Planning the Perfect Party

by Julie Begani

Mazel tov! Your family is planning a simcha, and this can create all sorts of emotions (not the least of which can be anxiety). The checklist below can help you navigate your party and, hopefully, allow you to enjoy the ceremonial part of your event without worrying about the party details.

Check the Calendar!

Besides your own calendar, if you expect key people to attend, check with them before announcing your date. Additionally, look at a calendar that lists major holidays for other religions. Sunday events will save you some money with vendors, since they can potentially host two events in the same weekend. That can be a good negotiating tool. 

Entertainment

Sometimes less is more – an amazing DJ or band will be about 15-18 percent of your budget, so focus on them! Some auxiliary entertainment is good if you have enough people. For a mitzvah, think about one auxiliary act or activity per 25 kids. So, if you have 50 kids, your music plus something else like glitter tattoos, a graffiti wall, flip book, etc. will be enough. The best part is that those kinds of things, like a photobooth, double as a favor – so no need for chachkis. For a wedding, gauge your crowd’s age to determine if everyone will be on the dance floor or if adding something like a cigar bar/bourbon tasting or a close-up magician during cocktail hour will wow the crowd.

Enjoy the party!

Taking on a wedding or mitzvah on your own can be daunting, but remember you don’t have to plan it all in one month, or even two. Make a checklist (or ask your planner to send you one) that breaks down the event-planning process into a few steps per month. Six months out, you may think you have everything done, but once you see a guest list, things may change because your layout needs to change. One of the biggest undertakings when planning the event on your own is trying to get yourself put together while ensuring vendors are doing what they need to be doing. You need to finish your hair, but the DJ needs to know where to set up the screens. Who is setting up and cleaning up? Hiring an experienced event planner eliminates all of those conflicts and can provide your guests or family with a perfectly executed event with professional service. And the best part is, you leave the setup and cleanup to someone else so you can spend more time enjoying the holiday and less time stressing about being a wonderful host!