Planning a party? We're all about a good time! From the get-go (that is, when you decide you want to throw a party) to picking out a design for the party invitations and then the little details from the food, beverages, party games/activities, to the party stationery that will make it ever more memorable. Here's the Impressive Ultimate Party Planning Checklist we've put together to keep you on track! Here goes!

Party Planning a Month Ahead of the Day of the Party

-       Decide on the date of the party. A time should also be decided, depending on whether you want a daytime or night time party.

-       Select a venue if you're not having it at home. If you are planning a brunch or afternoon party, then select a venue that allows for the theme you are planning. ​

-       If you are planning a party theme, now is the time to pick one. Depending on the venue you are looking at booking, you may want to tie the two together and make it cohesive. Outdoor parties are fun, but it's up to you to decide on what will fit the type of party you are thinking of having, as well as the theme.

-       Figure out the invitation list. Make a list of everyone you would like to attend. If you need help trying to remember who you want to invite, refer your address books or your phone contact list. Sometimes you can browse through your social media friends list too. If you are planning a large party, invite 20% more than you can fit into your venue (this is because, usually only 70% attend).

-       Decide on a party invitation design.  Once you've selected a venue and a party theme, this will be easier as you can be inspired by them and your party vision. You can choose a photo party invitation, or a textual invite, or something personalised. It's completely your choice. Impressive Invitations has a great collection of customisable party invitations designs and can also create a completely unique party invite design to your liking too.

-       Decide on the budget. Sometimes party costs can get out of hand, so have a budget to set a ceiling value on what you are willing to spend on certain party items or the whole party.

-       Hire party vendors. It’s always a good idea to shop around for each party planning aspect (caterer, bartender (if it's an adult party), food servers (if you're not having a buffet), entertainment, house-cleaning services (for the aftermath), gardener (if you'd like to spruce up your garden when your home is the party venue), and transportation/valet services (if required).

Once the important items are carried out, the rest is merely fine tuning and double checking.

​Three Weeks before the Party

-       Choosing the menu with what your chosen caterer can offer

-       Buy or make decorations as per the party theme

-       Figure out linen, tableware, plates, platters, utensils if you need to source them

-       Figure out beverages and make purchases or order them

-       Make a dining table or buffet setup to ensure everyone invited has enough space

One Week before the Party

-       Double check the RSVP list for those who have yet to respond

-       Confirm any rental reservations

Four to Five Days before the Party

-       Double check items with caterers in terms of food, beverages, decorations, etc. Also double check the shopping list for items that you need to purchase

Two Days before the Party

-       If you are hosting the party at home, make sure to iron linen as well as wash all dishes, platters and cutlery to be used

-       Do last minute cleaning

One Day before the Party

-       Do the shopping on the list

-       Set up tables and decorations

Day of the Party

-       Finish setting up, hang up decorations and flower

-       Make sure bathrooms are clean

-       Four hours before the party, start chilling champagne and white wine.

Stay tuned to Impressive Invitations blog for great party planning ideas, party invitations and more!

When the term "Cocktail Parties" comes to mind there are several instances where you may come across them such as a cocktail event for fund raises or conferences, casual cocktails within your organisation, or a fun cocktail party with family and friends. Planning such events requires work; sending out cocktail party invitations, deciding on food and importantly the beverages (must not forget the star of the show), and not to mention how to put it all together for a grand time. With winter making its ways towards the land down under, you're looking at a classy winter inspired cocktails fête.

Let's look at a few design options for the perfect winter inspired cocktails party with each category of event in mind.

Corporate Cocktail Events

You're probably looking at a glam event that could both be part of a launch or a predecessor to another grander event, or a meet and greet for various stakeholders and/or clientele. Nevertheless, these types of events come with a budget and a clear theme with delightful and specific cocktail event invites to go with it. It's always a good idea to design the look of the cocktail invitations from the ground up if you haven't come across an existing design in the existing range of invite designs available online. Having a chat with regards to your cocktail party theme with the Impressive Invitations Design Team can help in turning your vision into reality.

​Company Cocktail Parties

The former type of cocktail event targeted mostly the clientele whereas these "parties" are more for the employees, for them to wind down. The responsibility of planning these cocktails falls on the human resources department where a group of people will plan everything from the invitations and ensure a great time is had. Such events are important for employee morale, especially when enforcing a balance between work and recreation. As you will be planning the event, make sure to choose an invitations shop that allows you to either customise the cocktail party invite designs to fit your corporate identity.

Cocktail Parties with Family & Friends

On a more casual front with more fun to be had with family and friends (even with work colleagues who have become good friends over time), casual cocktail parties for whichever occasion you may want to celebrate is a great idea. The theme and Decor of these cocktail parties can be more relaxed with fun and puns included in the invitation wording. Feature cocktail glasses in different hues, colourful designs and more and rile up excitement with the personalised cocktail party invites you send out.

Graduations are a few months away. Most schools, universities and colleges have started making preparations for graduation day, preparing graduation invitations to be sent to the student's kin.

There are many styles in which you can design your graduation invitations. Depending on the colours and general brand identity of the institute in terms of typeface and the theme that the graduation ceremony will take after, it's important to let it show through in the ticket or invite card. A mandatory design element would be featuring the logo or insignia and the name of the school/university/college. The formality of the design may also depend on the type of graduation, whether it's a high school Graduation, or for a degree or postgraduate diploma, and the theme of course.

You'll find that these invites/tickets are elegant in design with clean lines and smooth graphics elements such as flourishes and Border designs. The following designs are ideal for the graduation invitation tickets issued by the school.

Then there's the matter of the graduation party invitations, those hosted by the graduating students and their families. These invites can be more casual and "fun". You'll often see graduation caps and tassels motifs or patterns and photographs that make for great keepsakes.

The following designs are perfect for graduation party invitations. You can choose elegant and simplistic designs too but that doesn't mean you should be restricted by them. This also applies to announcements too. When you choose an invitations and cards retailer that offers online customisations at affordable prices, you know you've come across a good deal. Make sure to make the most of it to get unique invitations and announcements cards to fit your vision. Whether you're in the graduation ceremony planning committee or planning a graduation party, you can find affordable Graduations invitations for great quality.

When drafting the graduation invitation wording, consider the following options:

Official Graduation Invitations

You are cordially invited

to attend the Graduation of

Alexander McQueen

from Monash University

on May seventeenth

Two thousand and fifteen

at three o’clock in the afternoon

--------

The President, Faculty and

Graduating Class of

Monash University

announce that

Alexander McQueen

is a candidate for the degree of

Bachelor of Science in Business Information Technology

at the Graduation Ceremony

on May seventeenth

Two thousand and fifteen

at three o’clock in the afternoon

Graduation Party Invitations

Jane and John Smith

request the pleasure of your company

at a Graduation Party

in honour of

Mary Ann

on May seventeenth

Two thousand and fifteen

at three o’clock in the afternoon

at our home

#125, Willow Drive, Ninehills,

Sydney NSW

The months leading up to the wedding are always a little stressful and often busy for the bride and groom, that’s why their friends and loved ones put together some great parties to honour them as well as for them to let off some steam. You’ll need some party invitations for get-togethers such as a hens night, or a bucks night, even a bridal shower, they are all welcome. As a friend putting it all together, you can get a hold of some ideal hens night invitations, bridal shower invitations, or even customise an invite design to fit the party you have in mind. We’ve put together some ideas for a bride and groom parties that are hosted the world over for some inspiration! Keep reading and get cracking on those plans!

Bridal Showers, Hens Nights, and Kitchen Tea Dos

A bride usually has her hands full with all the planning underway and the million little details she wants to have on her special day.  It’s always great to gift your dear friend some time to just relax and have a good time without the stress of wedding planning. That’s why you can see the likes of bridal showers, hens night and kitchen tea parties being planned, sometimes by the different friend circles. While the likes  of her high school friend may put together a risqué hens night invitation for a night about town, whereas her office friends and colleagues may want to come up with kitchen tea party invites and her family and extended relatives may want to shower with love so they’ll need bridal shower invitations to let everyone know.

There are many themes that would be ideal for bride-related pre-wedding parties, where as risqué are chosen for hens night parties, chic and elegant for bridal showers, and cosy being the general theme for a kitchen tea party.

Parties for the Groom

A Groom shower may be too much of a feminine term but essentially that is what it can be. There are many such parties that the groom’s friends and closest kin throw in honour of the groom-to-be. Some of these parties include the likes of “Build-a-bar” bash (which involves gifting any item that would help in building up a bar such as liquor, accouterments, glasses and such), “Around the Clock” party (which involves buying a present for the groom that is relevant to what he would be doing at that time, such as a Keurig machine or toaster for 7am), “Tools for Marriage” celebration (involves either advice or home repair/improvement tools that can be useful in his married life), “He’s the Man” shindig (which may involve the likes of  a road trip, a holiday or even a weekend staying in and relaxing with his best buddies, or something totally fun like a Paintball Tournament). Apart from this, there is the Bachelor’s Party which can involve all these “Shower” items as well as some general fun!

Source: Alzfaf

Wedding planning is a special but sometimes hectic time for the bride-to-be, and as her closest and dearest of friends, making her feel relaxed and upbeat is thoughtful and caring. Throwing her a bridal shower is a great way to do something special, so get the ball rolling by selecting impressive bridal shower invitations for a great bridal shower party.

There are many names that a bridal shower goes by. Whilst some countries refer to it as a bachelorette party, others call it a hen’s night, a kitchen tea party, and of course, a bridal shower. If you’re a tad curious as to what their differences are, here is what it’s about!

Australia and New Zealand refer to a party held for a woman about to be married as a “Hens Party” or “Hens Night”

The United States of America and Canada usually refer to it as a “Bachelorette Party”, though it’s also called a “Stagette” in Canada.

Most English-speaking countries refer to it as “Girl’s Night Out” or “Kitchen Tea”

South Africa refers to this get-together as a “Kitchen Tea” party

A “Bridesmaid Luncheon” is referred to a get-together during the day often hosted by the bride/mother-of-the-bride where the bride often receives gifts.

If the event’s highlight is showering the bride with gifts, then this is referred to as a “Bridal Shower” and are usually held before a “Hens Night”

Parties where both the groom’s parties and bride’s parties are attending are referred to as “Stag and Doe”, “Jack and Jill”, and “Buck and Doe” parties

While the objective is to have an event honouring the bride and the upcoming milestone in her life, hens nights usually involves lots of fun, dancing and drinking or a night out whereas a kitchen tea or bridal shower is more of an elegant affair, often with relaxation and bonding. However, the designs of your impressive bridal shower invitations, even a hens night or kitchen tea can be anything you want it to be (provided you know what sort of style the bride favours).

Usually hens night invitations include bright and bold hues and somewhat risqué designs while bridal shower invites or kitchen tea invites are usually more sophisticated. Stilettos, cocktails, silhouettes of dancing girls and jungle-fever prints are popular on hens night invites, whilst Parisian designs, fashion trends, jewellery insignias, pretty patterns and kitchen-related items are popular with bridal shower and kitchen tea invites.

The holidays are nearing, closer and closer. Have you decided what you want to be doing this December? Make your holiday special by sharing it with family and friends. Plan parties and think happy thoughts this Christmas and send holiday party invitations and greeting cards so they know you're thinking of them.

There are many events invitations you can send, as well as greeting card types. We've put together a few popular holiday party invitations and cards that are sent during this seasonal time.

Pool & Pyjama Parties, Sleepovers, Movie Nights and more

During school holidays or your annual company leave, it's important that you plan activities to keep yourself occupied (if you’re not going out of town). A great way to have a great time is to have family and friends over. Send out fun sleepover/pyjama party invitations. Customise them to match your favourite colour or theme.

But that's not all, you can also host a pool party if you have one, organise movie nights, and much more. Buy your holiday party invitations online so you can easily browse for the design you like and personalise the party invites to your personal preference by contacting the designers of the invitations and cards via email, chat or through their online shopping system.

Christmas Parties and Dinners

Whether you're planning a family Christmas dinner party, hosting a fabulous Christmas party at home or at a venue, or planning the company Christmas party, you’ll need the best Christmas party invites for the occasion and the tone/theme you're hoping to have. Choose from the various themes available or even have your own custom designer Christmas party invite cards done.

New Year Parties

The New Year is a special time for probably everyone around the world. A time where they count down with loved ones, so if you're hosting a New Year party, that's great news. Pick a great party invitation design based on the style/theme/look you prefer. A few popular options include a Disco Ball to dance the night away or champagne flutes to toast to the New Year.

Christmas Cards & Season’s Greetings

Receiving greeting cards almost always brings about warm feelings and happy thoughts, so why not do the same. Christmas and season's greeting cards can be generic or personalised, depending on your preference or the recipients. If you're looking for company holiday greeting cards make sure it’s appropriate. If you're sending our family Christmas cards, then photo greeting cards are ideal.

This Christmas holiday, plan your events & occasions, and share the seasonal cheer with your loved ones. Season's Greetings to all!

If your best friend expecting, and you want to do something special for her, then a baby shower party would be ideal. When you are planning the highly anticipated baby shower, your invitations should be something the expectant mother would like. Therefore, look for unique baby shower invitations that will make a statement and something that represents her personality and will make her and the invitees smile at your thoughtfulness.

Getting Unique Baby Shower Invitations

One way of being unique is doing the baby shower invites yourself from scratch by going down the DIY route. However, this can be time-consuming and if you are a busy person, not always the best option. Opt for the professional, who offer you means of being unique and coming up with unique touches to the baby shower invitations designs you choose. These baby invites designs can be easily customised to feature the name of the expectant mother, change of colour, invitation wording and the font.

Choose the Perfect Design for This Baby Event

There are many designs for you to choose from, but they can be differentiated by the gender of the baby the mother and father are expecting, being either a boy or girl. However, if they are keeping that information a surprise, then you can go neutral, but also remember that there are expectant parents who prefer neutral tones and have also designed their nurseries around these colours, fully knowing the gender of their baby.

Remember that the baby shower invitations also act as a means of announcing the upcoming birth of your friend’s beautiful baby, so make sure to put a lot of thought into the design that you choose and how you word the invitation wording as well. Designs that are trending include the likes of modern chic, retro, traditional designs with a tinge of bohemian. Nevertheless, they are all wonderfully styled and usually feature a ‘baby’ element to set the tone. 

You will find designs that feature stripes in varying contrasting colours such as fuchsia and mint, to peach and purple, footprint pattern, polka dots, gingham designs, and not forgetting designs on white and solid colours. The design elements you can also find will include the likes of the following:

♥ Banners and insets

♥ Column or row layouts

♥ Highlighted areas in different colours

♥ Illustrations or silhouettes such as:

♦ Babies on a stool

♦ Birdcages

♦ Teddy bear families

♦ Pacifiers

♦ Prams and cots

♦ Baby toys such as bouncy balls or ducks on wheels

♦ Baby bottles

♦ Cot mobiles

♦ Mother owl and similar animals

♦ Mother silhouette

These are just some designs that are available for your choosing, and not forgetting you can add your own very thoughtful and personal touch. Do not forget the details and make sure that you plan an event to remember.

One of the most popular and demure pre-wedding celebrations for the bride-to-be is her bridal shower that is hosted by the Maid of Honour to commemorate the passing of singlehood and onto a new journey. Some brides prefer the option of Kitchen Tea, which is predominantly still a Bridal Shower but focused on gifts with the kitchen domain in mind. So, these parties are more feminine and also homely, and likewise the kitchen tea invitations will be too.

Being a specialised form of a bridal shower or even wedding shower, this female-only party requires a feminine touch in the invites and can include a hint as to what will be happening during the event. There are many games hosted during the Kitchen Tea party, and you may even opt to include some of these elements when designing your kitchen tea invitations. Some of the games that you may play include the likes of the following:

* How The Couple Met : a fill-in-the-blanks game for the guests to see how well they know the couple and how they met

* How Well Do You Know the Bride: a quiz on things about the bride

* Design a Gown : A toilet paper roll game where guests are separated into groups and asked to design a beautiful wedding gown out of TP roll

* From the Kitchen: Wrap items from the kitchen and have guests pass them around guessing what they may be

* Bridal Quiz

* Advice Game

With such games in store, you can design your Kitchen Tea party invitations around it, especially with elements from kitchen items used for inspiration. Take for example, the striped napkins on the table, or the polka dotted tablecloth, the spoon rack, and not forgetting the teapot, cups and saucers.

Colours that are ideal for kitchen tea party invitations and decor can be feminine and or even vibrant, because being a happy occasion; you want to convey the joy and round up the love with the invite itself.

* Salmon Pink

* Aqua Blue

* Metal Gray

* Hot Pink

* Mustard Green

* Olive Green

* Prune Purple

* Cool Mint

* Lime Green

* Tangerine Orange

* Orange

* Lavender

Some of these kitchen tea party invitations come as the traditional folded card invites, and some come as postcards. The new trend is to go with magnet invitations so that you can post it on a metal surface such as the refrigerator and your guests can be reminded everyday until the party, because it will be a great and delightful reminder of the great fun they will have. As the Maid of Honour, have fun planning this awesome party, and get the Bride involved and ask her what she will like to have. After all, it is in her honour.