Major Keys to Planning a Themed Party
I live for a good party and since having a baby, kiddie parties are my favorite. Kinsley’s “One Love” first birthday party was so fun to plan and once she turned 18 months or so, I had already started thinking of plans for her second birthday party. On top of that, now with Corona Renee looming in the air, it was uncertain whether we would be able to gather, because it certainly wouldn’t be a “normal” party. What is normal anymore anyway? So when we got the green light I knew it had to be fun and special.
Being true to my own tomboy style, I came up with “Just Two It”, a play on Nike’s infamous “Just Do It” slogan. It was perfect. A fun excuse to dress in theme, but still be comfortable as that is key at any kid’s party as there is always a lot of running around. For me planning in general, but more specifically planning events comes natural. I am quite aware that is not true for many, so here are my MAJOR KEYS to consider when planning a kiddie party.
Budget
This one is my numero uno, most important factor. Your budget has to be considered firstly, in my opinion, or things can get out of control. For a kid’s party or baby shower the Dollar Store and Walmart are your best friends. You can find cute cups, trinkets and toys for the kids to play with and entertain themselves, without breaking the bank. This gives you more of your budget to use on more central things like the food and venue.
Theme
I love a good theme and how it creates excitement. From the time your guests receive your invitation they’re excited and preparing for whatever theme you may have chosen. Additionally, it makes organizing décor, outfits and overall aesthetic easier. If you have a theme to stick to you can narrow your creativity and really have fun making your vision come to life. For us “Just Two It” felt natural. As a very active family we all had Nike pieces we could wear for this celebration.
Location
Your location should be appropriate for the event. Again going with the theme your location should tie in. Now you don’t have to be as literal as having a “Just Two It” party on a soccer field or basketball court, but I would definitely not rent a ballroom. I would also not pick a park for a black tie event. Again keeping your budget in mind this is an area where you could possible save as well. Most local parks are free to host smaller gatherings. You could also opt for someone’s backyard like we did for this party.
Décor
DETAILS, DETAILS, DETAILS. This is where I love to get busy! I love the creativity of coming up with cute decorative pieces that tie in with the overall event. This is also where I like to spend a good portion of my budget collaborating on custom pieces with my graphic designers to bring my vision to life.
Food
Good food makes everything better, especially a party. It’s one of the things that guests will actually remember about your event. We are blessed to have an amazing caterer that does all our events. He is versatile and always delivers!
Time Management
Sticking with the sports theme, this is an honorable mention. As someone who was crazy enough to plan their own wedding it is very important to have a “run of show”. With that said if you are planning your own event you will need to enlist the help of others to execute the actual event. The day of logistics can be overwhelming for someone who is planning and hosting an event so my biggest recommendation is to ask for help from family, organized friends or hire a day of planner.
Overall I really enjoy planning our family events. I do go over the top for my kid but I blame my husband for it lol. He doesn’t like any attention for his life milestones so I have to redirect my creative energies to those left in the house, myself and Kinsley.
Hopefully this was helpful. Now more than ever we have to be really careful about being safe and careful when gathered around others outside of our household. I am so happy we were able to have fun, while being safe.
Let me know your thoughts. DO you like planning events? What’s your favorite event to plan?
Love ya Mean it,