Planning a last-minute party at home?
Follow the 6 steps in our handy party planning guide and you’ll glide through your party preparations with ease.
Party Planning Guide
1. Invitations
With Facebook and email being widely used, it has become acceptable to send invitations to your party online. If you are planning a last-minute party, this is going to make things easier because the word will get out quickly and RSVP will also have a great turnaround time.
If most of your friends are on Facebook, then you just have to create an event then invite them. They will let you know whether they are going to come or not.
An easy email invite option you can use is Evite.
If you don’t have all the email addresses of your friends or you’re not linked on Facebook, don’t worry. Give them a call or send them a WhatsApp.
2. Cleaning
When you throw a last-minute party, chances are you don’t have enough time to clean the entire house.
The best approach is to decide the rooms the guests are going to see then work on them. This is a great cleaning hack that will save you a lot of time and effort. The most used rooms in parties are usually the dining area, the kitchen, the entryway, the living room, and the bathroom.
Get a carrying caddy then fill it with cleaning supplies so you can go from room to room. Carry a laundry hamper or box so you can pick those things that are not in their correct place.
When you are done cleaning, you can put the scattered items back in their place or even throw them in your bedroom closet so you can deal with them later because you don’t have much time (remember this so you don’t end up searching for something for a long time).
You have to pay special attention when you clean your bathroom. This is one of those areas your guests are going to visit a couple of times. Make it a clean and great space for your guests.
Need help cleaning? Scroll down to the end of this post to access Kimberly’s free 5-day Challenge.
3. Décor
You don’t have to spend a lot of money and time getting a ton of décor for the party. When you use too many decorations in a small space, things can feel overwhelming. Premier Glow have a fantastic range of decor and fun props that will make your party memorable.
You don’t have to do much, just get simple vases of fresh-cut flowers then use lighting for a little ambience.
You can also use white Christmas lights to dress up the indoor or outdoor area. If you don’t want to dig your ornament box, then you can get white lights from the local craft store.
4. Food
A little old-fashioned potluck can help with curbing prep time. Fix the main course yourself and have your friends help with side dishes.
If you want to do it all by yourself, then consider serving something simple like spaghetti and garlic bread or taco night. You can also find easy ways of making food using your slow cooker. Preparing food is not going to take a lot of time, and it will still come out well.
You can cut down on the prep time by just ordering pizza and having it delivered. Everyone will love it and you don’t have to spend a lot. There is a wide range of options when it comes to pizza, including vegetarian options. Your guests are going to be happy and you don’t have to spend a lot of time, money, and effort on it.
There are many quick options out there that will make things easy for you. A good example of a quick option is charcuterie boards. They are going to save you a lot of time and they are trendy too. Your guests are going to be happy with the charcuterie board and you will have time to focus on other important aspects of the party.
5. Drinks
It is important to keep the drinks menu simple when you want to throw a great last-minute party. You don’t have to have many drink options at the party. Just pick three that are going to work with the guests then go with it. Most of your guests are going to be happy with the options they get, they won’t mind if they don’t get their favorite drinks.
There are good ways of making water even better by adding a little mint and cucumber, watermelon, or berries. Leave the fruits to marinate in the water overnight to get the maximum flavor. Your guests are going to notice this and they will be happy with the drink.
6. Music
This is one of the most important things at a party. You need to have music at your party to make it not so quiet. Many don’t consider it a party if there is no music.
You don’t have to stress too much about the music because you don’t even need to have a DJ or do that work. Have a party playlist for the party and you can find them on music streaming services like pandora. They offer a wide range of playlists you can use for your party.
You can even use YouTube for music too. What you are looking for here is music where you can you press play then walk away.
Now all that’s left to do is to dress up for a night of fun and wait for your guests to arrive.
