So…you’re planning a party. In the world of Pinterest and Instagram you might feel obligated to really up your game when it comes to the food and décor. That’s when it happens; you go right down the Pinterest rabbit-hole. You’ve pinned and shared so many ideas that you don’t even remember what type of party it was. What’s worse is everything starts looking the same. How can you decide!? Which diaper cake looks the best for your sister’s baby shower? What’s the correct number of candy options for the candy bar? Which phallic food option do I serve at my friend’s bachelorette party!?
The answer…who cares? Honestly. At the end of day guests remember three things. Whether or not the food was good, who was there, and did they have a good time. The fun decorations and party favors certainly add to the overall atmosphere, but they’re not the core of the party. Here are some pointers to keep your party planning under control, and to figure out if DIY is right for you.
Stay On Theme
The first thing is to have a theme, and stick to it. There are a lot of great ideas out there. Having a theme in mind first will definitely help you to stay focused. That way you don’t end up rationalizing why there’s a watermelon cut into a shark at your movie night party (and no…. it’s not shark week and this is not Jaws). The key is not having to explain the decorations. When you take a step back and look at everything, it should make sense.
Don’t Go Overboard
Even if you find a great theme, there can be tons of ideas to sift through. You don’t want to go overboard on the theme. Every element of the party does not have to beat you over the head with the theme. Not every food item needs to have a gimmick and not every decoration needs to be over-the-top. Find one or two centerpieces, two or three other decorations, and one or two food/drink items. The rest can simply match the color scheme and fit in perfectly. Having some simple decorations also highlights the showstoppers, rather then having them compete or blend in.
So Should I DIY?
So now you have a theme and an idea of what you want to do. So…do you take a trip to Party City or start thumbing through apps for ideas? There are a few things I like to consider: cost, ease and the overall vision. Is the cost of making something that much lower? Will it be that much easier to make? Can you buy something that looks like what you want, or would you have to make it? All these factor in to the answer of “should I DIY.” A really good recent example of this was when Zoe was helping to plan a family wedding. She needed a chuppah (a traditional canopy in Jewish weddings where the ceremony takes place). She was looking at $750 or more! She priced out building it herself for about $300. That was an obvious DIY.
In some cases half the work is already done! In a DIY world there are retailers that sell kits. All you have to do is buy the kit, follow the instructions and ta-dah! All of the materials are already sourced. You just have to put it together! Some kits make it easy to customize.
Above All…Have Fun!
The most important part of the party is to have fun and make memories. Don’t stress yourself out. If needed, enlist help. In my opinion, DIY is better with friends!
If you’re having a party and thinking of doing some DIY we hope this article helps. If you have some projects you’d like to share or have suggestions for a topic to cover, send them to us on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. We’d love to hear from you!
Special thank you to our friend Grace for modeling in the cover photo! Follow her on Instagram HERE!