question of the week: party prep

This question of the week includes its own answer. It's the day after Thanksgiving — relax, have some more pie, we'll do all the work for you.

The question: How do you make sure you don't repeat mistakes from holidays past?

How many times have you thrown a party and ended the night thinking something like, "Next time, I have to remember to buy [superimportant party essential that's easy to overlook]"? Or, as you're leaving someone else's party, thought, "At my next party, I have to remember to do that [supercool party activity/food/drink you'll totally forget]"?

It happens, and it's not worth getting upset about. But it is worth taking a few moments to assess what worked and what didn't, so you'll be better prepared for your next parties. How? Just make a list of things that you-from-the-past want to make sure that you-in-the-present do, say, buy or wear to maximize your party enjoyment.

This is a little trick I picked up from my mother, who sits down the day after my parents' annual holiday party to jot down the quantities of all the items she bought and what she needed more/less of as well as all the time-saving, money-saving and space-saving tips she's concerned about forgetting. This helpful list gets tucked into her calendar for the following November, so she finds it right when it's time to start planning the next holiday bash. Smart.

Comments

Myhusband has hosted a fishing weekend for his ball team every year for the last 26 years. He has kept a list of everything/quantities he needed for 15 guys, what was enjoyed and what he could leave out for the next time.

This is a great idea. I always do that for recipes (write down what I changed and what I would change for the next time), but I've never done that for parties. Thanks for the tip!

My husband and I have hosted an annual holiday party for 18 years. I keep a folder of recipes with notes for each year (soon to be scanned and kept electronically). In addition, I keep a spreadsheet of everything we used, which guests rsvp'd, attended etc. I also know what the attendance to rsvp ratio is so that can help me predict attendance each year. We have had as many as 157 people attend. We prepare all of the food ourselves and hire a bartender and help which allows us to enjoy the party too! With the 2008 party still 3 weeks away, we've had 82 RSVPs.

We also do a "lessons learned" session (what worked, what didn't, what food people liked, what they didn't) and include feedback from the people who help us out. We also keep notes on what recipes are easily prepared and scalable for 150 people throughout the year.