2023 Party Planning Guide | carolinafunfactory.com

2023 Party Planning Guide

How to Become a Confident Party Planner in 2023

If you have promised yourself that this is the year that you are going to be more organized and not let yourself get caught off guard when it comes to planning your events in 2023, then this Ultimate Guide to Party Planning is just for you.  Being more organized is an excellent goal and one that is easily accomplished with a little help from our party rental friends at Carolina Fun Factory based in the Fayetteville and Fort Bragg area of North Carolina.

Reasons To Plan A Party

A party is held for a variety of reasons however the most popular conventional reasons to host a party are:  

• birthday parties

• bridal showers

• baby showers

• bar mitzvahs

• bat mitzvahs

• quinceañeras

• anniversary parties

• gender reveal parties

• housewarming parties

• retirement parties

• summer block parties

• graduation parties, and 

• "going away" parties... just to name a few.

Many of today's party planners think outside the box and do not need a conventional reason to host a party.  These party planners are known to host cutting-edge and trendy parties such as these:

• color party

• Mardis Gras party

• carnival party

• luau party

• fiesta party

• Super Bowl party

• wild west party

• St Patricks Day party

• Octoberfest party

• glow party

• foam party

• golf party

• game night party

You can probably get very creative as you add to this list, but the truth is that you don't need a specific reason or a trendy theme to host an awesome party!  All that you need is friends, food, and fun so grab your calendar and get ready to circle some dates as you plan your 2023 party schedule.

What Are Some Common Mistakes in Party Planning?

• Not Planning Early Enough. 

Does party planning make you feel stressed?  This often happens when you do not begin planning your party early enough.  Take a minute now to grab your planner and make a list of dates that you know are coming up this year that you need to plan a party for.  For example, if you have kids then you know that their birthday is on the same day each year.  Now you may need to look at which weekend is closest to their birthday to plan a party with their friends on a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday but now is the time to think about that.  Are there any other parties that you need to add to your calendar? Perhaps you have a student who is graduating or a parent who is retiring?  Is your best friend getting married or having a baby and you have been asked to plan the shower?  Don't let these dates "sneak up" on you!  Being organized now will save you so much stress later!  You should also consider locking in the date with the party rental company that you are getting items from.  For example, the party rental company Carolina Fun Factory offers an online booking calendar where you can select your date and reserve your items now so you can get the best selection of party rental items that you need early instead of waiting until the last minute and risk not getting the items that you want.

• Not Having a Budget

Let's face it...the cost of everything has gone up so it should come as no surprise that the cost of having a party has increased as well.  You can save yourself a lot of money...and a lot of stress...by knowing how much you want to budget for each party as you begin planning your party.  Last year in 2022 the average cost for a birthday party in the Fayetteville NC area was $620.00 and that was 40.94% over the average cost of a party in the year 2021.  It may be pretty safe to anticipate a budget of $860 per party to make sure that you can get everything that you need.  Once you have a budget in mind then it is much easier to plan how many guests you will invite so you know how many tables and chairs to plan for as well as your menu of what you will serve your guests.  There are many party packages and specials available from your local party rental store such as Carolina Fun Factory where you can get everything that you need at once.  Not only will ordering a party package save you money but also valuable time!

• Not Anticipating Expenses Beyond What You Have Budgeted For

Every plan should have a backup plan and planning a party takes no exception to this rule.  There are occasions when the unexpected occurs and perhaps you do need to expand upon what you had originally planned for.  If you will set aside a bit of your budget for the unexpected then you will be prepared instead of stressed if you do need more tables and chairs than you had originally planned for.  Leaving room in your budget for the unexpected will also help you to keep your budget under control and any money that you did not use for that particular party can be added to the budget for the next one perhaps.

• Not Having a Party Plan and Checklist

A party plan begins with knowing the 4 W's of party planning:  "Who" the party is for so you can plan the party around that person's needs, theme, or interests, "What" party supplies and entertainment are needed to meet the expectations of the honoree and guests, and "Where" the party will be held and the details such as space and reservation requirements.  When you plan a party you need a checklist so details are not overlooked and also so you can delegate some of the tasks.  At the end of this article is a FREE PARTY PLANNING CHECKLIST to help you get organized.

• Not Getting RSVPs

Life is very busy and with everything that people have going on in their lives it is easy to overlook making a commitment to a party, but you really need to know so you can plan.  Make your guest list and then keep track of who has not responded so you can reach back out to them.  There are many online formats for sending invitations and tracking RSVPs.  A few of our favorite online digital invitation creators and trackers are Paperless Post and Sign Up Genius.  

What Do You Need When Planning A Party?

To start with, you need a great theme to plan your party around.  Once you have the theme of your party then other details such as décor, menu, music, and entertainment will fall into place. Establishing a party theme first will help you create your vision for your party.  You will also feel more creative as you work out all of the fun details by keeping them in line with your theme.  Believe it or not, selecting a theme for your party will also help you to stay on budget because you will know what you need to create the look and feel that you are going for.

Now that you have a theme in mind you need to decide on who to invite.  Does your guest list include children?  If so, then plan on having some activities to keep them entertained as well.  Usually, a small bounce house in the backyard works great to keep the little kids happy.  If you do decide to add a bounce house to the party then be aware that there are many different sizes and styles to suit a variety of age groups.  The most popular jump castle rentals tend to be a bounce with a slide built in called a "combo".  These work great for larger groups and for a variety of ages as some kids can bounce while others are sliding.  Many inflatable jump house rentals also have a theme such as sports, barnyard, carnival, pirate, or even unicorn themes so you may be able to plan your entire party around the specific theme of the inflatable that you rent!

Don't forget entertainment for adults as well!  More and more adults are still choosing to stay within a small circle and socialize privately rather than going out in large crowds.  There are so many benefits to having a rotating party night within a small circle of friends as opposed to getting overwhelmed at a public bar or event.  You can choose your people and have a safe place to relax with each other without intimidation.  With this in mind, a lot of adult parties will feature games such as Human Hungry Hippo!  The hippo game has four different sections with each being its own color:  Yellow, Blue, Orange, and Red.  You can ask your guests to come dressed in one of those colors and to also bring any shareable snacks that also relate to that color.  For example, a person wearing an orange shirt would bring orange soda and cheese puffs.  Building a party around a theme like this is easy and fun for everyone as well as affordable.

What Not To Forget When Planning A Party?

• Don't Forget the Signage

If your party is being held at a venue then it is likely that your guests may not have been there before.  Always check with the local authority to make sure that it is ok to place signs along a roadway and then be sure to go back and remove the signage once your event is over.  Even if your party is at your home it is still a good idea to put some signage and/or balloons out front of your home so that the party rental delivery company can find your location easily.

• Don't Forget Others Might Have Food Allergies

Be aware of any food allergies that your guests may have.  If any food products that you are serving contain nuts or shellfish it is a good idea to have some sort of sign at that food to let guests know.

• Don't Forget to Enlist Help

Once you have your Party Planning Checklist complete you will be able to see those tasks that can be delegated to others that you trust. By sharing the party planning checklist with others you give your friends and family the opportunity to become a part of the party and not just a guest.  

• Don't Forget to Have Activity Options

Sure, the main focus is to come together for a relaxing fun time of great conversation and laughter but also have a variety of activity options so people don't feel like they have to make small talk or talk about the same thing over and over.  Fun party games that everyone can enjoy include cornhole, oversized Connect Four, giant Jenga, foosball, portable pool table rental, Catch the Light game as well as any favorite card games that friends like to play.

• Don't Forget to Relax and Go With the Flow

If you are having a good time then more than likely your guests are too.  Keep your party simple and remember the reason that you are hosting a party... to have FUN!

Party Planning Checklist

Simple is best when planning a party and our gift to you is this Birthday Party Planning Checklist that we have created just for you. Speaking of "simple"... nothing is more simple and easy than ordering your tent, tables, chairs, fun party foods, and entertainment from Carolina Fun Factory.  We are a name you can trust in the Fayetteville NC area and surrounding areas.

School Carnival Planning Guide

School Carnival Planning Checklist

Create a committee. 

There are many moving parts to creating a successful School Carnival event. Having several individuals who are able to dissect the different components of the school carnival and take responsibility for their part is necessary for both the success of the carnival and the mental well-being of all.

Decide what elements of your carnival need an individual to be the control person, for example, a finance manager, and then enlist enough individuals to be able to give each person an area of responsibility. 

Set your goals.

Everyone needs to be in agreement! What is the goal of the carnival?  For most school carnivals, the goal is to be fun and profitable.  Decide now what the financial target is of your event.  If your carnival is a fundraiser to raise money for new equipment and you know how much is needed to be able to purchase the new equipment, then be candid about that. Be sure to make that financial goal, and the benefit of reaching that goal, part of your marketing and promotions.

 

Lock down the date and time.

After checking your school calendar to make sure that there are no conflicting dates, then choose a date that is most likely to work for everyone.  Typically, a Friday after school is a great time to host a school carnival.  Avoid weekends that fall on a holiday as oftentimes parents will take that time to travel with their children.

Location, Location, Location!

Will your school carnival be held inside of the gymnasium or out on the ball field?  Will your location be able to handle everyone all together at the same time plus the addition of parents and siblings and the carnival booths and activities?  Will your location have enough power if needed?  Are you able to partner with another organization that has a larger venue to host your school carnival event?  All of the questions must be taken into consideration before making the announcement to your prospective guests.  If your school campus is small, then it may not be able to offer enough parking to all of the parents and guests who show up.

Define your budget.

Most school carnival committees start off with little to no money to create their event.  Resourcefulness is the key to overcoming the budget crunch.  Make your requests for donations a win/win for everyone.  The best success has been when school carnival committees partner with local businesses to request sponsorship of activities.  Once you know what activities you would love to have then a local business can sponsor one or more activities in exchange for recognition in your marketing, social media pages, website links back to their business, signage at your event, and more.  

Get creative with this aspect of drawing in sponsors.  Most successful sponsorships are built on a tiered plan:  Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze sponsorship levels.  Define what each level will provide in terms of marketing and advertising for that sponsor then sell the value of sponsoring at the highest level.  Many parents who have children in your school may also be small business owners who would appreciate the opportunity to target your families.  Many local realtors and car dealerships would find value in targeting families in your school with their services.  So make it a win/win when seeking out donations. 

Most local bounce house rental companies are small family-owned businesses.  Asking them to donate their services is not a good idea as oftentimes they can not afford to donate.  Your school carnival's success depends upon working with a reliable bounce house rental company that is reliable and most importantly, insured!  Since these rental items will be the big 'draw' to your event, plan on paying for these services, and instead of asking the bounce house rental company to donate - ask for sponsors to cover the cost!

Decide on a theme.

Many organizations have a theme that carries through the decorations, booths, parade, merchandising, etc. Some themes we have seen used include Mardi Gras, Looney Tunes, Sports, Halloween, Vegas, Rock ‘n Roll, Smile, Luau, Patriotic, Fiesta, and of course the traditional carnival theme with the red and white striped canopies, cotton candy, and midway style of games.

Apply for any necessary permits.

Some areas require permits for tents and inspections by the local fire department.  Don't risk having your event shut down due to a lack of due diligence.  Do your homework and know what permitting is needed to have tents, bounce houses, and other attractions such as mechanical rides, etc.  It is a state law in many areas for a bounce house rental company to be state inspected annually for their jump houses.  If a state inspector shows up at your event and the bounce house company that you hired is not state inspected then your event will be shut down, and both the bounce house company and your organization can be fined!  Protect your event and your organization from making a costly mistake by not seeking out the right information from the start.

Check on insurance coverage.

This is a big one...Protect your event and your organization with event insurance.  Event insurance is a small price to pay for the right amount of coverage in case anyone is injured during your event.  As stated before, any vendor that you contract to provide services should have their own insurance.  You can also ask for your organization to be added as an 'additional insured' on their policy.  Generally, there is no cost to be added to a vendor's insurance policy but don't rely on just your vendor's insurance. You should have your own event insurance because if something happens that is not a result of the actions or negligence of the vendor then the liability will still fall squarely on to you.

Select the right bounce house rental vendor for your event.

The bounce house rental company that you select should have a proven track record of working with schools, churches, and other organizations that draw a large crowd.  Safety is always number one and your event rental company should have delivery and set up crews that are trained in the proper and safe set up of the equipment.  As stated before, your bounce house rental company should be able to provide a Certificate of Insurance that will remain current through the date of your event and should also have inflatables that are current on their state inspection.  If your school carnival fundraising event is being held in Central North Carolina then you can call on Carolina Fun Factory and have confidence that the services you receive are the highest in the industry.

Written By:  B. Padgett

Date: 02/07/2022

Bounce House Rentals Fayetteville NC

Bounce House Rentals Fayetteville NC

The best bounce house rental Fayetteville NC has ever experienced can be found at Carolina Fun Factory. In addition to a wide variety of bounce house rentals which include inflatable rentals such as obstacles courses, bouncers with slides, giant slides, water slides, and inflatable game rentals; your friends and neighbors in Fayetteville NC also trust Carolina Fun Factory to provide excellent party rentals such as tents, party tables, and party chair rentals, carnival games, trackless train rentals, rock climbing wall rentals, interactive game rentals and more.

Whether you need a bounce house rental for a birthday party or a celebration of any kind, you can trust that all of your bounce house rentals and party rentals are well cleaned and sanitized to provide you with a fun and safe experience. If you are planning outdoor events in Fayetteville NC then let us be your first call for bounce house rentals, tent rentals, table rentals, chair rentals as well as many more party rentals to serve you and your guests. Fayetteville NC churches, and schools, trust Carolina Fun Factory to provide outstanding customer service for spring carnivals and fall festivals. We are also well known for creating the Kids Zone since 2018 at the Fayetteville Dogwood Festival.

Fayetteville Bounce House Rentals, Water Slide Rentals, Party Rentals

Many of your friends and neighbors from communities all around Fayetteville NC trust us with their party rental needs. You can trust us too for all of your bounce house rental needs no matter how big or small your event is. We are fully insured and are state inspected annually for safety and as required by North Carolina State law. Our mission in Fayetteville NC is simply to provide the best quality inflatable rentals at affordable prices, while at the same time, maintaining a high level of customer service and satisfaction. Our friendly and professionally trained staff will make sure that your party and rental equipment are delivered on time and that the equipment is set up safely so that your event becomes a cherished and lasting fun memory. These are interesting days that we are living in right now and the bright light for all of us is the joy we can create with a bounce house rental in Fayetteville NC.

Your friends and neighbors get their Fayetteville NC bounce house rentals from Carolina Fun Factory and you should too! Many churches, schools, and organizations trust us to be on time with clean and sanitized bounce house rentals because delightful customer service is at the very heart of everything we do. In fact, you may have already met us as we are the provider for the KidsZone area at Festival Park for the Fayetteville Dogwood Festival. Also, we were honored to have been chosen by the Cool Springs Downtown District to provide an inflatable toddler bounce, inflatable bounce, and slide combo as well as a big inflatable slide rental for the first annual New Year Eve event at Festival Park. We love serving Fayetteville NC because it is our community too!

 National Pie Day 2022

What's your favorite flavor of pie? Thankfully, you don't have to choose just one because there are so many options, just like the party rentals you will find at Carolina Fun Factory!

Pie is a tasty dessert that is typically easy to make and even more fun to eat! It is certainly hard to have a pie eating contest without... well, pie! Just like it is hard to have a party without a bounce house. We mean, sure, you can try to substitute something else but it just isn't the same.

You should definitely not accept any substitutions when it comes to choosing party rentals near me. The decision of which company to choose when you make the decision to rent a bounce house is more important than deciding which piece of pie to eat.

At Carolina Fun Factory, we have the recipe for how to make the best party or event ever!

1. Visit our website

2. Select the calendar to choose your date and party time

3. Browse through the collection of bounce house and party rentals

4. Add everything you like to your cart

5. Enter your billing and delivery details

6. Pay a small deposit

Look for your confirmation email and click the link to digitally sign your contract then you're all set. Relax and wait for the fun to begin! Serve your party guests the hottest and freshest bounce house and party rentals... oh... and a piece of pie!

https://www.carolinafunfactory.com/Bounce-House-Rentals.../

#carolinafunfactory #nationalpieday #pecanpie #pumpkinpie #chocolatepie #keylimepie #sweetpotatopie #applepie #cherrypie #blueberrypie #lemonpie

Princess Castle Bounce House with Slide Combo

Princess Castle Bounce House With Slide Combo

Every little princess needs her very own castle to share with her friends!  Make her dreams come to life with this beautiful princess-themed bounce house and slide combination unit that will allow imaginations to come to life right in your own backyard.  

When you are planning a princess-themed party, a beautiful castle is definitely on the must-have list to create the feel of having a princess party.  Even the boys enjoy this unit as they really do not pay attention to the graphics they just enjoy the fun elements inside of this bounce castle.  

Inside there is a spacious floor space with an overhead shade canopy to keep kids cool.  Also to add to the play options you will find a ball goal where you can provide plastic balls for even more interactive activities.  Princes and princesses will climb up the steps to the top of the slide where they can imagine that they are entering a different realm of the kingdom.

With so much to do and the lively graphics and color combination of this princess bounce house rental your princess birthday party or tea party just got a whole lot more fun.

Order this beautiful Princess Castle Bounce House and Combo online by visiting the Carolina Fun Factory website here: https://www.carolinafunfactory.com/items/princess_palace_bounce_and_slide/

Want to see the latest party rentals and bounce house rentals available in your area? Need some "how-to" instructions for operating a concession machine? Want a Behind-the-Scenes look at a party rental business? Then this is the place for you! 

Click the link below to visit our YouTube channel. Hit that SUBSCRIBE button and don't forget to turn on notifications! 

https://www.youtube.com/c/CarolinaFunFactory 

               

Diamond: The Story of a Real Unicorn

Diamond the Unicorn was a starved, and nearly dead, thrown away pony at just the young age of 2. He was scheduled to be on the truck that takes unwanted horses and ponies away to slaughter in Mexico..... but a rescue group in North Carolina learned about him and was able to make the acquisition with less than 24 hours to go before he was to be shipped.

5 years later... Diamond has fully recovered and is a beautiful pony who enjoys being dressed up as a unicorn. He was called Diamond not only because of his rare beauty (he is a cremello) but also he shares a characteristic with this valuable gem 💎.... before a diamond becomes a diamond, it is actually just a piece of coal...considered worthless and of little value. only when a piece of coal is put under extreme pressure and heat does it transform into a diamond. Diamond the Unicorn is the kindest and most gentle animal you would ever want to meet. When he is dressed up as a unicorn and everyone gathers around him to admire his Beauty and pet him, he closes his eyes and is just so relaxed you can tell that he really enjoys people's gentle touch. The story of his life is also a valuable lesson for us. Even if others don't see your value.. it is there. Your life serves a purpose, even if right now you don't know what it is. The pressure and the heat that you may be going through right now is just your transformation. Do not let others define your worth. Your beautiful heart makes you a diamond so don't be afraid to shine. Don't be afraid to believe in yourself and in your dreams.

https://www.carolinafunfactory.com/items/unicorn_pony_rental/