Recently I have been finding all kinds of party blogs that are so inspiring but are really humbling.  These ladies are incredible at what they do.  So this year I’m going to try and think outside the box a little more with my parties.  Since I still have all the parties from last year to post, I figure I may as well put them up (knowing that this year I am going to try and take it a step further). 

The bridal shower I am showing was one I did for my friends sister last June.  Gloriane wanted to host the shower but lives in NJ so she asked if she could use my house and if I could help with it.  Of course I told her yes!  I met with her and her mom about what they wanted.  They were thinking of a Victorian theme because that was what the theme of the wedding was.  I don’t have a lot of Victorian items and they had a really limited budget so everything went to food.  Everything I used was stuff I had on hand, but it worked out.  I like to think it was a classy afternoon tea with a more contemporary twist then Victorian.

Here are some tips for saving money on a party when you are on a REALLY tight budget (re: you need to feed 20 women coming to a bridal shower!)

Tips for saving money on parties:

1.  If you enjoy throwing parties, invest in serveware/tablecloths/etc. throughout the year.  No one really wants to buy a new platter and include that in their party budget.  If you receive money for a birthday/Christmas/ or other special occasion (or you tell someone what you want) you can quickly build up a large selection of dishware that you can use time and again.  I’ve done this and am SO glad I did.

2.  Check thrift shops.  They have TONS of dishes and you never know what you might find. 

3.  Check with family and friends to see if they have dishes or tablecloths you can use.  My mother inherited a ton of my grandmother’s silver.  She never uses it so I keep it at my house and use it for parties all the time.  That’s what I ended up using for this party (in addition to the dishes my friends mother brought).

4. Another great idea?  Ask a few friends to co-host with you.  It cuts down on the cost and gives you extra helping hands. 

This is a picture of the food table.  We served so many delicious things!

My girlfriend’s mother brought all of the glasses and pitchers. It saved on the budget since we didn’t have to buy paper products.  We served lemonade, raspberry cordial and tea of course!

I made homemade buttercream mints to add to the delicacies.

Breads are a must for tea.

Homemade and a few store bought scones served with lemon curd, raspberry butter and whipping cream accompaniments.

Cucumber sanwiches with cucumber flowers to adorn the platter.

Salmon Pinwheels

Endive stuffed with chicken salad.

Another view of the table

Gift table

This is the front table that we used for guests to sign a plate for the bride and groom when they came in.  One of my favorite things to do is incorporate pictures of the bride and groom.  If you have a digital frame (which we did until it broke!) you can connect a USB drive to it with pictures of the bride and groom.  It’s chic, fun and personal.  Best of all, it’s free if you already have the frame!

Making a guest list is always a dilema for me.  I am a naturally outgoing person and enjoy having people over.  I like to invite anyone and everyone to parties, but believe me, that can be an expensive habit.  So what do you do?  Well, if you have your reason and you have your budget, that should be helpful in making your guest list.

Make a preliminary list.  Include any family and friends that you want at the party (also include those that you may not exactly want but may be *gulp obligated to invite i.e.crazy Uncle Ned who could eat you out of house and home)  How many people are on the list?  Is that a reasonable amount for the budget you have set up or do you need to re-evaluate?   If you think you can reasonably handle guests, then you are ready to send out invites.  If there are too many, you have to make adjustments.  Decide what is most important to you (and the person the party is being thrown for) and make your cuts based on that.

After you’ve made your list, you can send out your invites!

There are probably about 4 different ways we have for categorizing parties we throw and who we invite.

1. The intimate gathering.  This is like a sit down dinner with family and/or close friends.
2. The semi-intimate get-together.  This is inviting friends and close friends/family over to hang out, eat and play games.
3. The get-to-know people party.  This is where we invite aquaintances, friends, and close friends/family to hang out.
4. The epic party.  This is when we invite anyone and everyone.  If we know your name, you are probably invited (unless you weird us out, then don’t hold your breath).

It is really all about personal preference.  Some people just do not like to have a type 3 or 4 party (plus they can get pricey!).  Let your budget and your reason guide you.  You’ll get there!

Debt is not your friend.   Look, as much fun as parties are and can be, you DO NOT want to have stress on you throughout the rest of the year paying off something you couldn’t afford in the first place.  Birthdays come once a year.  They are something you CAN plan for.  Same with holidays.  They don’t change (Christmas is always the 25th of December, Easter is always in March or April, etc.) Yes, there are “life events” that can come up unexpectedly (baby showers, bridal showers), but you usually have time to plan for those (babies take -shocker!- 9 months to come along and unless it’s a shotgun wedding, you usually have a few months to plan and save).

So how do you prepare your budget?  Well, it’s going to be different for everyone. A few things you HAVE to plan for are guests (how many), food (are you going to have any, how much, will it be potluck, etc.), and everything else (decor, plates, utensils, venue, etc.).   Sometimes your budget will determine the size and scale of your party, and sometimes (for the lucky few) the budget will be determined by the size and scale of your party.

The best thing that you can do is plan at the beginning of the year what parties you want to throw, how much you want to spend, and make a plan for it.  I realize that’s not always possible, so my ideas can be used by the planners and by the more spontaneous people.

That being said, decide your budget and stick to it.  Realize that sometimes you will have to sacrifice something you want to get something you want more.  Sometimes your time won’t allow for everything you would like to do.  Sometimes your budget won’t allow for everything you would like to do.  Pick the best ideas and run with them.  If you do only a few things, make them great.

A budget that is reasonable and something you can stick to is going to be your greatest asset.