Pacing Your Party Planning with Preparation- Part 1

Pacing.
What does that bring to mind? There’s the kind of pacing that you do when you’re worried about something (maybe the upcoming party you’re having this Saturday?) when you walk back and forth repeatedly.

Or the kind of pacing that refers to length of a stride, so you can measure a distance without a tape measure. (Like when you need to see how many tables you can cram into a backyard meant to hold 20 people when you really want to have appetizers for 40).

It could also mean the rate at which a person walks or runs, as in setting the pace when you’re late to get the wine you forgot for dinner.

Or it could mean to apportion your time or efforts in an efficient manner. When planning a party you might consider all these but we’re talking specifically about the latter.

Pacing in so far as party planning is concerned has to do with two main aspects of the party. Namely, planning and preparation and the actual party itself. We’ll talk about planning and preparation here.

Let’s imagine we’re going to have 6 people over for dinner. It’s going to be a casual backyard barbecue. Hmmmm… sounds lovely if you’re the guest. If you’re the host you need to get off your duff and start pacing out your preparations.

First, think about what you are serving. You need time to buy it, prepare it, cook it and serve it. Make a list of everything you need to buy for the party including paper goods (napkins, birthday candles, etc.), candles, flowers, ice, and food.

You don’t want to wait until the very last minute to go shopping as then you will be pooped by the time it comes to the actual cooking let alone looking fresh as a daisy for the party itself. The more you can buy ahead, the easier it will be.

You can buy all the non food items weeks ahead if you’re that organized. But, if you’re serving something really perishable like seafood, you may have to leave those purchases for the day before or even the day of. You also can pace out your shopping.

Keep in mind which stores you need to visit, what you are buying there and their location on your route. Plan as efficient a day as possible, keeping in mind that once you buy refrigerated or frozen food you really need to head home to keep them chilled.

Next, think about how long it will take to do everything. Give yourself a realistic time table. Remember, you need to clean up the house, set the table and prepare the food as much as possible before hand.

Now, there are some people who like to cook in front of their guests or even with their guests. If you are comfortable enough in the kitchen to do that then by all means factor that into your time table. But most people (and dare I say 99% of the squeamish planners among us) get too nervous having to cook with a bunch of people looking on. If that sounds like you, consider a menu that allows you to prepare most of the dishes well ahead of time.

Cooking time. Don’t forget to schedule time to bake the casserole or heat up the apple pie. I dare say there isn’t a party giver among us who, at some time or other, put stuff in the oven and forgot to turn it on. That results in a substantial delay in the food service which will tax your creative powers to delay.

Don’t forget to allow for serving time. Those appetizers aren’t going to clear themselves and you need to allow a some time to transition from pre-dinner to dinner service. Because you have wisely set the table before hand you just need to do the last minute filling of the water glasses and you can always ask a nice guest to help you with that.

Planning a party is not magical, it just takes thinking ahead about the different parts of the event and how long each will take to accomplish. Don’t forget to schedule some time for the unexpected. And don’t feel stuck to your original time table. If you can stay even reasonably on track you are doing well.

We like to give ourselves lots of extra time, so that we don’t get so upset about the fact that the dog really did run off with the marinating steak or the fact that the barbecue refuses to (today of all days) turn on. And, if you’re really lucky, things will not only go according to schedule but ahead of schedule and you can have a long, rejuvenating nap so you are at your very best when it’s “show time.”