Planning a Summer Shindig? Here’s a Checklist for a Stress-Free Celebration.

We wait all year for it – the sweet sunny heat of summer.

It’s the perfect time of year for pool parties, BBQs, backyard bonfires, birthday celebrations, outdoor movie nights, and good old fashioned get-togethers with family and friends.

But planning a party takes time, and a rock solid checklist.

There are so many things you need to do before the event,

and we don’t just mean running to the LCBO to stock up.

To help you plan your party or event,

here’s our list of party preparations that you should follow to

pull off a stress-free summer shindig:

1. Clean your house – thoroughly. This includes the kitchen where people tend to naturally congregate, and the bathroom that guests will be using. Give everything a deep clean, or hire cleaners for a couple of hours to come and work their magic so you don’t have to spend all your time scrubbing the sink.

2. Decorate with balloons, fresh cut flowers, streamers, or outdoor lights so your place is beautiful inside and out, creating a lovely ambiance.

3. Stock up on coolers, drinks and ice, as well as cups, wine glasses, champagne flutes and so on, depending on what you want to serve. You could hire bartenders or even a mobile bar that can come and set up at your venue and serve your guests all night long.

4. Decide on a menu or a theme, whether it’s a potluck, a BBQ, or a sushi night. If you’re planning a party that involves a specific cuisine you may need to find a caterer, unless you happen to be an amazing cook who wants to do all the catering themselves!

5. Take into consideration people who may have food allergies or dietary restrictions, such as gluten-free or vegetarian/vegan items.

6. Set up speakers for music, make sure everything works (including the Bluetooth connection), and test out your technology. You don’t want your playlist to be stuck on your laptop or phone and leave you scrambling to get it working!

7. Make sure you have enough tables and seating for everyone, and if you don’t have enough chairs and tables you can rent them for the night.

Throwing an event is great fun, but it’s also a lot of work.

Many people report being too tired to enjoy the party!

You may want to consider outsourcing the party planning to thE Concierge,

who can help you pull off the party of your dreams so you don’t have to go through the stress of doing all the planning, booking and sourcing yourself.

If you need help with your party planning, give us a call (416-434-1717)

and find out what thE Concierge can do to help you.