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Complete party prep checklist

Illustration of person writing down to-dos.

Prepping for a party doesn’t have to be a pain. Follow these essential party prep tips to get set for your next celebration. We even made a cheat-sheet free printable you can print out to keep on hand while you prep!

2 weeks before:

  • Set the menu. Don’t try to make food on the fly—plan your menu well in advance, then write out a detailed shopping list. Pick dishes that can be prepared ahead of time and only require warming and assembling on the day of the party so you can keep out of the kitchen and spend more time with guests. If you’re not confident in your cooking skills—or you don’t want to spend time slaving over the stove—buy prepared foods, order in or call a caterer (make your reservation now).
  • Plan your party decorations. Turn run-of-the-mill dinner or drinks into something special by doing it up with decorations. Shop for decorations online to save time or get crafty and do it yourself. Even a simple printable banner to celebrate a special occasion or a table runner and candles can be enough to dress things up.

1 week before:

  • Get groceries. Preparing for party guests requires more than your weekly grocery store run. If you have a large guest list, buy the basics in bulk so you won’t run out. Go shopping at least a week in advance to purchase all your drinks and nonperishable foods.
  • Stock the bar. You could just buy a couple of cases of beer or a few bottles of wine and call it a day, but to go the extra mile, give guests the option to create their own cocktails. If you want to offer a full bar, stock up on liquor, including vodka, tequila, rum and gin, and nonalcoholic mixers, including tonic water, juice and soda. If it’s a small get-together, don’t feel you have to buy out the liquor store; just offer enough to mix a signature drink or two. You’ll want to keep both alcoholic and nonalcoholic choices in the mix so you have a little something for everyone. Chill beverages beforehand—and don’t forget the ice.
  • Declutter. Now’s the time to go through (or stash, no judgments here) that stack of mail piled up on your dining room table and put away the sneakers you left in the living room. While you’re at it, make room for food and drink in your fridge by tossing anything past its expiration date and reorganizing what’s left.
  • Plan out party activities. Turning down the lights and turning up the music for dancing takes cocktails from drab to fab; a round of Celebrity after dessert keeps a dinner party going. Prep your playlist (disco ball optional) or get enough pencils and paper together for everyone now.
  • Create a playlist. Make a playlist using a music streaming service so you don’t have to play DJ all night. Select songs that fit the occasion and appeal to a variety of tastes. For instance, a swanky cocktail party might call for jazz, while a blowout birthday bash may be better suited for contemporary chart-toppers.

2 days before:

  • Make your place look spick-and-span. Put your best foot forward by making sure your space is clean—guests should feel their arrival has been anticipated, not as if they walked in unannounced on your day-to-day life. Sweep and mop the floors, vacuum the carpets, dust the furniture, clean the counters and appliances, then tackle the bathrooms. If you just can’t deal, consider hiring a cleaning service to do the dirty work for you. Don’t be afraid to give specific instructions about what you want to have cleaned or ask that they use your own cleaning products.
  • Get serveware ready. Select a variety of platters and serving stands to add visual interest, make room for dishes and give guests easy access to sips and eats. Don’t waste time on the day of digging for dishes buried in the back of your cabinets—get them out ahead of time and then, if you’re feeling fancy, clean and polish platters, plates, silverware and stemware. If you’re using a tablecloth and/or cloth napkins, make sure they’re washed and pressed.
  • Pick out your outfit. Save yourself the stress of deciding what to wear last-minute by laying out your outfit beforehand. That way, you can ensure your clothes will be clean, pressed and ready-to-wear, not crumpled in the corner of your closet. Don’t forget shoes and/or jewelry to match.

1 day before:

  • Rearrange furniture. If you’re hosting more than a handful of guests, you may want to rearrange furniture to maximize your party space and ensure guests will be able to move around with ease. In addition to setting up a space for eats, decide where you’ll set out drinks and/or dessert. Store valuables and breakables out of sight to avoid any mishaps and plan a place where they can keep their purses and coats.
  • Decorate. Now’s the time to set out the candles and a vase or two of flowers and/or hang a banner.
  • Make the food. Prep everything you can the day before, then keep dishes in the fridge overnight so all you have to do on the day of is heat and serve. Wash everything now to ensure anything you may need tomorrow will be clean. That way you’ll also have plenty of room in your dishwasher or dish rack for more dishes tomorrow.

Day of:

  • Do any last-minute food prep. Prep drink garnishes, cut fruit for a salad, etc. — anything you couldn’t do ahead.
  • Set out serveware and/or food and drink. Before guests arrive, set up tables with napkins, dishes, beverages and/or food.
  • Set the mood. Light the candles, put on your playlist and pour yourself a drink: You’re ready to party!

Start inviting friends to your next get-together by sending one of our dinner party invitations or cocktail party invitations.

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What makes Evite SignUp Sheets different from SignUpGenius?

Developed hand-in-hand with community organizers, PTA presidents, parents and teachers, Evite's signup sheets are designed to make organizing volunteers a breeze. Here are a few ways SignUp Sheets are different than SignUpGenius:

  • 100% free: SignUp Sheets are free to use.
  • Ad-free: No popup ads ever! Our signup sheets remain clutter-free, keeping your volunteers focused on signing up.
  • No extra login required: Seamlessly use your Evite account to create and manage your signup sheets, keeping all your events in one convenient location.
  • Automatic reminders and notifications: Stay on top of your event with automated reminders and notifications for you and your participants. Perfect for busy parents, teachers and anyone juggling multiple commitments.
  • Customization options: Tailor your signup sheets to your specific event, whether it's a school fundraiser, potluck, volunteer opportunity or team activity. Add custom tasks, time slots and requirements for smooth coordination.
  • User-friendly experience: Our intuitive interface makes creating and sharing signup sheets simple for everyone, regardless of tech experience.
  • Real-time updates: Get instant notifications whenever someone signs up or makes a change, so you always know where things stand.

Choose Evite SignUp Sheets for the easiest, most streamlined way to get volunteers and signups for your next event!

What is a signup sheet?

Signup sheets are the perfect way to streamline scheduling, volunteer recruitment, class parties, snack duty, potluck organization, parent-teacher conferences and more! You can think of them as your digital assistant for coordinating events and tasks and ensuring that your event is a success.

Evite SignUp Sheets offers parents, teachers and event planners customizable online forms that organizers and volunteers can access and update effortlessly. Volunteers can choose their preferred time slots, sign up for tasks or indicate what they'll bring to the event. It only takes organizers a few minutes to create a signup sheet and send it out with a shareable link, so they can get the word out via text, email or social media—whichever way they prefer! 

Long story short, signup sheets save everyone involved tons of time, avoid scheduling headaches and ensure everything runs smoothly before and during the event.

How do I create a signup sheet?

Creating a signup sheet has never been easier than with Evite! Here’s how to create a sheet that’s sure to make your event an absolute success:

  1. Go to Evite SignUp Sheets and choose the template that best fits your needs. Evite offers multiple signup sheet templates perfect for every occasion, including:some text
    • Signup sheets for standalone events (without different time slots), perfect for when you’re organizing a class party, potluck or end-of-season party.
    • Signup sheets for recurring or multi-day events (without different time slots), perfect for when you’re organizing a meal train, post-game snack duty or during appreciation week.
    • Signup sheets for single or multiple day events (with time slots), perfect for when you’re organizing concession stand volunteers, fundraisers and parent-teacher conferences.
  1. After selecting your sheet template, create a title for your signup sheet and add the date, the location, the time (if applicable), who the organizer is, the organizer’s phone number or email and an optional note describing the event to your volunteers. You can also change your signup sheet background and title image if you wish!
  1. Next, create slots for your signup sheet. If you aren’t logged into your account, you will need to do so at this point, but luckily, you can use your existing Evite account (no need to create yet another login!). What you’ll include here will depend on what your event needs, but you can include a list of what’s needed (along with optional descriptions), how many volunteers are needed, and dates and times.
  1. After creating your slots, you can then add a wish list from any retailer or include supply suggestions from Evite’s retailer partners. These are to help your volunteers find and purchase supplies quickly and easily.
  1. Finally, review your sheet, copy your shareable link and send it out to everyone on your list! Every time a volunteer signs up for a slot on your signup sheet, Evite will email you. We will also send reminders to you and your volunteers before your event so no one will forget about it, and we’ll even let volunteers know if you remove their slot or cancel your event sheet so you don’t have to!

What information should be included on a signup sheet?

When it comes to signup sheet information, there are some essentials to include regardless of what you’re organizing:

  1. A title for your signup sheet. Tip: Aim to keep your signup sheet title concise but clear. You want volunteers to read it and have a general understanding of what your event is about, and also make it easy for them to look for later if they need to reference your sheet again. You have the option to include a more descriptive note in a different field about your event, so save the more in-depth details for that!
  1. When and where the event is taking place. 
  1. The organizer’s name and phone number.
  1. Slots for volunteers to choose from. Once you choose the SignUp Sheets template that fits the occasion, the slots you’ll need for your sheet will be right there and ready for you to add the relevant info, such as dates, times, items to bring and tasks to complete. 

When adding your slot information, clearly define what people are signing up for, especially for a what-to-bring list or role assignments. If you want someone to bring healthy snacks for kids to enjoy after a game, specify that. You want your volunteers to feel confident in what they’re bringing and to make it easy for them to know what’s expected of them. It will save them time and stress (and you, too!). That being said, if you make your ask too specific (for example, asking for a hard-to-source item or something expensive), you may not end up with a volunteer for it. So be clear about what you expect, but also be reasonable!

Aside from providing the basic signup information, you can also add optional descriptions to both your entire signup sheet and individual slots. While not required, they can help guide your volunteers further and provide more information. You can add information about allergies, preferences and general info about the event. You can also add a wish list to make it easier for your volunteers to bring exactly what you need!

What are the benefits of using a signup sheet template?

Signup sheet templates offer a ton of advantages for both organizers and volunteers and with Evite SignUp Sheets, you'll enjoy even more benefits than other digital and paper signup sheets! Some benefits our signup sheet templates offer include:

  • A 100% free experience (no subscriptions required!).
  • Shareable links for quick and easy sharing.
  • No need to create another login—you can use your existing Evite account.
  • The option to add a wish list to help your volunteers out.
  • Automatic reminders—we’ll remind everyone on your behalf.
  • An easy-to-use experience with eye-catching guided templates.
  • Clean, modern designs with no pop-up ads.

With Evite SignUp Sheets, you can enjoy organizing and coordinating all your events with ease. Signup sheets streamline the signup process for everyone involved, ensuring that everything will go to plan on the day of your event while saving you precious time in the process.

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