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What's a party without food? While the type of party you're planning will lay the foundation for what kind of food you'll serve, here are some guidelines will help you craft a menu that will have your guests raving!
Think about the theme
Themes aren't necessary for a party, but if your party does have one, that will help you refine the menu more quickly. Planning a Lunar New Year dinner party? Go for foods that are meaningful like noodles, dumplings and fish. We recommend doing your research, especially if it's a cultural holiday. Or if you're planning a French-themed menu, then wine and cheese are musts, and consider serving roast chicken as a main and crème brûlée for dessert.
Keep the setting in mind
The tone of your event is important. Will it be a formal sit-down dinner or will this be a casual gathering? If the former, serving steaks will probably work. But if your guests are perched on couches, cutting a steak while balancing a plate in their laps isn't ideal. Think how many people will be there, and how much food is feasible for you to prepare. If it's a large party, ordering foods can help lighten your load.
Consider the seasons
Produce that's in season won't just be fresher and more delicious, it's also a great way to get inspired when menu planning! If you have time, go to your grocery store or local farmer's market to see what's in season. Plus, it makes life much easier for you to shop for your ingredients when they're abundantly available.
Balance flavors, textures and colors
The whole of your menu is greater than the sum of its parts, so be intentional about how your dishes and drinks complement each other. For instance, if you're serving a richer, heavier dish like risotto, having a fresh salad dressed with bright, citrusy vinaigrette will cut through the creamy risotto. The same goes for dessert—if you're serving cheesecake, a denser dessert, then an airy chocolate mousse can provide contrast. Or if your main meal is quite heavy, serving sliced fresh fruit and truffles might be the right note to end on. Presentation is also everything! Lay out your spread so colors balance each other and group dishes together that make sense. Another tip: if your party will be a serve-yourself affair and the food will be laid out throughout the party, think of dishes that sit well.
Keep it simple
This one is key, but so many people forget it! Delicious almost always beats impressive, especially if you're adding to your stress by creating a complicated dish. Beef Wellington, for instance, is a wonderful but labor-intensive dish that might not be suited for a casual, buffet-style party. On another note: we don't recommend trying a new-for-you recipe unless you have time to test it beforehand.
Divide and conquer
Executing the menu does not have to be your sole responsibility! If you're a seasoned cook and insist on doing everything from scratch, then by all means, make the boeuf bourguignon with pureed cauliflower and roasted green beans on the side. Otherwise, recruit help! Cater side dishes from your favorite restaurant, ask your baker friend to whip up a dessert, or buy frozen appetizers so you can focus on the main dish.
Prep, prep, prep
Cooking almost always takes longer than you expect, to say nothing of the pile of dishes you're left with. Professional kitchens are able to whip out dish after dish because all their ingredients are prepped and ready to go. Whether it's cutting all your crudités the day before, making the pie dough for dessert a week beforehand and freezing it, or mixing the iced tea you're serving the evening beforehand...your future self will thank you.
Tips & ideas for different types of parties
- Brunch: Many brunch dishes are great for preparing ahead of time and baking/reheating the day of. Quiches and frittatas are a great example. Cooking bacon in the oven is also a great set-it-and-forget method instead of standing over your pan when you could be doing other things. One of our favorite dishes to serve at brunch is bread pudding—it shines as your sweet dish, and you can let the bread soak in the custard the night before and pop it in the oven to cook before your guests arrive. Mimosas are a classic drink and setting up a mimosa bar with different juice selections beyond OJ (grapefruit juice, guava juice) would be fun, in addition to having coffee and tea available.
- Lunch: Consider serving lighter fare or small bites at a lunch party. We love build-your-own meals, which allow your guests to customize as they please. A Mediterranean-themed lunch with a selection of meats for guests to create their own wraps means you can have a wealth of sides. From multiple kinds of hummus to roast veggies to tabbouleh, you'll have a spread to remember. We recommend sparkling water, fresh juices and lemonade to pair with lunch.
- Dinner: A charcuterie board and wine is a great start for guests, especially if it isn't a sit-down party. We always love the mingling that happens around a charcuterie board, which can also be prepared beforehand and is easy for you to replenish. For your main dish, a protein, veggie and carb are the winning combo so go for whatever your guests will love. If it's spring, salmon with asparagus would be fresh and tasty. Dessert can be simple: buy ice cream and serve it with fresh fruit. If it's fall, a hearty stew with roasted veggies and an apple crumble for dessert would really hit the spot.
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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:
- 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:
- Signup sheets for one day events (without different time slots), perfect for when you’re organizing a class party, potluck or end-of-season party.
- Signup sheets for single or multiple day events (with time slots), perfect for when you’re organizing concession stand volunteers, fundraisers, parent-teacher conferences, meal train, post-game snack duty or during appreciation week.
- 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!
- 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.
- 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.
- 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:
- 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!
- When and where the event is taking place.
- The organizer’s name and phone number.
- 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.
