Hi, Friends! Sarah here from SHEdesignsKC! I’ve got a party to plan and there are few things that stress me out as much as hosting. I’m an introvert to the core, y’all! Whether you love hosting events and parties, or don’t love it, but do it anyway, organization is going to help ensure you’re ready, and will take the burden of stress out of the equation. Or at least take it down a few notches! Today I’m going to share my party planning spread for my younger son’s birthday. If you have an event coming up, I highly recommend this spread! Let’s chat about the benefits and how to cater it (see what I did there?) to your event! 

BENEFITS OF A PARTY PLANNING SPREAD

Hosting birthday parties, dinner parties, holiday celebrations, etc. can be so stressful! There are so many elements to plan out and if you’re anything like me, you can start to feel overwhelmed really quickly. A simple party planning spread can be so helpful! The idea behind this spread is to have all your event details in one place. From the menu, to the guest list, to the seating chart, to the planned activities - everything you need is at your fingertips! Plus, BONUS, if someone asks how they can help or what they can bring, all you do is glance at your spread, and add a note! “Would you bring napkins for 20? That would be so helpful” And check! Melissa is bringing napkins! 

SUPPLIES

To set up this spread you need:

• An Archer and Olive notebook
• Pencil and eraser
• Ruler
• Pens
• Any elements you want to use for decoration, such as washi tape and stickers

 I’m setting up this spread in my daily bullet journal, an Archer and Olive A5 dot grid notebook. I’ve chosen a couple of Calliograph pens and an Acrylograph pen that go with the color scheme I’m doing. If you’re in the market for any of these great Archer and Olive tools, I’d love for you to shop with my code SHEDESIGNSKC10. You’ll save 10% on your purchase! This is an affiliate code (and links above are affiliate links), meaning I make a small commission, so it’s win/win! I’m also using a black fine liner. I’ll add some embellishment to my spread to match the theme of our party - Three Rex! It’s going to be dino-mite!

WHAT TO INCLUDE IN THE SPREAD

What type of event are you hosting? Will it be a family holiday celebration? A simple dinner party? A birthday party? Think about the details and decide what information you want to include in your spread. I love to use a pocket sized journal to plan out my spreads. I can brainstorm there, and test out color palettes. 

GUEST LIST

Perhaps the most essential thing to include that will be applicable to almost any event is a guest list. I like to include a list of all the people I invite and then a place to indicate whether they will attend or not. 

MENU

Will there be a meal at your event? Light snacks? Drinks? Here, you can list what you plan to serve as refreshments. You could also include a grocery shopping list and potentially even a schedule of when to prepare each item. For example, if you’re hosting Thanksgiving, you may want a timeline of when to begin prepping/cooking/baking your menu so that everything gets done at the same time and all the cold foods are cold and the hot foods are hot!

ACTIVITIES

If you’re hosting an event with party games or other activities, list them here. What will be happening to pass the time and how much time do you want to spend on each activity?

DECOR

Do you have a themed party and lots of decor? This is a great place to list any decor you need to prepare or purchase. Maybe a ballon arch? A piñata? Signage? 

SCHEDULE

Ughhhhh. Awkward silence at a party?! No thanks! Creating a schedule can ensure that your event flows well and that there are enough things to do to fill the time. If you’re planning on multiple activities, this is a great place to keep track of the order you want your activities in. 

BEFORE PARTY PREP

This is the biggest one for me! What do I need to get done before the party? Am I making anything ahead of time? A cake? Setting up an activity? Buying items for goody bags? List all those things here!

BONUS IDEAS

Your specific event will determine what you want to include on your party planning spread. You may use just a few of the things I mentioned above, or maybe all! Here are a few more ideas that can help you stay organized:

• Seating chart
• Playlist
• Goody bag list
• Shopping list
• Prizes for party games

Be sure to check out the printable I’ve included with a basic party planning spread for you!

I hope you will find this party planning spread idea useful and that it will help you feel better prepared for and excited about events you host in the future! It makes for a really nice memory too! It’s so fun to look back at your previous parties and see who was there, what you did, etc. 

Remember to grab your free printable and get to partying! Check out my YouTube video to see what I included and how I set up my spread!

We’d love to see your own creations, so be sure to tag #archerandolive and @archerandolive. Come say hi to me over on Instagram @SHEdesignsKC! Thanks for being here!