairs. EXPERT TIP Stefanie Chu-Leong Stefanie Chu-Leong Owner & Senior Event Planner, Stellify Events Stefanie Chu-Leong is the Owner and Senior Event Planner for Stellify Events, an event management business based in the San Francisco Bay Area and California Central Valley. Stefanie has over 15 years of event planning experience and specializes in large-scale events and special occasions. She has a BA in Marketing from San Francisco State University. Stefanie Chu-Leong Stefanie Chu-Leong Owner & Senior Event Planner, Stellify Events Choose a time and location that work well together. An outdoor party in the woods at 5 pm can get cold fast and require heat lamps while a 1 pm party in a clubhouse might get warm and need a coat check room. Make sure you have the right amenities for your time and location and that they complement each other.

Planning Out the Party Details

Decide if the party should have a theme. Themed birthday parties can be a lot of fun, but they can also end up being more costly when you consider buying everything to match the theme. Weigh the pros and cons of having a themed party based on the person whose birthday it is. Would they like a themed birthday party? Consider whether it is a kid's party or an adult's party. Choose a theme that is age-appropriate, if you decide to go this route. For example, appropriate themes for children would be based on kid-friendly television shows or movies, circus, movie theater, a children's book, or carnival. On the other hand, appropriate themes for adults might be a black-and-white affair, casino, a decade theme, or an adult movie or television show.

Purchase and send out invitations. Once the earlier details are decided upon, then it is time to send out invitations to the guest list. It is best to send out the invitations about 3-4 weeks in advance of the party in order to give people enough time to plan for it. Be sure to include RSVP information on the invitation. Sending out the invitations after you have decided on the earlier details ensures that you have the guest list secured and that you have decided on whether to have a themed party, making you more organized. Be sure to reach out to some of the invited guests for help. They can help set up, clean up, provide food, decorate, and more. It is not necessary to do it all by yourself!

Create a plan for the food and beverages. Based on what you have decided for the party, you have different options for these aspects. Decide what type of food will be best for the party. If you chose a theme, then make sure the food flows with that theme. For example, a camo cake would work great for an army-themed party, but it would seem out of place for a princess-themed party. Know whether any of your guests have food allergies. If so, be sure to provide options that are safe for them to eat or let them know that they are welcome to bring their own food. Be realistic about how much food and drink to provide based on the length of the party. A party that is planned to be an hour or two might only require refreshments and birthday desserts, while a party that is meant to last for several hours will need more of a meal. Make sure that you plan for enough food and drink to cater to all of the guests. Remember, get too much food rather than too little.

Know your obligations for providing the food and drinks. You may or may not be responsible for providing these things, based on your decision about where to host the party. If you are throwing the party in your home or someone else's, decide if you will make all of the food yourself. If not, then reach out to others and ask for their assistance in providing the food and drinks. A potluck is a great idea! If the party is going to be held at a restaurant, then no real planning needs to be done in this area, as the restaurant will take care of that for you! If the party is going to be at a party or banquet hall, then you need to check with their staff about catering options. Find out if you can bring the food, if they will cater the food, or if they have particular vendors they use to cater food for parties. Decide whether alcohol should be provided, if it is an adult birthday party. For example, if the birthday person does not drink and has many friends and family who do not drink, then alcohol would be unnecessary.

Gather decorations for the party. This is one of the most enjoyable parts of the planning! If you decided on a theme for the party, then this will be easy, as you will simply buy decorations to match the theme. If you did not decide on a theme, then think about what the birthday person would want. Does he/she like a lot of decorations, like balloons, streamers, and confetti? Or is he/she more of a laid-back person who is not interested in decorations? Purchase decorations accordingly. Decorations are not as important for an adult's birthday party, but they are quite important for a child's birthday party. Kids are imaginative, so even household items can contribute to the decorations if you want to save money in this area.

Choose entertainment options for the birthday party. This could involve several different types of entertainment. For a child's birthday party, there are many options. Games are great, but they often require supplies, so keep that in mind. You could have a story time, if it goes with the theme. Another idea is to have music playing. You could also hire an entertainer, such as a clown, a magician, or a scientist, if it is in your budget. An adult's party can just as easily include games. It would also be helpful to have music playing in the background, either via a disc jockey or via a homemade setup with a computer or smartphone and speakers. If the party is going to be out on the town, then the entertainment could come in the form of a live band or an activity, such as a comedy show.

Choose what dessert will be. For many birthday parties, this is the most important part! Most of the time, the birthday person will want a cake, especially if it is a child. Decide whether you are going to make the cake yourself or purchase one from a bakery. Know what kind of cake the birthday person likes, and take into consideration any food allergies of the guests. Have an alternative dessert ready if they cannot have the cake. If the birthday person does not want a cake, then provide what they do want! Cupcakes, brownies, pies, cookies, and ice cream are all perfectly acceptable substitutions for birthday cake.

Create a back-up plan in case of weather, especially if the party is outside. Have an alternative location prepared and a system for notifying the guests if the need arises.

Getting Ready for the Party

Arrange your organized help to assist you in setting up the party on the day of. This is why you asked them to help, so make sure they are there to help you! Set up the decorations and food, if necessary. If you are providing the food to the party venue, then be sure to get it to the venue on time. Give yourself enough time to set everything up. Rushing will result in mistakes. Have everything you need in one place, or have dedicated helpers be in charge of what supplies they are helping to provide. Know where everything is to streamline the process.

Have a plan for keeping the food hot or cold, depending on what it needs. If the food is being catered or provided by the restaurant, then that will be taken care of by that business. If you are providing the food in your home or someone else's, then be wary of putting the food out too early. Food can spoil if it is not kept hot or cold.

Notify your guests if you have to move the party to the back-up location. If you had an outdoor party planned and the weather is poor, then your guests need to know where to go instead.

Be prepared for mishaps, because they most likely happen. Take them in stride as best you can. Have a dedicated cool-down area if a child gets upset during the party. It is best if it is away from the rest of the guests. Have a first aid kit and anything else that you think might be necessary in case someone gets injured during the party. If you have pets, keep them secured away from the guests for the duration of the party. Unless your pets are very well behaved and trained, an issue could arise there, from someone being afraid of them to the pets getting loose.