8 Things to Do Before a Party

If you are planning a party there are a few important things you should do beforehand so you are fully prepared. Make sure you have a big enough Westinghouse fridge to store all the food that you prepare and if you are planning on having a lot of guests perhaps check that your contents insurance is up to date in case anything gets broken.

Guest list
The first thing you need to do is work out your guest list. Decide what type of party it is going to be. It might be to celebrate a specific occasions, such as a birthday, an anniversary or it could be for New Year's Eve or a Christmas party. The reason you are having the party will usually determine exactly who gets invited. Sometimes a party is just for close friends and family and other times you might throw a more open house event. Work out your guest list as soon as you can so you can get invitations out early.

Invitations
People's social calendars book up quickly, particularly around the end of the year when there are work Christmas functions and friends catching up to celebrate the silly season. Giving people enough notice by sending out invitations as early as possible will ensure that you have as many of your friends and family there as possible.

Where is it going to be?
As you are working out the guest list you will need to decide where you will be holding the party. If the guest list is exceptionally long you might have to think about holding the party at a reception centre or public hall. You might even choose to have it outside. If you are going to have it at home you will then need to arrange your space at home to accommodate all your guests.

Menu

Working out your menu is something that you should organise fairly quickly, just in case you want to order in something exotic to eat or drink. You may have to order in seafood, for example, or order a turkey for a Christmas lunch. Consider whether any of your guests have special diets, such as they may be lactose intolerant or vegetarians.

Cook
Give yourself the day before and the morning of the party to prepare the food. Work out what you can prepare the day before and try to only have a few last minute things to do the day of the party. You may even be able to cook certain dishes a week or few days in advance and freeze it in readiness for the party.

Let the neighbours know
If you are having the party at home do the right thing buy your neighbours and let them know that you are having a party. If it is a fairly open house event you might want to invite them.

Decorations
If you are having a theme to your party you should decorate your home according to the theme. For example you might choose to have a tropical night with lots of colourful cocktails and have everyone in bright Hawaiian shirts. Decorate your garden with tiki lights, make garlands of flowers and dot candles around your garden.

Hosting
So you don't get stuck in the kitchen all night make sure you work out how you can both host the party and be a part of it at the same time. You don't want to spend all night being run off your feet. You want to be able to relax and enjoy a drink with your friends too./image:clker.com/