How to use the party planner printable
- Fill in the party details: name, date, start time, place, host, guests expected and budget. Everything is optional, and blanks print as lines to write on.
- Edit the countdown, one task per line as the days before, a bar and the task ("7 | Confirm the guest count"). Use 0 for party day. Dates are counted back from the party date.
- Edit the schedule, one activity per line as the activity, a bar and the minutes ("Cake | 20"). Activities run back to back from the start time.
- Choose whether to include a guest list and how many rows, then Download PDF or Print.
Three kinds of page
The first page holds the details at the top and a countdown below: each task has a checkbox and the date it should be done by, such as Nov 28 for a task 7 days before a party on December 5. Spare checkbox lines fill the rest of the page. The second page is the schedule, with a start and end time for every activity, a total and an end time, then two columns for food and drinks and a shopping list. The remaining pages are the guest list.
With a 2:00 PM start and the example activities, the schedule runs 2:00 to 2:30 PM, 2:30 to 2:40, 2:40 to 3:20, 3:20 to 3:50, 3:50 to 4:10 and 4:10 to 4:20, which is 140 minutes in all and ends at 4:20 PM.
Guest list rows
The guest list has 25 rows per page, numbered across pages, with columns for the name, party size, a Yes box and notes about food needs or rides. Choose 5 to 100 rows. If you want to track replies on screen instead, the guest list manager counts RSVPs as you go.
Leave the date blank and the countdown prints "7 days before" in place of calendar dates. Clear the start time and the schedule shows minutes from the start instead of clock times.
Planning around the plan
Once the guest count is known, the party food and drink calculator estimates quantities, the cocktail batch calculator scales drinks and the bartender staffing calculator helps with bigger events. The catering cost per head calculator helps with the budget.
The starting countdown and schedule are examples you can change freely. The PDF is made in your browser and nothing is uploaded; saved entries stay in this browser only if you tick the box.
Assumptions and limits
- The countdown holds up to 24 tasks and must fit on the first page, and the schedule holds up to 20 activities of 1 to 480 minutes each.
- The guest list is 5 to 100 rows, with 25 rows on each page.
- Pages are US Letter. Text that is too long for its box is shortened with three dots and the page tells you.
- Nothing is uploaded. Saved entries stay in this browser only if you tick the box.
Frequently asked questions
How is the schedule timed?
Activities run back to back from your start time, each lasting the minutes you give. The page shows a start and end for each and the end time of the whole party.
What does the countdown date mean?
It is the party date minus the days before you wrote for the task. A task 14 days before a December 5 party is dated November 21.
Can I print only the plan and schedule?
Yes. Untick the guest list box and you get two pages, the plan and the schedule with food and shopping lines.
What if I do not know the date yet?
Clear the date and the countdown shows days before the party instead. You can add the date by hand later.