Cost Saving Party Planning Tips

 

From birthday parties to wedding celebrations, planning a party can be very expensive – but it doesn’t have to be.

Get creative with your party planning and you’ll be able to arrange the perfect soiree without spending lots of money. Here are some great ideas that could help you organize a celebration your guests will never forget…

 

 

The venue

This can easily be the most expensive aspect of a party if you don’t look around to find the right deal. Make a list of venues you like and find out what their rates are.

You may find that they offer free room hire (depending on the night you plan your party) or free room hire with a minimum bar spend in place.

Ask about food deals too – some venues will waive the room hire fee if you have a buffet type menu so it’s always worth shopping around for what you want.

Be flexible with dates and try to negotiate where you can. You have nothing to lose by asking and if you’re a regular customer, they might be happy to put a good deal in place for you.

 

 

Food

To serve food or to not serve food – it’s a good question. Nobody wants to waste money on food that’s going to be thrown away, so ask yourself if your party is the type of party where guests will expect food.

For example, at children’s birthday parties, christenings and wedding receptions, it’s customary to serve food, whereas birthday parties are more focused on drinking and dancing than eating. The choice is entirely yours, but if you do decide to do it, how can you make it cost effective?

Well, if you can rope in some willing volunteers, you could easily cater for the party yourself without too much trouble. Many supermarkets sell a huge range of party platters that offer value for money and are still very tasty. You could get platters that can be served as they are or some that simply need heating up but can be served cold. You could also buy bulk goods at excellent rates from wholesale outlets – so ask friends if they have membership cards for local wholesalers.

Alternatively, you could ask family or friends to help with catering instead of buying gifts. You may have a friend who’s great at making cupcakes, an uncle who cooks up the tastiest chicken legs and an auntie who loves making sandwich mountains who would be happy to contribute.

 

 

Drink

It can be a dilemma for the host as to whether they should supply the booze or not if they’re hosting the party at home.

If you’re questioning whether you should supply the beverages, ask yourself whether you would pay for everyone’s drinks in a bar all night.

If the answer is no, don’t feel shy about asking your guests to bring a bottle. You could supply soft drinks and perhaps have some extra wine and beer in case you want to give guests a drink when they arrive. Alternatively, you could make large punch bowls that guests can enjoy throughout the party.

 

 

Music

Music is a vital part of any party, but if you can’t afford a DJ, why not turn your hand to being the music maestro for the night? Ask the venue if they have a sound system that will allow you to plug a laptop or MP3 into, create the perfect party playlist and press play! Just make sure you have enough battery power to last the night.

 

 

Invitations

Invitations are relatively easy to make but if you want to create an invitation for free, use Facebook! If you have a Facebook account, you can create an invitation online and send it to people in your friends list. You can even set the online invitation to private so only the people you have invited will know about it. And if you want to invite people who are not on Facebook, you could easily create something to give them so they know to save the date.

 

Have fun!

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