decorating for a luau party
As an unofficial part-time party planner, friends always come to me for advice for things like finding a theme, getting people to come, and all other aspects of party planning. I usually use the same process for each of my clients, and it's a successful process that I'm going to share right now.
The most important part of organizing a party is to first choose a theme. The theme can be something like “beach party” or “luau party”. Of course, your party doesn't have to be so extravagant. “Matt's Kegger” will work just fine. The important thing is that you have a theme; this will act as an outline for the remainder of your party planning.
Now that you've got a good theme, it's time to get party supplies! Now, if you've got a little time before your party you can shop online and find some great deals. Otherwise, hightail it to the nearest party supply outlet. Here is where the theme becomes important. Say you're preparing for a “glow-in-the-dark” party. You'll want to stay away from things like flowers and balloons and instead grab some glow sticks and glow necklaces. Staying in line with your chosen theme not only saves you money but gives you direction and keeps you focused on the important things you need for your party.
All right. You've got a theme, and you've got (or ordered) supplies. Now you need to establish the time and day of your party. Here theme is important as well. If you're planning a luau, you can probably plan it for early evening. Parties involving alcohol (only if you and your guests are over 21) can be planned for later in the night on Thursdays, Fridays, or Saturdays, when attendees will be looking for these sorts of parties.
Okay, so you've got the what, when, where, and why of the party. All that's missing are invitations! In old times (and for formal events) people would send or hand out paper invitations to their parties. In the day and age of Facebook, however, you're much less likely to be successful relying on snail mail to get your invites out. The quickest way to announce a party is on Facebook, which many students check often. On Facebook, you can convey all the vital information of the party and even decide who you want to invite! With Facebook's “Attending/Not Attending/Maybe Attending” feature, you can not only get a decent guest list but can also anticipate whether or not you have enough supplies.
The hard part of planning the party is now over. All you have left to do is decorate (if your theme calls for it) and wait for your party to become a hit!
Posted on Thursday, October 16, 2008 @ 10:46 AM by Brian