Count down to New Year’s Eve

Use your PC to plan a sensational seasonal soiree

By Liza Finlay

What’s the secret weapon of the pro event planner? No, it’s not her killer Rolodex filled with cards from culinary geniuses and floral aficionados. The computer is the tool most prized in event planning — and it will be no exception when it comes to your New Year’s Eve party.

“The computer is an easy-to-use, integral part of party planning,” says Sandra Howlett, owner of The Complete Event Coordinator. “With your home computer, you can create a fabulous party that looks like a professional put it together.” If you’ve got a PC and Internet access, you too can host the party to end all parties (and the year, too).

4 to 6 weeks ahead

• Come up with a guest list. Review your PC address book (Start > All Programs > Windows Contacts) or Outlook e-mail contacts, and export them to a format that can be opened in a Word or an Excel file. (The filename extensions .txt for Word or .csv for Excel are good choices.) Howlett suggests that it’s helpful to have some idea of how many people you’re expecting before you start planning your party — is this an intimate gathering or a grand soiree? The number of guests will affect everything from food and décor to venue and rentals.
• While etiquette may suggest sending invitations two to three weeks in advance of an event, consider securing a spot on your friends’ social calendars at least a month ahead of time since this is a busy time of year.
• Online invitation services such as Evite allow you to choose a graphic you like and then add your own text. Once you’ve filled in the particulars (date, time and location), Evite will send your invitation to the e-mail list you provide. Evite will even track RSVPs for you.
• Choose a decorative theme. You don’t have to decorate the house just yet, but if your theme is, say, Best of 2007, you may want guests to e-mail you a JPEG image of the year’s most memorable moment to flow into a computer-based slide show. Put all the images into one folder, and then open the folder and click Slide Show from the menu along the top to launch a slide show using Windows Photo Gallery. (You might even plug your computer into your flat -screen for a more dramatic presentation.)
• Ask guests to e-mail an MP3 file of their favourite song of the year to add to your top-50 playlist.
• Book your rentals — and no, we’re not being premature. There’s no need to flesh out your menu, but if you’ll be renting stemware, china, flatware or linens, do it now. The same goes for custom-designed florals. If you don’t plan on DIY flower arrangements, order your centrepieces early so florists can accommodate your order.

3 weeks ahead

• Purchase decorative items. You’ve already chosen your approach (see above), so whether it’s simply resplendent candlelight or something more thematic (black and white, perhaps?), purchase what you’ll need to execute your vision.
  “The difference between a pleasant evening and an amazing party is all in the details. Think outside the box. Decor doesn’t have to be cheesy top hats and noisemakers,” says Howlett. “Make sure your décor relates back to your theme for a cohesive look and feel.”

Tip: Online retailers such as Pottery Barn and Lands’ End start discounting decorative items in middle to late December.

• Plan your menu. Browse through inspiring recipes and pre-planned menus (a three-course Caribbean feast, for example, or haute hors d’oeuvres) on sites such as Epicurious. Sites such as The Gourmet Trading Company carry gourmet food items, such as the Barefoot Contessa line, which are sure to spice up your soiree. They ship these and other delicious delicacies anywhere in North America. If you’d rather cook up your own feast, order the groceries online at Grocery Gateway, the specialty cheeses at Artisanal Cheese and the fresh seafood at online retailers such as Lobster Fresh Direct. Request food delivery for the day-of so you don’t have to worry about storing all that good food.
• Create a beverage menu. Order wine and spirits online at Vinfolio. In Canada, places such as Wine Online deliver straight to your door. As a good rule of thumb, plan on serving two drinks per person. Consider a custom cocktail unique to your celebration; The Martini Club is the perfect place for expert mixology.

2 weeks ahead

Create your soundtrack. Here are a few pointers from Alan Macpherson, manager of corporate planning and communications at Yamaha Canada Music:

• Be guided by your theme, but don’t be held hostage by it. Have some fun. “People are genuinely delighted by seemingly incompatible mixes of songs, and there’s no longer any shame in wild genre jumps in the song selection.”
  So mix it up! There’s only so much Burl Ives a person can handle. Follow José Feliciano’s “Feliz Navidad” with the Beach Boys’ “Surfer Girl.” We dare you!
• If your own playlists are limited, you can supplement them by visiting sites such as Yahoo! Music Canada, Napster Radio, Sirius Satellite Radio (paid subscription) and URGE (also a paid subscription). Or have your guests e-mail you their fave tracks from 2007.
• Get ready to play DJ. “If you’re not already using your computer and your digital music player at home to serve up your mixes, you’re definitely missing out,” says Macpherson. “Jukebox-style programs like Windows Media Player make it so easy to create and play compilations that being a slave to the CD player all party long is now a thing of the past.”

2 days ahead

• Buy florals and greens if you’re creating your own arrangements.
• If you’re going mobile and unplugged, be sure the batteries are charged on your laptop and video camera. Empty the memory card on your digital camera so you have memory space for lots of great pictures. You can fit about 100 high resolution pictures on a 256-MB memory card, for example.

1 Day ahead

• Clean the house (or call a professional service to do it for you). Remember to book a cleaning service in advance so the firm can accommodate you.
• Do a quick technology test and sound check. Is the slide show working on your flat screen TV? Do you have the right cables to play music from your PC on the stereo?

Day of

• Pick up some ice and any last-minute food items that aren’t being delivered. Prepare the buffet table and set out the decorations. Pour yourself a martini, light the candles and get in the party mood.

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