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Part I
To most people these two words, entertain and budget, are miles apart. But they do not have to be. Whether you are a young adult who wants to impress your friends, a new business owner looking to impress your clients, or a mom or dad who simply wants to take a break from the "office" to entertain a few friends you will find these tips useful.
No matter what you are or what your background, we all enjoy getting together with family and / or friends. However, when money is a little tight you do not have to opt out of host or hostessing if you utilize some sensible alternatives.
Your first task should be to decide the theme for your event. This will help you to create your guest list as well as help you see what pre-party elements you can bypass and what areas you will want to make extra special.
If you are planning your wedding festivals you will want to focus on the comfort and enjoyment of your guests. For this type of event you could save a ton of cash that could be used for a more practical purchase like your honeymoon or your first home purchase by narrowing your guest list. After all is said and done only you and your immediate family and very best friend will remember your party. Most of your guests will remember the wedding. So have a larger wedding if you must, but limit the wedding party to save major dollars.
For most of us we simply want to entertain a few friends. Be sure to supply a comfortable amount of room for your guests. If yours is a dinner party you will want to ensure you have enough chairs for your entire guest list. If it is a cocktail party you can and should opt for "milling"; room rather than so many chairs.
Another consideration is where you have your event. This can also either be costly or not. Here is a list of some inexpensive alternatives.
- Your own home or backyard
- Your local church Fellowship Hall
- A local residential clubhouse
- A local business or entertainment complex, ie skating rink, bowling alley
- Park or picnic area
- The beach or lakeside
- Your family or friend's home
The latter suggestion I offer with the thought of further spreading the expense by hosting a Progressive Dinner. These types of parties can be most memorable and fun.
Just what is a Progressive Dinner? Simply put, each course of a meal is prepared and presented by a different diner. My recommendation here is to plan carefully the route to minimize driving distance.
The next issue you need to decide is whether to give out invitations or not. Although a phone call is often less costly than a printed invitation you may want to consider sending them to at least some of your invitees. The more formal your event the more likely this should be done. Some ideas to consider that can help cut down on the expense here are:
- Computer generated invitations
- Printed
- Emailed
- Online greeting cards
- Send Out Cards
- Online digital greeting cards
- Evite.com invitations
- Hand crafted cards
- Quilled
- Stamped
- Embossed, or otherwise embellished
- Calligraphy
Hand crafting your invitations can be fun and will provide a unique invitation that may be cherished by the recipient for many years to come. You can even have a group of close friends or family members assist you with the invitation's design and creation. Think about the laughs and memories you will be making at the same time.
Join me next time for part two when we will conclude our conversation on entertaining to impress on a budget
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Source by Ginger Marks
