- Choose a location (book if necessary)
- Create a guest list and send out invites
- Decide a theme, place your hire with us
- Plan a menu what sort of food do you want to serve, shop and pre cook all you can.
- Order a cake (plan what you need to buy if making your own cake) we love to use KT bakes cakes, she is so talented
- Order balloons (we do $70 backseat balloon garlands for DIY or you might be wanting some balloons from big w ect)
- Plan the menu: Plan the recipes (choose things that can be prepared in advance, perhaps even frozen, with just warming and assembling required on party day). Make a list of how far in advance each can be made, and compile a shopping list. Place an order with your local costco, supermarket deli or bakery, as needed.
- Buy drinks
- Plan the flow of the party, the entertainment, the activities
- Plan party favour bags and assemble
- Write a play list
- Clean the house if the party is at home, or hire a reliable cleaner for this task the day before the party, the house will be fresh and it’s one less thing you have to do.
- Set the stage: Arrange the furniture as you'll want it for the party, making sure that guests can move easily from one part of your house to another. Designate a coffee table or side table for coffee and dessert, if you'll be serving them. Tuck away things that will be in the way, precious items that might get broken and remove clutter.
- Figure out the lighting or shade, there might be a nice spot in your home to host the party but a better spot for photos and lighting for cutting the cake ect. Think about placement: Are the drinks or food in the sun, is there a fire sign or rest room behind the main photo banner, or is it in a window where light shows through making the backdrop harder to see.
- Let the neighbour’s know, possibly they could have space for you to park your car in their driveway. Letting them know is a curtsey and helps to manage their expectations especially if the party is late and loud.
- DIY your balloons or grab a backseat balloon garland from us!
- Collect your party hire, and set up your party, if you can do this in advance the night before that’s great, otherwise if it’s on the day set up allow 1 hour for set up, 1 hour for food, 1 hour for if things don’t go to the timing you had hoped. We also add 1 hour for children and 1 hour for getting yourself ready.
- Take photos of your cute set up!!
- Start the playlist and Welcome your guests and take a photo with them and your set up before it all gets messy, be sure to get a photo of the birthday person looking all cute before they have cake on their face!
- Enjoy your party and ask for help at the right times so you can enjoy, for example if you don’t want to be stuck cutting up the cake and serving it to all the guests then ask a friend or paid help.
Pro tip: supermarket deli platters and sandwiches from Costco save your sanity
Pro tip: you may want to send cake home and keep some food, restock on takeaway containers so you are ready.
Pro tip: Line up any help you may need.
Consider hiring a high school student or a professional to help with pre- or postparty cleaning or pass around drinks or appetizers, replenish food, tidy up, and generally take some weight off your shoulders, be sure this person is aware of how you want things
Pro tip: if you are doing DIY balloons you can do them a few days before the event and keep them in a cool indoor room to keep them fresh, and if you get a second hand balloon garland that’s a week old bring it to life with a fine mist spray of tyre shine! (Just don’t touch them too much as they will be all shiny after) 
Pro tip: have a pre made dinner for the next 2 nights ready to go, or takeout so you can just nibble on left overs, eat the cake and recharge after throwing an epic party!