Bashlo · Guides for hosts · Party planning checklist for hosts
Party planning checklist for hosts
Every good party has the same few steps behind it. Here they are, in order.
Three weeks out, fix the date, the place and the guest list and send the invitation; one week out, confirm numbers, food and the plan for the night. On the day, set up early, welcome people at the door, and let the plan run itself.
Three weeks before
Fix the date and the place, and decide what kind of party it is: a birthday, a festive get-together, the office, family at home, or close friends. That choice decides the tone of everything else.
Write the guest list and send one invitation link. Guests open it on their phone and answer going, maybe or not this time, with no account and no app.
Two weeks before
Ask the practical questions: anything guests cannot eat, a drink they would like, a song for the evening. Up to three short questions are enough. If the food is shared, add a potluck list so people say who brings what.
If it is the season for it, set up a Secret Santa now, so there is time to shop.
One week before
Check the guest list: who is coming, who might, who cannot. Send a short personal message to the maybes. Plan the food for the confirmed number plus a little.
Sketch the evening: when people arrive, when food is served, and whether there is one shared moment, such as a toast, a gift exchange or a short round of activities with everyone on their own phone. Activities are optional; if you add them, keep them to about half the evening at most.
The day before
Shop for what does not keep, prepare what you can, and clear the space. If the time or the place changed, edit it on the party page; guests see the change the next time they open the invitation.
On the day
Set up an hour early: food out, drinks cold, music on low. If guests will join activities on their phones, put the join code or a QR code where everyone can see it.
When guests arrive, the host’s job is the welcome. The guest list, the answers and the plan are already in one place, so you can put your phone away.
The day after
Thank your guests, return the dishes people left behind, and note what worked for next time. The guest list from this party is a good start for the next one.
The checklist at a glance
Three weeks: date, place, kind of party, guest list, invitation sent. Two weeks: questions asked, potluck list, Secret Santa if needed. One week: numbers confirmed, maybes chased, evening sketched. Day before: shop, prepare, clear the space. On the day: set up early, join code visible, welcome at the door. Day after: thank-yous and notes.
Questions hosts ask
How do I invite guests?
Share the party’s one link or its QR code in a group chat, a message or an email. Guests open it in any phone browser and answer going, maybe or not this time; the guest list updates as the answers arrive.
Do guests need an account?
No. Guests answer the invitation and join the party from the link with only the name they want to be called: no account, no password, no email address and no phone number.
How many guests can join?
Up to 80 guests can be in the room for the live program, each on their own phone. Guests must be 13 or older to join.
Can I use Bashlo without the app?
Yes. Guests answer and join from any phone browser, and hosts can plan the party, send the invitation and follow the RSVPs in a browser. The Bashlo app for iPhone and Android is coming soon.