10 Tips for an Easy New Year's Eve Party

Here are a few quick tips to make your New Year's Eve party planning easier this year.

1. Set your budget. This will help you when determining how many people to invite and what your party options are.
2. Save time & money on your invitations. Email or phone invites are your cheapest options, and with so many options for email invites you can go all out. If you prefer to mail your invitations; save a stamp by including your New Year's Party invite in with your holiday cards.
3. Choose a theme. You can choose anything from Western to Aliens! You can also go with a more subtle theme such as a color. Metallic colors are always fun, but we also love an all white New Year's Eve party.
4. Are Children Allowed? If your party will include children, make sure you have food appropriate for them as well as activities planned to keep them entertained. A quiet area where they can go to rest is always a smart idea for those who cannot make it until midnight. You can even arrange to let them have their own separate sleepover party and hire a babysitter to mind them for the night.
5. Unique Menu Ideas. Since a New Year's party will start later, guests will not expect a full meal. A variety of hors d'oeuvres is the best way to go. A dessert buffet and drinks is another great option.
6.  Always have extra. Be prepared for the unexpected guests or extra-hungry, super-thirsty crowd. Add a couple of bags of quality chips, extra crackers and cheese, and even an extra roll of cookie dough. Make sure these items are something you will eat if you don't break them out for the party. Ice you may have to take a loss on, but it is better than having to little.
7. Keep you liquor cost under control. Guests will usually have 2 drinks in the first hour, and one drink each hour after that. Many places will allow you to return unopened alcohol, so you can overbuy and return the excess if you worry about running out.
8. Rent. Local rental companies are a great source for glassware, linens, flatware and more. I find this to be a great alternative to purchasing (and then storing) all of the extra items for entertaining.
9. Create a great soundtrack. Depending on your theme or personal tastes, you may have different ideas for music. Time is always a great theme for a New Year's playlist. Here are a few fun songs to get you started:
             1999 - Prince
             Celebration – Kool & the Gang
             Rock That Body – The Black Eyed Peas
             In Da Club – 50 Cent
             All Night Long – Lionel Ritchie
10. Don't forget to have fun! Try to prepare food ahead of time and set up a self serve drink bar to cut down on the work you need to do throughout the party. That way you can have to time see your guests and be a good host or hostess! If you are planning on having more that 50 people, enlist a few close friends to lend a hand throughout the night or hire a party planner so all you have to do is sit back and enjoy the party.

Holiday Party Planning Tips

It's that time of year again…the holidays…Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years.

Planning your own party can be stressful. You want your party to be the best and you want all of your guests to have a great time and talk about your party for months to come.

How do you plan a great party?  We've listed a few useful tips to help you plan the best holiday party ever.

1. Start You Planning Now!

Give yourself plenty of time to plan and organize. You need time to research (vendors, venues, etc.) It’s important when planning your party to start the planning process early so you can book the vendors you want when you need them.

2. Visualize your party

What do you want your party to look like? Is it formal or informal? What's the décor?

3. Prepare a Budget

Take what you've visualized and begin to create a realistic plan. Your budget may not allow you to have everything so you may have to prioritize. Make a list of what you feel you absolutely have to have for your party, then based your budget eliminate those things you can do without.

4. Hire an Event Planner

If your budget allows enlist the help of a party planner. Planners can help you with all those tiresome little details that are so easy to overlook. Planners can help you find reputable vendors, great venues, help you establish and maintain your budget and help you get the most for your money.

5. Send Your Invitations

Once you've finalized your guest list get your invitations out ASAP. You need to give your guests ample time to RSVP so you can get an accurate guest count. Providing accurate head counts to your vendors is vital to help you stay within your budget.

6. Create an Event Timeline

When does the caterer arrive? What time do you want the band to begin playing? What time do those extra tables and chairs arrive so they'll be set up when the guests arrive?

These are just a few guidelines on how you can start your holiday planning process.

Remember to have some fun with the planning process, after all it is a party you're planning and parties are supposed to be fun!

So best of luck and happy holiday party planning