Party Planning 101: The Supplier Checklist

When it comes to party planning, the golden rule is “Stay True to Yourself”. Yes, I’m talking about the most tricky part of planning – setting your budget. While it’s easy to get carried away with all the lovely, drool-worthy ideas around us, the challenge lies in sticking to your budget. However, I just want to point out this one uber important thing: “You get what you pay for”. So how do we exactly go about this? Plan ahead.

As you might have already heard, planning children’s parties nowadays is like planning a wedding. For some, the planning start as early as one year! I kid you not. Well, I know because I’m one of them. LOL. By planning ahead of time, you still have the option to check out special deals, fresh ideas and most importantly, your dream suppliers. If you won’t be having the assistance of an event coordinator, here’s a quick and general rundown of the suppliers you will be needing to achieve a memorable party.

So before we begin, I hope you nailed down these essential details, namely: your budget, date and time of event, number of guests and of course, THE party theme.

• Supplier #1 – Venue
Here are some of the things to consider when looking for the right venue – Its accessibility (both to you and your guests), parking space, size, cleanliness, air conditioner cooling capability and season (for outdoor setting). You might also want to check their do’s and don’ts when it comes to styling the venue

• Supplier #2 – Catering
• Supplier #3 – Food Carts
Food is non-negotiable for me in terms of both quality (taste-wise) and quantity. As a matter of fact, I’m willing to spend half of my budget on this! Look, we don’t want our guests looking for another place to eat RIGHT AFTER our party, right?

• Supplier #4 – Event Stylist
Do you want to wow your guests? Then make a statement with your venue set-up. Whether you’re aiming for something “clean, chic and classy” or “eye-popping colorful through and through” or how about something “whimsical and quirky”, better check what suits your theme and the “forte” of the stylists you have in mind. Remember, these stylists have their own signature styles and it’s best to know the difference.

• Supplier #5 – Photographer
• Supplier #6 – Videographer
Memories are priceless and what better way to capture these once in a lifetime moments than pictures and videos.

• Supplier #7 – Cake
• Supplier #8 – Dessert Bar
• Supplier #9 – Candy Buffet
A party without a cake is just a meeting (by Julia Child). I’m such a sucker for sweets! I loooove looking at them as much as eating them. Darn bakers! Teehee.

• Supplier #10 – Event Host
• Supplier #11 – Side Entertainment such as shadow puppetry, acrobats, stilt walkers and even science experiment shows
• Supplier #12 – Activities such as glam booths, DIY area and game booths
• Supplier #13 – Prizes
• Supplier #14 – On the spot souvenir such as photobooth, mobile studio, bag tags and personalized key chains.
• Supplier #15 – Giveaways and party Favors
A staple in every children’s party – action-filled games and magic shows. To add more smiles and excitement to your event, why not throw in some extra side entertainment, activities and on the spot souvenirs and giveaways.

• Supplier #16 – Invitations and other printables
• Supplier #17 – Gowns and suits
• Supplier #18 – Hair and Make-up Artist
• Supplier #19 – Tables and Chairs
• Supplier #20 – Lights and Sound System
Other suppliers worth noting.

Whew! I do hope I got everything covered. If I did happen to miss out anything, please feel free to drop me a message via the comment section.

Sounds too overwhelming? Don’t fret, y’all! Sky Cable’s Celebrations Fair (Year 2) is just around the corner and they got some of the most reliable and amazing party suppliers all in one roof! So be sure to mark your calendars and I hope to see you there!

Check out their Facebook page for more details: Sky Celebrations Fair