Tips on planning a great party
The party season is in full swing, and New Years Eve is just a day away. We’ve put together some great tips for planning a great party!
As every great host would know, planning a great party, a really great party, takes a lot of time and energy! There is the planning, the cooking, setting up, and then the cleanup and post-party tasks, and of course, somewhere in between all that you have to make room for a lot of fun.
But how do you do all this without smashing the piggy bank? For some people, throwing a party seems to cost a fair bit of money too, but realistically a great party and a bill that goes down to your knees do not need to go hand in hand. All you need are some great friends and some good decision making, and we’ve got the tips to help you out, after all, it is your right to party, and you shouldn’t have to fight for it!
Buy in bulk
Sometimes buying in bulk isn’t a good thing. It can be hard to avoid the cheese and cracker set ups and the multi-packs of chips, but, if you plan ahead and order a Party Pack online then you can save up to 15% at a time!
The fact that all of our treats are made fresh and by hand means that you are picking up really high quality products for a great price, not to mention that fact that making sure you are stocked early with your party essentials will help cut costs at crunch time.
Great Plates
Sometimes the best way to really make an impression is to put your yummy cakes, pies and other treats onto some great plates! Bring out fun coloured plates and serving trays to plate your food.
Garnish with some herbs from the garden (for pies) and fruit from the fridge (for sweet treats) and there you have it, no-one will be able to tell that you have picked up your treats from your local Ferguson Plarre Bakehouse!
A Pocket Full of Posies
One “pocket full of posies” bought fresh from the florist might empty your other pocket of all of its colour in cash money terms that is. Floral arrangements can get pretty pricey and the cheaper ones tend to leave customers thinking, “I could have done that”, and you’d be right!
Pop into your local green grocers to pick up flowers at half the cost of a florist, or better still, get your green thumbs out and pop into the garden for the freshest flowers around. If you want to dress up your bouquets, pop down to your closest $2 store and pick up some great accessories that will match the overall theme of the party. Even better, take a look around the house, or when your out for a walk for some more objects to brighten up your table!
Paper or Proper?
We understand it, there’s always a temptation to buy paper plates. It’s great for cleaning up and you don’t have to worry about any dishes breaking, especially when you have a large group to cater to.
Believe it or not, there’s a lot to be said for going for proper plates, bowls and glasses. Not only is is cheaper to use your own, but it looks good and most importantly its far better for the environment. If you’re bored with using your own dishes why not pop down to your local Opp Shop and pick up some quirky plates or jam jars to serve your yummy treats and drinks.
Email not Snail Mail
Let’s be honest, receiving a paper invitation feels great, they look good and are often popped onto the fridge so that they are never forgotten, but, unless the invite is for your wedding, we live in an SMS and email based society, so sending an invite via snail mail can be rather pointless (not to mention expensive).
If you’re a wordsmith, get creative with your SMS and theme the invite based on the party, there is also the less stylish but more versatile use of Facebook. Or, you could go old-fashioned and use the phone (gasp, calling people?!) or get creative with recycled goods and drop something off by hand.
Just remember, the three key things to remember when creating an invite are the:
- Location – Where is the party?
- Timing – What date is the party and what time shall i come – Fashionably late of course
- Theme – Do i need to dress up or be prepared?
Play that funky music
If it’s just an informal party you are hosting, a DJ is the last thing you should be spending money on. While great for knowing exactly when the party needs a gee up, unless you have a master of the wheels of steel as your best mate, a DJ is an huge expense that can be easily avoided.
Without a DJ, you have the opportunity to really add your own personality to your party through music, take a look through your CD collection, sign up to Spotify or create a playlist on your smartphone. If you’re not up to the task, perhaps ask a friend to look after the tunes for the night, that will take some stress off your back.
Every Party Needs A Cake
Of course no party is complete without a great looking cake, and we know one place that creates some of the best birthday cakes in Melbourne, even if we do say so ourselves. Our award winning cake decorators do an absolutely brilliant job for every single cake and can even create amazing custom cakes based on only a picture and a description.
If there is one thing you’d be well worth putting your well earned and saved cash towards for your party, it’s a great birthday cake.
Choose from our Famous Friends range, a Sporty Birthday cake or any of our hand decorated birthday cake range. You can even create your own customised birthday cake!