Apartment Therapy being a home design blog and all, many of us are accustomed to creating storyboards for the design of a room, an apartment, or an entire house. But the same approach could help in pulling your ideas together for a party:
- Save up inspirational photos portraying the vibe and style you'd like your party to have. Include everything from types of lighting to menu items.
- Collect material swatches, product cuts, samples, and colors.
- Lay out a schematic of how the party will fit into the space.
I did something similar for my wedding reception and found it a great way to confirm my own ideas and communicate them to others who were helping in the preparations. No matter how large or small the guest list, big or nonexistent the budget, it can only help to organize your thoughts into one place to see how it all comes together in advance. Has anyone done this for a party before? How did it help in your party planning?
Image: Zinke Design
Before & After: Emily Henderson Transforms a Senior's Studio Space
Monica & Austin's Charming Bungalow
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
White Enamel Four-P...
How To Cook Fluffy, Tasty Quinoa
True Greek Recipe: Paximadi Bread Salad with Tomatoes, Feta and Capers
Seriously? And you wonder why people don't invite their friends over more often (http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/sf/entertaining/what-keeps-you-from-entertaining-more-often-131560).
It might make sense for a one-time special occasion like a wedding, but in general, I think these sort of "event" expectations are detrimental to it actually being FUN to host a party. (Go for it if it's something you enjoy, of course.)
Regina, I totally get it, and it's helpful for someone like me who loves beautiful things but usually waits until the last minute to put them together :) I've never actually made a mood board, but I have a file on my desktop for "entertaining ideas" that I fill with things that catch my eye throughout the year.
I like this idea a lot. Initially I thought it might take too much time but as a person who doesn't give many parties I get overwhelmed with ideas and ultimately waste time running around, or standing holding things in my hands thinking. I think this would really help me be clear about what I was trying to achieve visually. I know gathering pictures certainly helps me with decorating.
What I really would like to know is how do you create these story boards? I have lots of pages with pictures, and some stored on the computer but how do you make something that looks like the picture here?
I use inspiration boards (made from Photoshop & Google searches) on my blog. I do not throw too many parties but if you are going for a specific mood I think storyboards help because you can carry it with you when you go to buy the party supplies & decorations! It helps from over spending (if you are like me & gbtoo) when you get excited about all the possibilities.
I'm all about inspiration "boards," but mine take the format of inspiration "notebook pages." While I did make one for my wedding (taken from magazines--not just bridal ones! My best ideas came from the home decor mags), I have a magazine and catalog habit that I manage to control by cutting out favorite bits and using a simple gluestick to adhere them to card stock. The cardstock I pre-three hole punched and put in a binder.
Over time, I watch my style develop and it helps solidify what I'm looking for at flea markets, antique malls, and Etsy!
Could you use this idea for a party? Absolutely. Why not? I'm all about a party with a solidified "look." Go for it! (And if you don't have the time, steal someone else's. lol.)
Where is that beautiful 3rd image from, the out of focus photograph?! I love it.
Like gbtoo, I'd like to know more about creating storyboards.
No wonder people find it intimidating to entertain!
I find it very helpful to DRAW what I need for the party (and I can't draw!). For me it's easier to visualize what I need than to just make a list.
If I'm serving three vegetables, I'll draw three bowls and three serving spoons. Meat would be a meat platter, serving fork and slicing knife. Punch would be a bowl, ladle, cups. Cake would be a cake stand, knife and serving fork, cake plates and dessert forks. A plate of biscuits or dinner rolls would include a stick of butter on a plate.
Then I just look at all the pictures and count how many items I need.
It took me thirty years to come up with this idea, and now I almost never forget ANYTHING for a party.
I think this could be particularly helpful if one has a mate to whom one needs to communicate a vision to so everyone's on the same page about what one is aiming for when having a party. My husband's idea of a party is having enough beer. My thinking tends to be more towards life as theater, and prepping means almost the same as designing and creating the proper set. And I tend to forget to let my husband in on what that set should look like. The worst way to prep for a party is to have an argument just as the guests are about to arrive.