6) Put a cooler in the car. On party day, I had to pick up food we ordered...prepared sausage and peppers (which were cooked, but required refrigeration), and Italian pastries (also needing to be kept cool).
The place we ordered from was nearly an hour's drive away, one way...which I would not normally do on the day of a party we were hosting. But we really wanted the food to be from a certain Italian store in Milwaukee. So this time around, we decided the drive there and back was
worth it.
Anyway, I called ahead of time to determine the dimensions of these two items. That's when I learned our cooler at home was too small.
I borrowed a large cooler from a friend and added ice to the bottom. I also filled two large zippered baggies with ice. These sat on top of the sausage and peppers box. The pastry box was placed on top of that. We were able to keep both cool until arriving home and adding those
items to our fridge.
7) Borrow; don't buy. If you can borrow some items from friends, family, neighbors, etc., (chairs, tables, coolers, Nescos, etc.) take advantage of that. Prices are super high these days, and this is a great way to keep your costs down.
Just be sure you know who gave you what so you can return those items promptly after the event.
To keep this organized, "label" the items, so to speak. Don't actually put a sticker on them. Those may leave behind some residue. My friend Amy loaned me a cooler and four folding chairs. I tied a ribbon around each of those items so I knew whose they
were.
8) Keep your food safe to eat. Food left out in the heat and sun will spoil very quickly, and you certainly don't want your guests to get sick. We actually kept the party food in the house.
Hot food was in the Nescos or chafing dishes heated by sternos. Cold food was on ice using inflatable ice holders. Guests came in to fill their plates, and went back outside to eat.
We also didn't put everything out at once. For instance, we made up a charcuterie board. As we saw the food on it was running low, we grabbed extras from our fridge and refilled.
9) Use good signage and labeling. If you don't want folks ringing your doorbell when they arrive, include a sign in the front of your house directing them, such as "Walk around to the backyard. Party is on the deck."
In front of every food I served, I included the name of that food.
The coolers indicated what was in them...and we kept a separate one for adult beverages also indicating "21 years of age and older" on that one.
We wanted guests to sign a guest book. There was a sign for that as well so guests would know what to do without us having to remember to ask them to do so.
We also asked friends to take photos (selfies and group photos) during our event...and to use a hashtag before posting them on Facebook so I could easily find them later. In their post, they used #AmandasGradParty. Later that night, I just had to search posts with that hashtag
and was able to find a whole bunch of photos.
10) Ensure you have enough seating. It's too hard for guests to have to hold a plate, and a beverage, and eat/drink while they're standing up. Guests should have plenty of available seating.
Borrow chairs if you don't have enough. We borrowed from three different friends. If you don't have the option to borrow, search for a local party rental store in your area.
11) Give guests a way to identify their drinks. Using red Solo cups? Leave a marker near them for guests to write their name on theirs. This way, if they leave the cup somewhere, they'll be able to identify their drink. Having wine? Be sure each glass has a
wine charm on it.
12) Be sure you have time to enjoy the party. Yes, be mindful if someone's glass is empty and pick up trash if you see any laying around. But, be sure you also take the time to talk to all of your guests at some point, to eat yourself, and to enjoy this
special occasion...whatever it might be.
