How do you plan a birthday party?

Party venue hire: how do you plan a birthday party? 

If you’re preparing to plan your child’s very first birthday party, a friend’s surprise party or a collective birthday/anniversary party for you and your friend group but it’s an event you’ve never considered holding before, you’re probably wondering: how do you plan a birthday party? 

How do you plan a birthday party? 

Planning a birthday party really depends on the size and expectations of the party itself, the recipient and the guests assumed to attend. 

For example, a 40th birthday party held in London for 100 adults keen to enjoy a cocktail bar will cost more and will likely be more complex to organise than a small birthday party held at a well-dressed community-like hall just outside of London for 20 children. 

As such, when planning a party, the key elements to initially consider are: 

• The desired date
• Location
• Number of expected guests
• What are the food & drink requirements? 
• Will there be activities/entertainment and what will this be (i.e. children’s entertainer, bouncy castle, band)?

Location often is the overriding factor of any event booking and determines almost everything that follows; the venue chosen and booked, the cost of the event, and even who feels able to attend.

Therefore, choosing a location, that is: 

• Central to the majority of attendees
• Easy to get to & from (by car and public transport)

Once a location has been agreed upon, choosing a venue within that location comes next. 

When searching for a venue within the desired location, it’s important to look for the following features: 

• Price of the venue
• Proximity to public transport 
• Capacity
• Services & equipment included, such as post-event care, chairs & tables
• Restrictions/terms of use

Choosing a party venue hire that’s affordable, close to a train station or regular bus route, can comfortably accommodate your guest list and provide the services and equipment you need to throw a fabulous birthday party is crucial to its overall success – and by ‘success’ we mean the enjoyment of the birthday person and their/your guests! 

When booking the venue, don’t be afraid to enter into a conversation – asking questions around the terms of the booking, length of booking, and who to contact in the event of an issue or emergency – your contact should be able to provide you with all the information you need to feel confident with your booking.

Once your venue is booked, it’s time to consider food & drink, and entertainment. Again, your venue contact will be able to advise you what amenities and facilities are available and whether outside catering is allowed. 

Then it’s time to invite guests! These days, most people have access to Facebook and Whatsapp and are accustomed to receiving group invites or event invitations via social media. 

However, specifically for children’s parties, it can be much more appropriate to hand out paper/card invitations to your child’s party guests. And, alongside this, when throwing a birthday party for an adult that requires an ‘upmarket’ or particularly glamorous approach, posting guests beautifully designed paper or card invites can make them (and the party feel very special! 

Planning a birthday party may feel like a big task but once you find the right venue at an affordable cost to hire, everything else will quickly fall into place. And this is where school lettings can make a world of difference. 

School facilities – such as their halls and studios – for hire are often highly affordable spaces, well-located and offer generous & large spaces capable of accommodating many people comfortably. 

To browse our school facilities for hire, please click here or contact us to start a conversation.

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