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A Stress-Free Approach to Event Planning + 5 Tips to Inspire the Ultimate Get Together

3/8/2019

 
​Life is full of celebrations. From holidays to even the tiny things such as a friendly gathering. The task at hand in the very beginning could be daunting—having so much to do yet no time is one example of thoughts that may occur. In this post I rounded-up some of my favorite essentials to having a stress-free time from beginning to end of planning or helping plan in your next great event.
A Lifestyle Created From Being Too Sassy
​Life is meant to be celebrated so why not do it with others around!

​For a lot of people holidays or parties can be overwhelming and requires a lot of work—hence why some people may not throw as many gatherings as they would want or have fun in the process of doing so—but as you grow you learn from experience the best methods to take for your lifestyle. For the first phase of planning you’re going to need a notebook, or you can use your cell, but I prefer to connect with life other from technology when doing things such as this. It gives time to focus without distractions and brings out your best inner-host. Before the fun can really begin planning any event you have five core elements to focus your attention on:
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Who
What
When
Where
Why
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In the picture below I created a table that is very useful to help map out your thoughts in the starting process:
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Getting Started

Tip #1: Reason
Having a good reason will set the tone of planning your next get-together. It will give you an inspired purpose even if it’s a tiny one. For me personally when I do anything I need to have a purpose, not everyone is like that but still it will help with deciding who is coming, what you need, when it is, where it would be and why you need it—it doesn’t have to be something big like a birthday, you may just want to gather your clique for a night in to catch up.

Tip #2: Your Guests Are the Most Important
Once you decided a good reason—remember sometimes you don’t need a reason or an excuse to want a party, just saying—still as the host please consider the feelings of your wider social circle as well as those who are part of your inner depending on the event. When it comes to making a guest list here is how you can metric the size of what your planning:

  • A small or an intimate gathering is considered less than 15
  • A medium (15-30)
  • A fabulous bash (more than 30)

When your guests walk into the party what do you want them to feel? The best way to figure that out is asking yourself by putting together the vibe: Is it big or small? Quiet or loud? Fancy or casual? Do you want your family and friends to feel warm and comfortable, or chic and fabulous? You know what fits you best, don’t be someone you’re not even when throwing a party—be yourself and everyone will have a great time and if you’re feeling adventurous go out of your comfort zone you may surprise yourself. Please make sure at least all of you guests know one person they can have a conversation with, if someone doesn’t at least one of your friends should step up and make them feel welcomed. I’ve been to parties where I was left feeling out of place because no one even tried other from the host to talk to me and I told myself, “I’ll never go to another party again. I shouldn’t have gone. Staying home in bed reading would have been fine with me.” One of the worst feelings is being at a group event and feeling invisible.

P.s don’t forget kids. Make sure you understand if it is going to be kid friendly or an adult only. Even if kids are allowed you do not need to center it around them. Be sure to have a place aside for those with kids so they’re able to have fun with you. If you have friends even family with children don’t exclude them based on your decision simply let them know in a friendly way, they are welcomed but no kids will be allowed for the reason you picked, if that is your choice. 


Tip #3: Times Your Events Should Be Held
Having an idea of the time really gives you more of what each event should consist of food wise, drink wise and of course the carbs that make the icing of every party. Clearly if your guests have committed to your event you owe it to them as they’ve invested their entire evening or mid-day to you. Giving a full-blown experience shows you value their time and you guys will make amazing memories together. Below I have listed definitions of good times to start certain things:

  • Brunch: Typically, held between 11-1, while lunch can start at 12 if that is the vibe you’re going for.
  • Afternoon Party: During the summer hours a great time to start is 4 P.M but when the sun isn’t quite as bright like during winter a good time to start is 3 P.M because you’re able to maximize your daylight hours.
  • Cocktail Parties: Now this goes back to considering your guests, if they have children and are coming with them, 6 P.M is a great time to start because it allows space for them to have fun and get their children home in time for bed. If it is an adult only, 7 P.M is a more accurate starting point.
  • Dinner Party: If you’re able to combine both a cocktail party with dinner then you would start dinner promptly at 8 P.M, if kids are involved again starting an hour before would be a great place to start the event. If it is strictly dinner, anytime between 6 P.M-8 P.M. Side note regarding dinner parties: These are typically held on a weekend with a variety of things occurring throughout the evening; cocktails, the meal, dessert, and after-dinner drinks. Find the perfect formula for you and make it work.
  • Dessert and Champagne Party: This would be an after-hour party typically starting after 7 P.M.


Picking The Place

The setting of your party is the core, basically. You want it to be an environment where people can enjoy themselves and you, yourself should also enjoy it with them. A place you choose should be something cozy yet luxe but affordable—at this stage in your life or at any, impressing your friends shouldn’t be on your mind because real friends don’t judge you. So, pick a place that works best for you. If someone doesn’t like it, screw them, don’t invite them next time. Thank you, next them! Ha-ha!   
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Tip #4: Having It at Home Saves A Ton of Money
Those who have a budget can’t always afford a fancy venue or a party hall, so why not make your home a welcoming spot to make this magic happen. A home party is extremely cost-effective. You’re able to make the rules, have food delivered/cooking yourself or even doing a pot-luck allowing each guest, if they want to add a special value of themselves by bringing a food of their choice. Making everyone feel welcomed is a great way to build memories and share warming compliments. It’s something you guys won’t forget.

Tips #5: If Home isn’t The Place Try A Restaurant
When looking for a space try a restaurant with a patio or a side space you can rent for the time needed. It’s easier to rent a space than a whole entire restaurant—yes people do that. Ha-ha! If I were going to spend money on renting out an entire restaurant best believe I wouldn’t because I would be going to the mall to buy me some new clothes with that price, anyways back to topic.

The cheapest days to rent spaces for the event you are currently planning is Sunday. Friday and Saturday  are typically when a restaurant gets most of their business. It will cost more on one of those days. A slower day you will get a better rate. When picking a time with the hotel or restaurant the best time is between 4-6 P.M., after lunch has finished but before the dinner crowd has arrived. Why? Because they realize it’s a dead time for them which means you are bringing them in business they typically wouldn’t get—hence you get a good rate. If a restaurant doesn’t ordinarily serve breakfast and you want to host a brunch, ask to do an event from 10-12 P.M. Your brunch will bring in extra money, even if they give you a deal. Win-win for both of you. To manage an afford budget plan work with your venue and be flexible with time. If it’s cheaper, it’s totally worth it.

I hope these tips help at least get your mind thinking of a good way to approach your next gathering or has inspired you to do so in a stress-free way. Remember to share this with someone who may not know of these tips and you see them always putting together parties. It may take away a sense of them being overwhelmed. Thank you for reading. I will do more styled posts like this but adding things like how to create themes for a party, how to create the perfect menu and so forth. See you soon!

Stay cute and stay you, xo
Paul Travis
p.s My lines of communication are open on social media and via email so feel free to share your thoughts on either platform. If you share this post, I appreciate you so much. Thank you for all the support and love. Have a beautiful day! 

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    Paul Travis

    Paul Travis

    Sassy, Fun, Creative & A Bit Dramatic // Follow Me On My Journey. Stay Cute, xo



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