Plan A Party At Home In 12 Steps

Working out who is going to be at your party is essential (including children). This will determine what you will be cooking, what snacks are going to be offered and any dietary requirements.

Start off with a list of names or group them under families so you can determine the number of people. Then place next to the list of people their dietary requirements.

2. What Is The Start And End Time Of Your Event?

The start and end time of your event will determine the amount of food, starters and drinks you need for the people you are inviting.

For example if it’s a 3 hour event, you know that you would need a smaller amount of starters, food and drinks, than say a 10 hour new year's event.

 3. Make A Clear Invitation

A clear invitation is something that is so important but often missed in a midst of all the chaos of organising. Don’t forget to put the following on your invitation:

•  Date of Party. Example:

• Start and End time. Example:

• Be specific on who is invited. Example:

• Let guests know what to wear. Example

If there is a theme say for e.g. Its Hawaiian theme dress up, Halloween theme dress up

• If it’s a Bring Your Own (BYO) list that on the invitation

• Say what food and drinks you are preparing so guests are aware. Example:

• Let people know that you can adjust for dietary and drink requirements. Example:

Please let me know if you have any dietary requirements or want any specific drinks.

• RSVP if you require it. Example:

 4. Create A Food List

Once you figure out how many people are coming to your event and what food you need, create a food and shopping list.

Sometimes this can be difficult because you need to consider the following factors:

• What is the start and end time of your event?
• Will you do starters?

The best way to start off with the food list is establish the occasion. This will determine the type of food you need. I have developed a list which you can apply to most parties and is spilt between main meals and starters/snacks.

Main Meals

• Roast chicken, lamb, pork and beef (BBQ or Oven)
• Roast potatoes (BBQ or Oven)
• Fish, mackerel, salmon and barramundi are favourites
• Burger patties and rolls
• Potato salad
• Spicy Rice
• Spaghetti or any type of pasta for that matter
• Risotto
• Sausages
• Vegetarian Noodles
• Greek Salad

Sides

• Lamb/chicken/pork kebabs
• Chicken nibbles
• Tacos
• Quiches

Snacks and starters

Grazing platters are the best to serve and easy for guests to eat while chatting and having drinks. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Fruit
• Potato chips
• Corn Chips
• Hummus dip
• Cucumber dip
• Beetroot dip
• Cheese dip
• Sushi

Deli favourites

• Dolmade's
• Sliced turkey, ham, salami
• Cabana
• Swiss cheese
• Tasty cheese
• Blue cheese
• Brie
• Smoked salmon
• Sun dried tomatoes
• Olives
• Calamari/octopus

Desert

• Chocolate cake
• Cheese cake
• Cupcakes
• Ice crème best to stick with favourites like chocolate and vanilla
• Crepes

Condiments

• Salt and Pepper
• BBQ sauce
• Tomato sauce
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Salad dressing
• Ranch dressing
• Soy sauce
• Chilli Sauce (both sweet and hot)

Now you have your food for your occasion, you can get your shopping list in order. Separating the list in order of where to buy is usually the easiest. For example:

• Deli
• Butcher
• Fish Monger
• Fruit and Vegetable shop
• Supermarket
• Bottle/Liquor store

5. Create Some Signature Cocktails And A Drinks List

Get a sense of what your guests would like to drink. However, there are some go to drinks that would keep any party happy.

Non-alcoholic that can be used as mixers as well

• Soda water
• Orange juice
• Apple juice
• Cranberry juicy
• Lemonade
• Cola
• Ginger ale
• Bitters

Alcohol

• Vodka
• Beer
• Gin
• Whiskey
• Bourbon
• Red wine, Pinot Nior, Cabernet, Merlot and Rose
• White wine, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Muscat and Pinot Gris
• Champagne
• Sparkling wine
• Tequila

Simple and easy cocktail list:

• Mojito
• Margherita
• Pino Colada
• Negroni

For full recipes see our blog SIMPLE AND EASY COCKTAILS FOR YOUR HOME PARTY.

6. Serving And Partyware

Depending on how many guests you're having its always a good idea to double check what you have in your kitchen cupboards in terms of serving ware, glassware and cutlery.

A few key pieces that you can use:

• Forks, knives, spoons and serviettes
• Plates and/or bowls
• Cups for drinks

Eco Friendly Compostable Plate and Cutlery Pack (25) Amazon $70

• Grazing platters

Rustic Metal Serving Tray  Lily and Lane from $33

• Trays for meats and salads

Classic gold serving plates Lily and Lane from $16.20

• Bowls for rice
• Wine/champagne/cocktail glasses
• Food covers to keep things warm

7. Music

Creating an atmosphere right when your guests walk in can change the mood right away. It's important to create the right play list.

If you don’t want to continue changing the music all night, set up a playlist on Spotify or do it yourself on your PC or phone.

The best way to set up a playlist is the following:

• Start with smooth tunes, café, house or jazz
• When all or a majority of guests arrive move into RnB or more upbeat music
• At the later end of the party set the tunes at guests request or music that will get people up and dancing (if the occasion calls for it).

8. Decorations

Decorations can create another level of atmosphere depending on the occasion. Figure out what theme you're going for and start scoping out some decorations. Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Balloons

Dusty Rose Pink Balloon Garland Kit Arch  Amazon $39.50

• Lanterns

18Pcs Gold Foil Paper Lantern Set Amazon $36.98

• Fairy/String lights

Solar String Lights Amazon $19.99

• Curtain Lights

Curtain String Lights Amazon $16.99

• Multiple Candles

Stonebriar 35 Hour Long Burning Unscented Pillar Candles Amazon $31.22

• Flowers

5PCS Silk Hydrangea Decorative Flowers Lily and Lane From $10.99

9. Work Out Your Event Space

Are you going to have it indoors, outdoors or both? If it is outdoors, weather checking is a must. And always have a Plan B, make sure you can change to indoors easily before guests arrive or have suitable covering.

Depending on how many guests your having double check the following:

• Is there enough seating available for everyone? Usually at events there is standing and sitting but you want to make sure that there are enough seats to go around especially for eating.
• Make sure you have a table space just for main meal foods. This needs to be somewhere warm and away from wind.
• Create a drinks area. Group your drinks into non-alcoholic and mixers. Then alcoholic drinks and cocktail corner.

10. Clean Your Space And Get It Party Ready 

Give your home a spruce up a couple of days prior to the party happening. This will give you time on the day to do a quick clean up prior to guests arriving.

Any spaces your guests will be entering should be sparkled up. This includes kitchen, bathroom, dining, lounge and outdoor areas.

 11. Prep Your Food And Event Space

Preparing food before the day will save you time so you can mingle with your guests and enjoy the event. Here are some things you can do the day prior.

Food Prep

• Marinate your meats, fish and vegetables
• Skewer any meats/or vegetables
• Prepare any rice or pasta dishes
• Chop and prep any vegetables or fruit to put together on the day
• Bake or cook any deserts
• Salads like potato salad can be done the night before and put in the fridge

Event Space

• Prepare your space for the next day including tables, chairs and decorations that can be set up the day before.
• Set up your drinking area
• Set up cutlery, napkins and serving trays
• Make sure your music system is working

 12. On The Day

If you have prepped everything in the days prior, your event day should be a breeze. Ensure that you go over your checklist and make sure you have everything you need and if not you can do a quick shop.

Start cooking at least 2 hours before your guests arrive to ensure the food is hot.

30 to 15 minutes before guests arrive set up your starters and snacks. Also make sure that you place drinks that need to be cooled in ice ready for guests to drink.

Set up the music and get yourself ready for a great day or night.