My favorite forms of social “turn ups” are day parties and going to brunches with bottomless mimosas. Turning 25, I knew I wanted to incorporate those into my celebration for my birthday. So the GGGF Brunch idea was born. I started off with a small idea that turned into a bigger party than I imagined but it was 100% worth the headache of planning once it came to life.
The most important step to planning this party was budgeting and being resourceful. I relied on the help of friends and family to help bring my idea to life, which was a major key to getting everything done. Here are some of the key ways I had a party on a budget.
- Making A Guest List & Sticking To It: I will admit, it was hard to not invite everyone I ever knew to the party. However, it would’ve been even harder to feed 100 people on a small budget. So I made a list of fewer than 30 people who I’m closest to and have supported me. I wanted it to be an intimate, classy affair with a hint of causal ratchetness.
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- Finding A Venue For My Small Size: Most venues in the Metro Detroit area can seat anywhere from 100-1,000 people. I knew finding a small scale place would be essential to not wasting money and space on a birthday party for 30 people. I shopped around for a few places until I realized that I lived in an apartment complex with a clubhouse that is available for rent for an event. For only $250, I was able to rent the clubhouse which provided an ample amount of space, a full kitchen to prepare food and stylish chic decor that would work perfectly for the event. If you’re having a small event, finding a friend’s apartment clubhouse or event a nice Airbnb loft, is a great way to have a big space that is still nice.
- Not Hiring A Caterer: My dad was a chef, so growing up any events my family had, he catered himself. Unfortunately, he’s not able to cook anymore so I had to be resourceful in who would prepare the food. A catering company was outside of my budget so luckily with the help of my mom, Charletta, Khadija and her mom, I was able to have all of the workings for a true brunch feast. It included eggs, waffles, chicken, sausage, bacon, shrimp and grits, and fruit. The only food that was purchased was the chicken wings because I didn’t want anyone frying chicken all day for the party. Purchasing most of the food in bulk, I spent less than $300 on food and drinks for everyone with plenty of leftovers. Having a menu that’s affordable was a major key since breakfast foods are relatively cheap.
- Decorating Yourself & Being Resourceful: I’m very blessed to have a best friend who loves arts and crafts and a (future) sister-in-law and mother-in-law, that does decor and treats for events. So when it came to anything decor related, it was either made/purchased by myself and my best friend or was done for me. I made the signage for the mimosa bar and the centerpieces for the tables. Shanitra, owner of Love in the Air Balloon Creations, designed the desert and candy table as well as my custom GGGF champagne flutes. I told her what I wanted and she did all of it within my budget! Be sure to check out her work: www.instagram.com/loveisintheairballooncreations/ Finding a party decorator is an essential key to hosting a great event but you can also do a lot of the work yourself!
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- Knowing When To Stop Spending: There were so many things I had to cut out to stick to my budget. When it comes to planning a party, some things are just not as important as the others for the event to function. One of those things for me was having a birthday cake. All of 2017, I kept telling myself I wanted a lavish 3-tier cake at whatever birthday party I had. When the party planning began, I realized that there wasn’t room in the budget for a cake that would be half eaten and just for show. So it was taken off of the list and that money was allocated to more important factors such as tables and chairs.
I was able to spend less than $1,000 (over the course of 2-3 months) for my party so I stayed within my budget! You can do the same on your budget and have the party of your dreams too. It just takes willpower to not overspend and planning.
