It’s Party Time!

Who doesn’t love a good party!?!  Regardless of whether it’s a wedding, special birthday, house party, engagement, your child’s 4^th birthday or your retirement party – it’s a great way to get friends and family together.

Organising a party though can be all kinds of hell.  We’re not all professional project managers and on top of that the costs can escalate quite quickly if you’re not savvy.  So, here are our favourite top 10 party hacks to save you time, money and make your party just that little bit different!

1. Make a checklist – sounds obvious but the human brain can only handle 9 concurrent things at once, try it! When it’s written down it’s easy to add to it as you go.  That way, once everything’s ticked off you know you’ve got it all covered.  Nothing worse than the day of the party and realising you forgot the DJ (see point 8!)
2. Create a dedicated party email address (like Harpurs-40th-Party@hotmail.com) to avoid missing responses in amongst the spam and other emails in your usual inbox.
3. When selecting a venue, consider off season or a different day. Shop around for venues and see what discounts are available.  Local community halls can be just as welcoming as the extremely pricey  17^th Century Manor House you were looking at once you’ve got your decorations up.  Also, restaurants, local hotels and pubs have great rooms that are available to rent at reasonable prices.
4. If you’re buying or renting services (wedding cakes, flowers etc) discuss offering photos of the items in use on the day for their website in return for a cheaper price. This is really useful for the company if they are a start-up and need real-life product photos in-situ for their social media marketing and website.
5. Bucks Fizz or Mimosa for a welcome drink? Spice up your welcome drinks by pouring your Champagne or Prosecco over different coloured Candy Floss.  It gives it a sweeter taste and vibes up the colour, plus it means you can reduce your costs by not buying the expensive varieties.
6. If you’re sending out RSVP cards, write a number on the top left corner. When they come back, you can quickly tick them off the list rather than running down a long list of names.
7. Create a party hashtag. Like #Harpurs40th – that way any photos posted on social media like Instagram and Twitter will all be located in one easy to find place
8. Avoid expensive DJ costs by hiring professional PA equipment and connecting your iPod. Not only can you be in control of your own music, thus avoiding annoying party classics like Superman and the Birdy Song, but it’s going to save you a ton of money.  www.electrifysound.co.uk  rent speaker kits, microphones and disco lights out for all sizes of parties in the Midlands area.  iPod packages start from just £90 and your guests will be blown away by the sound quality and the amazing lighting set up.
9. The food was perfect, the music pumping, everyone was in great spirits but how do you finish the night off to make sure it was a night to remember? Two words – surprise fireworks. Fireworks are a great way to celebrate a special event and finish off a great party. However, make it uber-different by organising a surprise firework display that the guests just weren’t expecting. electrifypyrotechnics.co.uk can set up a display discreetly and so just when your guests think the night couldn’t get any better, you complete the night with an awesome celebratory firework display. Take a peek at our party fireworks packages here
10. Do your research on good hangover remedies for the morning after!!!

Whatever you are celebrating, and whatever your budget, you can have an amazing party if you put your own personal stamp on it. So don’t stress, have a great party, oh and remember tip 10!!!