How to Create and Organize a Potluck Buffet, Reception, Party, Shower, or Event for a Large Group on a Budget

Room mother? Goodbye party for a business associate? Birthday party brunch or buffet? Anniversary party? Bridal or baby shower? Below are quick, easy steps to make your event happen -- with maximum guest participation and a minimum of time, effort, and money!

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Budget
• Time

1. 
    

   Determine how many people will be attending the event, and get their home or email addresses. If it is a more formal birthday party or baby, wedding, or anniversary party, you'll be sending invitations via snail mail. For large organizations, schools, churches, clubs, you'll be sending invitations via email.

2. Determine the budget for the event. If this is for an organization, find out how much money has been budgeted for the event and which items the budget is to cover. If this is a party for a friend and everyone is "chipping in," keep your expenses modest and be sure everyone involved wants to be involved and "chip in" and is aware of how much their contribution will be.

3. 
    

   Decide the when, where, and how of the event. Decisions, decisions. Where will it be held? Time, date, place, theme, colors. Breakfast, brunch, lunch, cocktail, dinner, dessert? Once these decisions are made, you're set to go. Make sure the location has long tables available for the buffet, and tables and seating for the attendees.

4. 
    
   Buffet

   Email or send invitations to all attendees with time, date, place, and theme. In your email or on the invitation, ask people to bring different things, and base their donation on the first letter of their last name. For example if you were holding a dinner buffet, you might say in your email: Thanks for helping us host this event. People with last names beginning with the letters A-F, please bring two bottles of inexpensive wine. People with last names beginning with G-L, please bring salads that will serve 12. People with last names beginning with M-R, please bring a main dish that will serve 12. People with names beginning with S-Z, please bring bread and desserts. Ask all recipients to RSVP so you can get a head count and find out if you're going to be short in any area.

5. 
    
   Pottinger Shop

   Make a list. Your budget will have to cover tablecloths, napkins, paper plates, cups (for cold and/or hot beverages), utensils, ice, ice bucket and tongs, water (pitcher or small bottles), garbage bags, etc. If you are serving dessert, don't forget small dessert plates and napkins and additional forks or spoons. You'll also need holders for the utensils and centerpieces for the tables and flowers for the buffet table. To save money, try to use things you have around the house and in keeping with whatever theme or color scheme you've chosen --- arrange the utensils in cute coffee mugs, flower pots, baskets, etc. Flowers or centerpieces can also be inexpensive -- plants in sand buckets, balloons attached to a 6 pack of old-fashioned coke bottles, candles, a candelabra, an umbrella, a plant, a statue or piece of sculpture, a fishbowl, a tea set, an artificial plant, sticks arranged artfully in a vase, flowers from a garden, blooming branches, balloons, etc., etc.

6. 
    
   Frankfurt

   Go shopping. If you go to a discount store (Big Lots, Target, Walmart, K-Mart, Party Store, Tuesday Morning, Dollar Store, etc., etc.) you can buy all the paper goods at once, and inexpensively. Don't forget to buy more plates, cups, and utensils than you think you need...better to have more than less of anything.

7. 
    
   The Flower Arrangement, Otto Scholderer

   Buy ICE on the day of the party. Get to the event area at least an hour ahead and arrange the room, put the tablecloths and certerpieces on the tables and layout the plates and utensils. Make it a logical progression from the plates and utensils to the salads, main dishes, breads, and desserts. If you're serving tea or coffee, make it in advance and have it "plug in" ready...make sure you have cream/sugar/sweet and low. If you have room and an extra table, keep the beverages separate so people won't have to walk through the buffet line with both hands full and try to balance a plate and a beverage and fill their plate. As people arrive, place their "potluck" in the appropriate spot on the table.

8. 
    

   Ask the guest of honor to start the buffet line, if there is one (a guest of honor and a buffet line!). Otherwise, ask people to start going through. Enjoy the party! After your event is over, if the tablecloths are plastic, just wrap all debris in the tablecloth and throw away. Recycle any paper, plastic or cans.

9. Settle up with the organization or your friends via email. If an organization, submit your receipts and a total. If friends, list your expenses, divide by the number who agreed to host, and email your calculations and the amount of their contribution. Include your address.