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Event Planning 101

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Did someone say party? I love attending a well-organized event where structure and order are balanced with spontaneity and free time.  When I was in high school, I remember attending a rehearsal dinner that was so structured that I felt like I needed to ask permission to sit down. The event was very organized but lacked free time.

On the other hand, I attended a friend’s birthday party that was entirely spontaneous. The food was out, gifts scattered around, and attendees milling about visiting with each other. The hostess enjoyed socializing and failed to execute any order to the event’s schedule. About half an hour into the party, I was ready to go, but the food had not been eaten nor gifts opened by the recipient. This party was extremely spontaneous but lacked structure.

Having attended and planned a number of gatherings, I will share on Tuesdays how I attempt to implement structure and fun into a well-organized event. Stay tuned for next week’s topic: Hosting a dinner party.

Organizing Dinner with Friends – Part 1

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If your family is like ours, then you enjoy entertaining friends for dinner. My children often beg to have their friends over to play. To accommodate their desire to play and our wish for an enjoyable evening, we invite friends with children over for dinner. To save me time, energy, and money, I follow a six-step checklist that helps me in planning our evenings of entertainment. Here are the first 2 steps in my 6-step checklist:

STEP 1:  Choose a date that works with my schedule.

Since our children stay up late and are so wound up after spending 2-3 hours with their friends, we usually entertain on Friday evening. They can then stay up past their bedtime to settle down, and they can sleep later on Saturday morning. Also, our house is often in disarray due to all the toys getting rearranged. We need Saturday morning to get our house back in order.

STEP 2:  Choose my menu.

I tend to choose the menu before inviting our friends. Almost always, our friends ask what they can bring to help with the meal. By already having the menu planned, I can suggest one of the side items. If I did not have my menu planned, then I would need to spend time and energy calling or e-mailing to get that information to them. To simplify the process, I choose to plan the menu before sending invitations. Here is a sample menu:

  • Baked ham
  • Mashed potatoes and gravy or scalloped potatoes
  • Sweet potatoes
  • Corn
  • Applesauce
  • Bread
  • Chocolate cupcakes with icing

Entertaining can be lots of fun. By having a list to execute, I have found excitement in planning while avoiding the anxiety of possibly forgetting something. Next Tuesday I will continue this explanation with steps 3 and 4 of my entertainment checklist.

Organizing Dinner with Friends – Part 2

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With a busy schedule and a desire to entertain, I have found a system that works for me. By following the same 6-step plan, I am able to quickly plan and execute a dinner with friends. Last Tuesday, I shared Steps 1 and 2 of my 6-step checklist. If you missed that post, you can view it here. Today, I will explain the next two steps in my process.

STEP 3: Invite my friends.

After choosing the friends our family has decided to invite, I will send an e-mail one to two weeks prior to the requested date. In that e-mail message, I will ask that they respond accepting or regretting by a specific date, which is about 4 days prior to the dinner. If they cannot make the dinner, then I will invite another family to join us. I usually can fill our table even on short notice.

STEP 4: Gather my ingredients.

Knowing the menu that is planned, I take inventory of items I have on hand to prepare the meal. In looking at our sample menu, I have the ham, potatoes and gravy/scalloped potatoes, corn, and bread on hand. I do not have the sweet potatoes or dessert. So, I add the ingredients for the sweet potatoes and dessert to my grocery list.

As our guests volunteer to bring a dish to help with the dinner, I will suggest one of the side items that contain ingredients on my grocery list. In this case, I would ask the volunteer to bring sweet potatoes or dessert. If the volunteer agrees, then I can remove those items off my grocery list which will save me from spending that extra money.

Once I have my grocery list nailed down, then I begin looking for sales on those items in the weekly stores’ sales advertisements. If there are no sales and the item is carried at Aldi (one of my favorite grocery stores), then I will just pick it up on my next visit.

By the end of step 4, I have a date, a menu, guests invited, and all of my ingredients on hand. Next week, we will finish this short series as I share the last two steps in my entertainment checklist.

Organizing Dinner with Friends – Part 3

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Today I will conclude my entertainment checklist with the last two steps. If you have missed either or both of the other posts in this series, you can view them here: Part 1 and Part 2.  Now, that I have all the ingredients on hand, I am ready to execute my plan on the day of the dinner.

STEP 5: Make preparations.

  • On the day of the dinner, I do a quick clean up of the downstairs. I pickup the toys, sweep the floors and vacuum, and clean our half bathroom in the morning.
  • After lunch, I clean up the kitchen and set the table(s).
  • Then I begin baking the ham according to the recommended time frame. If my dinner is at 6:00 p.m. and the ham takes 2-3 hours to bake, then I put the ham in the oven at 2:00 p.m. The ham will finish baking around 5:00 p.m. I will removed the ham from the oven and allow it to cool. Then about 5:45 p.m., my hubby will carve it and place it on a platter.
  • While the ham is baking, I prepare the other side dishes giving myself time for interruptions. Once the ham is out of the oven, I can then bake any side items needed, i.e. sweet potatoes or dessert.
  • Wait for our guests to arrive.

STEP 6: Enjoy the evening.

I then relax, spend time with our friends, and enjoy watching the children play. My wonderful husband clears off the table and stacks the dishes in the sink. I will help put the food away, and then we relax. Cleanup is dealt with on Saturday morning.

This list has been adjusted and changed into a system that works for me. By organizing a plan, I can spend my time executing that plan rather than spending time worrying if everything will get done.

What items would you add or subtract from this list to save you time when entertaining guests?

 

My Beverage Service Mistake

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This morning I had the privilege of helping with a luncheon. For the setup, the coordinator had assigned tasks to each helper. As we each fulfilled our designated responsibilities, I noticed how well everyone worked together. No one was standing around waiting to help. When one helper finished her task, she found someone who was still working and helped complete that responsibility.

One of my tasks was filling up the beverage containers. I understood that each table would get a water pitcher and an iced tea pitcher. I also understood that a cart with 9 pitchers was in the kitchen next to the ice machine. However, I did not remember that there were only 4 tables. So, I filled each of the containers with iced tea. Yeah, I did not realize the error until I began placing the tea on the tables and heard another helper ask where the water pitchers were. I then froze. I had filled too many pitchers, so there were none left for the water.

Another kind helper came to my rescue. She finished her task and came to assist me. We poured the tea from the 4 “extra” pitchers into containers. We then filled the empty containers with ice water. We had the tables set and ready to go before the event, but I learned these lessons:

  1. Check the number of tables when asked to put something on them.
  2. Don’t be afraid to admit you were wrong.
  3. Be willing to offer a solution and be part of it.
  4. Accept help when it is offered.
  5. Laugh about it, and remember to count next time.

By learning these lessons, I hope to be a better helper in the future. Event planning coordinators need lots of assistance. I am willing to help, but I do make mistakes. Thankfully, my mistake did not cause damage or loss of property. However, I did lose time because I had to correct my mistake. As I learn, I hope to save time by paying attention and planning before I act.