Arizona Party Planning Countdown: A Month By Month Guide To Event Planning

Planning a party or corporate event is a big deal. Preparing for a big event is certainly not something you want to wait until the last minute to complete, nor is it something you want to do all on your own. We’ve put together this party and event planning guide that will make sure you don’t miss anything.

Six Months Out

At this time, you should have a good idea of the scope of your party or event. Is your event to be held indoors or outdoors? If outdoors, will you need any tents or canopies in case of unexpected weather issues? Will this be a dinner party or will you need a dance floor or entertainment space? Once you have these plans in place, it is a good idea to go ahead and book any rentals you need, especially for “big items” like tents and dance floors, since you will want to make sure you will be able to get the items you need on the day you need them. Quite likely you may not need to know precisely how many chairs or table settings you need, but giving your rental facility a rough estimate can certainly help. Finally, if appropriate, consider sending out a “save the date” to guests.

Two Months Out

At this point, you need to get your guest list in order, send invitations and make sure your guests start to RSVP.  Once you have a tally of guests, you can start planning the food and beverage service for the party, or if you are not planning to serve food start to make final arrangements for chairs and party favors. Make sure you have some “cushion” in place in case you have a few unexpected guests. It’s always better to have a few extra chairs than a few too many.If you are planning to serve food, this is the time to have a meeting or phone call with your caterers can help alleviate any concerns you may have.

One Month Out

You should know approximately how many guests will be attending your event, and you should have everything ordered. Now you should focus your attention on  decorations such as flowers, tablecloths, and other items. Also, check with the facility and make sure there are no unexpected concerns that need to be addressed with your location.

One Week Out

The pressure is on! The event is coming quickly. Now you need to make contact with everyone involved in the event and make certain everything will be there when you need it. What time is the florist delivering flowers? Will the caterer need to be let in the building early to set up? What needs to be done to prepare the ground for the dance floor or outdoor tents? These details need to be resolved now.

One Day Ahead

If you’ve been proactive, you shouldn’t have much to do at this point. If you are decorating yourself, obviously this is a concern. Make sure you are plugged in and have your phone handy in case there are any last-minute problems that you need to hear about—and resolve. When you put the effort into planning ahead, you will not have to deal with much in the way of a last minute scramble! That’s why it is important to choose rental professionals that will help to take away your stress—and potentially do some of the planning for you. Do this, and you will be able to enjoy your big event or party too!