Tips for Stress-Free Party Planning

The idea of hosting a large, informal gathering at home is often intimidating to people. Mostly because they don’t know where to begin and immediately start stressing about it. If you didn’t know already, stress is a great way to take all the fun out of an event. I used to get just as stressed as the next person if not more; however, working through this was important. Years ago, I married into a very large and social Asian family. Suddenly, learning to host large home events became a priority for this introverted gal. Over the years we have had many large parties at our home which have contributed to keeping the family bond tight as well as bringing up a generation of close-knit cousins. All of this provided a good platform to practice stress-free party planning.

In the journey to learn stress-free party planning there have been plenty of mistakes, but each mishap is an opportunity to learn. My mistakes have been numerous because I am the queen of over-doing and overthinking things, not to mention a bonafide perfectionist. However, working through the mishaps provided lots of learning curves. Additionally, I’ve gone on to organize food for other large groups as well as some light catering which also taught me a lot. The results? These days you will often find me relaxing with a glass of prosecco on the day of a big party at our house with very little to do. When the guests arrive, I can move around and socialize with them. So, the big question is how get to that point?

Time to think about your event allows for more creativity and ideas.

The key is planning

The big key to stress-free events is plan, plan, plan. Sure, you can make a list, but this is a bit vague. Taking time to map out everything in a categorical way such as delegating tasks, scheduling jobs, parking, food, drinks, etc. will make things much easier. Good planning makes all the difference in an event that runs smoothly with the hosts being able to socialize with their guests. The other option is running around completely falling apart and being unable to talk to guests. Having personally witnessed this in action I don’t recommend it. Obviously, the first option is far more pleasant, making it the better choice.

The following list is a compilation of my best tips for stress-free party planning to help ensure your event is fun for not only your guests, but you as well!

Tips for Stress-Free Party Planning

• Give yourself enough time to allow things to come together in your head. This is an important step, so don’t neglect it. Processing details over time is an excellent way to mentally go through each step. It isn’t necessary to think constantly about it. The point is that your brain has a chance to go through everything. It is amazing how many details come together by doing this. For a large, informal home event I recommend planning 1-2 months ahead.
• Use a party planner. A year ago, I saw a lovely looking party planner that really captured the spirit of events with its focus on why you are celebrating. Its simple structure was appealing, and it now gets pulled out for holidays and events. I recommend a party planner.

• Gather ideas. Pinterest is a wonderful place to set up a board just for this. Collecting great ideas in one location that can be referred to for inspiration is both easy and beneficial. Don’t wait for an event to happen to do this either. Collect ideas to have on hand for when you do have an event. It saves the stress of looking while you are trying to plan.

• Meal plan well in advance. Food is important, so this should be one of the first tasks you do. This gives you time to consider what would be appropriate for the occasion, theme, availability of ingredients, etc. It also allows time for purchasing food and stocking up. Additionally, if you want to order local food or caterers this should give you enough time.

• The food doesn’t all have to be from scratch. This was one of my mistakes early on. My eating philosophy is to make homemade as much as possible and avoid processed foods. This is a good and healthy way to live, but it is more than okay to make occasional exceptions. For example, brownies made from a box are perfectly acceptable. One of my food tricks is to bake a box of brownies and cut them into squares, putting a rosette of frosting on top- very pretty and easy! Another example is pre-made Caesar salads kits. These are great because people love Caesar salads, and the kit makes it so easy to throw together at the last minute.

• Shop for food early. Last minute shopping for food and supplies for your event is only going to create a lot of stress. Furthermore, it may force last minute changes if the store is out of certain items you need. This is especially true at the holiday season because stores aren’t necessarily going to restock certain specialty items. Try to shop at least a week in advance for as much as you can buy ahead of time. Some things such as fresh veggies need to be purchased a day or two before, but this is minimal.

• Keep a supply of party items/décor on hand. The pantry always has plates, cups, silverware, etc. Keeping a store of seasonal décor such as tablecloths, dried flowers, serving pieces, etc. is also very helpful.

• Buy off-season. We entertain regularly, so if I see a 90% off sale in fall for July 4th items then I will buy them for the next year. If a store is running a special on plates, napkins, and/or plastic flatware then I load up.

• Keep menu simple and serve foods that are crowd friendly. It is not necessary to design an ultra-gourmet menu with hand-stuffed olives or freshly made crepes topped with candied violets. In fact, the menu can be a huge source of stress, so be reasonable in your expectations. If local catering is in the budget this is a great option and often is not as expensive as you might think. Also, having a list of easy meal plans to draw on is very helpful. One easy and large group friendly meal is lasagna, Caesar salad, and French bread. Lasagna easily feeds a crowd and is made in advance. Serve with Caesar salad made from a kit and bakery French bread and you’re good to go!
• Sketch out a party map. Where do you want to serve food, drinks, seat guests, etc. Having a sketched idea of everything is helpful for visualization.
• Assign dishes. Have you ever found you didn’t have enough serving dishes and started pulling out mixing bowls or whatever you could to make do? Well, one helpful strategy is to pre-assign which food go in which dishes. This will help ensure your bases are covered and if you need any extra serving dishes.

• At least 2 weeks in advance make a countdown/day off strategy. At least 2 weeks before for the day of the event, I write down the jobs I need to do and when I will do it. Things are spaced out, so I am not overwhelmed. For example, 5 days before thanksgiving I make the cranberry sauce because it can be made that far in advance. 2-3 days before I make the casseroles and refrigerate them. etc. etc. Why this works? Because you aren’t doing everything at the last minute. Make the best use of your time beforehand with a specific list of spaced-out jobs. This is a big help in creating a stress-free event.

• Delegate. When people arrive, there are often many who want to help. I have a list of small jobs for my “doers” such as taking coats, checking food table, etc. This is much easier than trying to think of jobs on the spot. Some people just insist on helping, so it’s better to be proactive here. So rather than trying to think of things at the last minute have a list beforehand.

• Plan parking. If your party is extra-large then it is a good idea to decide where parking should be and delegate this job out as well. Even better, I grab my 25-year-old son and his same-age cousin to direct cars. This beats confusion and irritated guests not to mention the distraction of having guests come and find you to handle situations.

• Keep calm. Nothing is more unnerving or more uncomfortable to guests than a host having a melt down due to stress. This easily could be me which is why I make such a deal about advance planning. Remember, this is supposed to be fun!

I hope these tips for stress-free party planning are helpful to you! Thank you for stopping by and have an amazing event!

Stocking up on sale party goods ahead of time saves both time and money!