Party Planning Checklist
Throw a birthday, dinner party or BBQ without the last-minute scramble. Follow a countdown timeline — from three weeks out, through set-up and the big day, to the clear-up after. Set your party date and each phase gets a recommended deadline so nothing gets forgotten.
3 Weeks Before — Plan & Invite
1 Week Before — Menu & Shopping
2–3 Days Before — Prep & Clean
Day Before — Set Up
Party Day — Host
After the Party — Wrap Up
About Party Planning Checklist
The Party Planning Checklist turns hosting into a calm, staged countdown instead of a frantic dash on the day. Whether you're throwing a birthday, a dinner party, a BBQ or a casual get-together, the work is broken into six phases — three weeks before, one week before, the last few days, the day before, the party itself, and the clear-up after. Each phase comes pre-filled with the tasks hosts most often forget, from chasing RSVPs and ordering the cake early to putting drinks on ice and taking the bins out afterwards.
The standout feature is the party-date timeline. Enter your party date and every phase is given a recommended deadline, with a badge that turns amber when a phase is due soon and red if you're behind — so you always know what to do next. A live countdown shows the days remaining. Everything saves automatically to your browser's local storage: no account, no sign-up, nothing sent to a server. Add or remove tasks to fit your celebration, print a clean PDF to share with whoever is helping, and for bigger occasions see the Wedding Planning Checklist or build your own with the Checklist Generator.
How to Use Party Planning Checklist
- Name your party and set the date — each phase will instantly get a recommended deadline counting back from that day.
- Start at the top with the earliest phase. Even if your party is soon, skim every phase so you don't miss early jobs like invitations or booking a venue.
- Tick off each task as you complete it and watch the progress bar and per-phase counts fill in.
- Remove tasks that don't apply with the trash icon, and add your own with the "Add a task" field — press Enter or tap the + button.
- Watch the phase badges: amber means a phase is due within a few days, red means you're running behind and should prioritise it.
- Click Download PDF to print a copy for the fridge or to hand to co-hosts and helpers.
- Use Export to back up your plan or move it to another device, and Import to load it back.
Tip: prep everything you possibly can the day before — make-ahead dishes, decorations up, drinks chilling, playlist ready. The more that's done in advance, the more you get to actually enjoy your own party.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is my data private?
Yes. Your party details, tasks and tick state are stored only in your browser's local storage on this device. Nothing is uploaded to any server and there's no account. Clearing your browser data removes the saved plan, so keep a JSON export if it matters to you.
How far ahead should I start planning a party?
About three weeks is comfortable for a typical home celebration — enough time to send invitations, confirm numbers and order any special food. Bigger events with a hired venue or caterer need longer. This checklist starts three weeks out, but if your party is sooner, just work through the phases faster and prioritise the red and amber ones.
What do the coloured badges on each phase mean?
Once you set a party date, each phase shows a recommended target date counted back from the event. The badge is grey when there's plenty of time, amber when the phase is due within three days, red when its target has passed and it's not finished, and green once every task in the phase is ticked off.
Does this work for birthdays, dinner parties and BBQs?
Yes — the phases and timeline suit any celebration. The seed tasks cover the common ground (invites, menu, shopping, set-up, hosting, clear-up); just add the specifics for your event, such as a cake and games for a birthday, a seating plan for a dinner party, or a grill and outdoor seating for a BBQ.
How do I work out how much food and drink to buy?
Confirm your guest numbers first (that's a task in the one-week phase). As a rough guide, plan a few savoury bites per person per hour for a stand-up party, one main plus sides for a sit-down meal, and around two drinks per person for the first hour then one per hour after. Always over-cater slightly on ice, soft drinks and nibbles.
Can I change the tasks and phases?
You can add and remove tasks within any phase to match your party. The six phases themselves are fixed to keep the countdown clear, but you can ignore any that don't apply — a small casual gathering won't need everything a big party does.
Does it work offline?
Once the page has loaded, your plan lives in local storage and works offline. Open it on the same device where you saved it; your data only moves between devices if you Export and Import it.