6 Tips to Host the Perfect Hangdog Party

6 Tips to Host the Perfect Hangdog Party

At Hangdog, we’ve been privileged to witness some truly amazing birthday parties. We’ve also seen some parties that didn’t go to plan, meaning we’ve developed an deep understanding of what helps to make a birthday party amazing.

Here are some tips we’ve learnt; hopefully, they’ll help you put together a spectacular day!

Book in early

We all live in a busy world: Facebook, Twitter, email, text messaging…not to mention work and social commitments, all of which contribute to the fast paced world we live in. The first tip for hosting a great birthday (and keeping your sanity) is to plan in advance. Giving plenty of notice to your guests is vital, so consider booking your venue and getting the invitations out at least four weeks before the special day.

Send invitations

Consider how to send the invitations, and what to include. This sounds pretty simple – but you’d be surprised how many people who are invited to a birthday party and don’t know all the details! While a lot of people love paper invitations, digital invites are a good option to consider. How many times have you found a crumpled bit of paper in the bottom of your school child’s bag that invited them to a birthday party this weekend (or even tomorrow!). The late night K-mart trips and frantic calls to the birthday host can be pretty stressful! Let’s face it – children have a lot on their plates as well.

Options for sending the birthday invitations include email, a Facebook group, or texting the details through to the parents. This way, you can ensure all the details are getting through. Remember to include your name, contact details, details of the venue, time and RSVP date so everyone is well informed!

At Hangdog, we provide you with digital invitations, complete with an RSVP link for your guests. You can later look up your guest list using your unique party ID closer to the date to see who all is coming (and who you need to chase up!).

If you’re a guest invited to a birthday party – remember to RSVP! Nothing is more stressful than arriving on the special day without having heard from half the guests!

Greet your guests

Some of the best parties we’ve witnessed have started at the very moment the guests arrive. A lot of the time the party guests all know each other, but the parents haven’t actually met before. If you’re hosting a birthday party, be outgoing and introduce yourself to all the parents, let them know what the plan is and what they can do if they want to hang around. If they’re heading out to have some kid free time, make sure to let them know what time to pick the guest up again!

Talk to the Party Host (Premium and Ultimate VIP Parties)

The Party Host is the friendly staff member that has been assigned to your party group. The Party Host is there to provide assistance in belaying and make sure your party runs smoothly. Have a good chat with them at the start of the party about what your expectations are and if you have any questions – they will be more than happy to help.

Cake time!

Time for the cake! Some things to remember are the candles (very important!), a knife, a lighter or matches, extra plates and napkins, as well as your camera for the big birthday photo! If you’re short on time or space, cupcakes are a great alternative to a traditional cake, and can be handed out with the lolly bags (if you have them).

If you don’t have time to get cake, we can do the hard work for you. Hangdog has ice-cream cakes to purchase, or if you have an Ultimate Adventure Party, the cake and lolly bags are included!

Finishing up

Happy Birthday has been sung, birthday presents open, cake consumed, and the lolly bags handed out. Now it’s time to finish up a great day and pack up anything you’ve brought. We’ll do the final clean up, but parents and party guests will gladly lend a hand where they can, and can help with taking the leftovers home, too!

Home time! Well done on a perfect birthday party! Nice and easy, right? Do you have any tips for hosting a great birthday party? We’d love to hear them!