Party planning 101: A checklist of vendors for your next event!

Private parties are great for getting friends and family together. Planning one, however, is a lot of work. Once you have figured out the venue, the next step is to make a list of vendors you may need. Here’s a quick checklist worth your time –

  1. You obviously need a caterer for the event, and it is absolutely necessary to select this option first. Figure out what you want to serve on the menu, and this could be a 4-course meal, or even something as basic as BBQ food with a few sides. Discuss with the caterer and get an estimate.
  2. Rental machines for snacks. Instead of ordering packaged food and fried items, why don’t you consider something a like popcorn machine on rent, or Sizzle Popcorn cotton candy machine rental? Popcorn and cotton candies are things that adults and kids love alike, and this could be a small token of love they can carry back home. Popcorn and cotton candy machines are available on an hourly basis, and all the ingredients will be given by the vendor.
  3. You can consider hiring entertainers to put up a quick show. If the guest list includes more kids, you can hire a magician, and for adults, you can hire a DJ. You can also hire other unusual choices, like a theatre group, a band, or even a contortionist. Ensure that you have considered entertainers based on your guest list.
  4. Photo booth rental. If you don’t want to go for a standard photographer for the event, consider renting a photo booth. This is particularly fun, and you can actually keep your guests occupied for a long time. Rentals are usually charged by the hour, but vendors may have packages that you can choose from.
  5. In case the caterer doesn’t offer servers, you may have to find a service that can offer that. For a guest list of more than 50 people, you must have at least two to three servers, so that the host doesn’t have to go around asking people to help themselves.

We recommend that you talk to the necessary vendors at least a couple of weeks in advance, so that you can negotiate the prices, discuss your requirements and seal the deal in time. Also, ensure that the estimates are fair, transparent, and there is no room for hidden charges. With good vendors for the event, your hassles are pretty limited.