Your Own Party Fun

Ever invest valuable time, energy, and money to throw a great dinner party, only to wake up the next morning and realise that you were too stressed out to enjoy it? Luckily, this problem is easy to avoid. Just follow these tips and your next party is sure to be as much fun for you as it is for your guests!

• Select a menu that can be prepared entirely in advance. Don't wait to make it all on the last day. Or have it catered. Saves a lot of energy that way.

• Don't get caught vacuuming as the first guest arrives. Shop for food, prep it, and clean your home a day in advance.

• Limit the guest list to folks you feel comfortable with. Leave out people who'd require you to be on your best behavior (i.e., a potential employer or prospective mother-in-law).

• Divide the evening into three sections: cooking, socialising, and cleaning up. If you're trying to wash dishes when you should socialising, you'll miss all the fun!

• Invite friends you want to spend time with into the inner sanctum of your kitchen for a little gab session over the steaming pots.

• Seat yourself next to your favorite guest. It's your party – you can do whatever you want!

• Switch seats during dinner so you have a chance to talk to everyone.

• Squirrel away a glass of port or a piece of dessert so you can celebrate the successful completion of the party after the guests have gone home.

If you don't entertain often, planning a party for 25 or more guests can seem like an impossible and difficult task. But if you plan ahead and stay organised, hosting a large party can be easy and fun! Just follow these steps and you'll be ready to relax when your guests arrive.

• Make up your guest list.

• Set a date and time for the party.

• Decide where to have it, if not at home. Talk to hosts of parties you've attended and call caterers to get ideas.

• Establish the theme or style of the event.

• Send out invitations.

• Create an outline of the party details from beginning to end.

• Set your budget. Guess estimate the costs of invitations, decorations, food, drinks, entertainment, activities, party favours, rental items, and staff, if needed.

• Create a party file box with an index card to represent each step in the planning process. Shuffle and work the cards as you tackle your To-do list. By party time, each detail should be taken care of and all of the index cards should be filed in the 'done' section.

• Consult friends and family for vendor recommendations, then call for bids and make reservations. Think caterers, servers, musicians, rental companies, florists, and decorators. Once you've chosen vendors and agreed on rates, set up appointments to make final decisions on food, décor, timing, and other details. If your party is especially large, enlist the help of a coordinator to oversee the set up and execution of the party.

• Shop for décor and favours.

• Set a schedule of confirmations and deadlines to keep the plan solid. Call all vendors and helpers the day before the event, to go over the details. Set a precise and to-the-minute time schedule for your party and give a copy to all vendors and helpers.

• Relax and enjoy yourself as the fun begins.