So, you want to plan a party, huh? Lol. Party planning can be super fun or super stressful. (Or super fun and stressful). Ultimately, we want to take the stress out of party planning. A big part of that stress is wondering what you need to plan, falling off track and over buying things for your party and blowing the budget. I developed a Party Profile printable worksheet to help you with organization! It will guide you through answering the eternal party planning questions. Are you ready? It’s not rocket science…..”who, what, when, where, why”.
Aside from providing you one place to plan your party out, The Party Profile will also act as a place for you to reference back as you complete your planning. If you’re getting overwhelmed, lost, or confused, you can bust out your Party Profile printable worksheet!
We’ll go through section by section to discuss important things to remember and how it can help you in the planning process. I would follow the order of who, what, when, where, why because when you get to the “where”, it will largely depend on what and when. So, it’s best to stick to the program! Let’s dig in…
Party Profile: Who
“Who is coming to your party?” seems like a simple enough question. But, there is inevitably someone you forget or a couple people that you invite that don’t get along (talk about unwanted stress). This part of the profile provides you a spot to write everyone’s name out. It has 37 spots, purely for the reason of spacing. But, if you’re throwing a raging party, flip it over to the back. It still accomplishes keeping your invite list in one place.
Once you write this all out, you’ll be able to look at your list and determine if you’re missing any people! Also, you’ll see any potential issues in terms of relationships of people to each other. Finally, the biggest benefit of having your list of guests on the party profile is that you won’t write it on a scrap of paper and lose it! You won’t have to remember, where did I put my guest list!? You’ve got a one-stop place for the beginning of your planning.
Party Profile: What
Start with your party theme. This does not have to mean you’re having a Flamingo Party (although, why not?!). It can be a color scheme, a feeling, or a traditional themed party. You might just put purple. Maybe that’s the only theme you’ll have. Or, you may put classy for your theme. No matter what you choose, you’ll have it written down to reference. What’s the budget? This is an important one. What is your – go no higher than this number – budget? Write it down so you can stick to it.
The next area in the “What” category talks about vibe. Circle all that you want to apply to your party. There are a bunch of adjectives here. Don’t overthink it. Just go with your gut. Can you have a chic, formal, pineapple themed party? Absolutely. You do you! But, at least circling your words here will help you finish your planning.
When you’re out and about shopping for party supplies, print this profile and bring it with you! Some of the most questions I get are about how to make your party look cohesive. This is how. If you’re cruising the aisles of party city for your chic, formal, pineapple theme – you’ll be more likely to skip the grass skirt and go with a classier look to match what you want your party to feel like.
Deciding ahead of time what food you want to have sounds daunting. But, we aren’t getting into detail. All we are deciding is Catered, Home Made, or Potluck. Pick one option. Don’t confuse yourself. Commit, girl! (or dude!) I’m indecisive, so I get it. But, coming up with a basic framework for your food will help your determine what you need later when you’re budgeting.
Finally, we are going to do the same with drinks. What will you serve? You can circle as many as you want in this category. You can have it all here! (If you want). It really reminds me of Ducky from Pretty in Pink:
Party Profile: When
Deciding when to have your party is pretty straightforward, but important for the planning process. What day of the week, what date? Also think about season. If it’s summer, that may affect your “where” in the next section. So, you want to choose these details: date, day, time of day, season. Finally, you’ll write down the typical weather you have during that time/season.
This way if you’re carrying your party profile printable worksheet while shopping, you can look at it for reference. Want that cute chocolate covered whatever? Well if your party is outdoors and in the middle of summer, probably not the best use of your money! The Party Profile printable worksheet is here to save you time, money and stress!
Party Profile: Where
This section has two seemingly simple questions about where your party will take place. The first is indoor or outdoor. Don’t just circle both, make a decision. I know that sounds harsh, but your party planning will thank me later. Choosing indoor or outdoor will help you plan the rest of your party things like venue, food, activities and more.
The second question is a choice between party at home or at a venue. This is a biggie for your budget. Deciding ahead of time whether you’re having the party at home or not will dictate how much you can spend on the rest of your party. It will also help you decide what kind of decorations, food and more you’ll be having. Sometimes outside venues have certain restrictions. If you’re not sure what to ask a venue when you are searching. Check out this post with 10 questions to ask a potential venue.
Finally, there is a space for the address. Hopefully you know your own address. But if you are having a party somewhere else, you can jot down the address to the place on your printable worksheet. You can also put it in your phone, but what can I say, I’m old school. Lol.
Party Profile: Why?
This is probably the most overlooked AND most important party planning question. Why are you celebrating? Yes, it’s Lauren’s birthday, or whatever. But, it’s so much more than that. Who are you celebrating and how are they related to you? For example, is Lauren your sister? Friend? Coworker? And what are you celebrating? A promotion? Birthday? Bridal Shower? These questions will help you focus in on true reason for celebration.
When you can focus on the feeling and the sentiment of your party, you’ll have a good mental space to come back to when you’re stressed. If you’re mid meltdown because they don’t have helium for balloons at the party store (happened to me before) or because the caterer cancelled at the last minute, you can look at your why and remember what the whole thing was about.
It’s truly a party to get together your family and/or friends to celebrate this special person. Ultimately, your family will still love you regardless of balloons or food. (And your friends should too, otherwise, you might need to think about those friends!) But, keeping the reason for the party in mind, will help you ease your stress!
Wrap Up
That’s it! That’s the Party Profile printable worksheet. It’s a basic outline for the planning of your party. It’s here to help you stay organized and stay on track throughout planning your party. If you need some party inspiration, check out the rest of the blog posts as well as EventOTB’s Pinterest Page. The party profile worksheet will help you when it comes time to budget, and be a great resource to you. Sign up below to download your free copy and let’s get going!
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