First decision for Valentine Party or Valentine Wedding:
date and time. Your best shot for getting lots of guests is to pick a not-prime time. Try something the Saturday before Valentine’s Day, for instance, or Sunday, the day after Valentine's Day. Also an off-time, such as brunch or lunch instead of cocktail or evening party. Check to make sure "key players" can come. Also a time when you’ll have the week before to do the work.

Guest List
Write down whom you want to invite and take a count. This determines everything from cost to venue to refreshments. Send out Valentine Theme A Sweet Treat save the date cards to all your guests.

Where will you have your Valentine Party?
Your home? A romantic outdoor patio restaurant? A restaurant with a fireplace and strolling violinist? The recreation room at your apartment complex? If you’re going to rent, call ahead and find out how many people they can accommodate, if the place is available that day, how much it will cost, what’s included in the rental fee, and what other services are available. If you’re renting a place, go there and talk to the catering decorator, walk around and take a tour. Questions will occur to you that might not otherwise: Can you bring your own food and drinks?

Order Valentine invitations as soon as you have the date, time and place selected. Order Valentine Theme Invitations online to save time and fuel.

What about Valentine decorating?
Again ordering online saves you time and fuel...you don't have to run from store to store to find what you need. For convenience order Valentine Decorations online.

How’s the parking and public transportation. This can make a big difference in your guests desire to come, for instance on a rainy night..

Well, Valentine’s, but romantic? Options might include Candy Light-hearted, Formal, Casual. Choose another fun theme then choose Valentine Party Invitations,, Valentine Party Favors, Valentine's Banners, and Valentine Party Music

If you’re having honorary speeches, toasts, or some such (20 minutes is plenty of time to allot for this), allow time afterwards, because the conversation will be primed.

Provide romantic Valentine background Party Music or according to the tone of your event – Wine Bar Music, Latin & Ballroom Music, Dance Party Music, Broadway Music or hire a rock band, romantic pianist, harpist, etc.

Now coordinate what you’ve decided on so far: time, place, theme and cost.

Here are some adjustments you can make: Hard liquor, mixed drinks are expensive. If you’re having lots of people, switch to beer and wine, or make an alcoholic punch, Hurricanes, Raspberry Mango Sparkler, Pineapple Passion Fizz or Martini and Cocktails                                www.valentinevineyards.com/oh.html  

You can buy party trays at Sam’s or at Local Fancy Catering Boutique. Making them is probably going to cost more than Sam’s, but it has it’s virtues, caterers can be very pricey, but then there’s no work for you to do. Try Super Suppers or other convenient kitchen alternative where you stop in and pick up the food you've ordered.

Ordering a Valentine decorated cake is a good way to handle dessert for a crowd. It brings everyone around, is festive, and easy to manage.

Party Music can be live (more expensive) or your radio or Music CDs (no cost)

Will you want to hire someone to clean the day? The day of the party to serve and clean up? Both? (Be sure and check out his/her uniform. You could provide a cute Valentine’s apron for her or chefs apron for him.)

Need a bartender? Also check on his uniform. You don’t want any surprises.

Arrange for photography – stills, candid shots, videos, a professional photographer?

Decorations – floral arrangements are the most expensive, but they can sure dress up a table. Make your own Valentine centerpiece or use ready made Heart Centerpiece or add this Heart Light Set.

You can go to a party store and look around according to your theme, if you’re going with paper goods shop online for convenience and time. If you have your own china, crystal, etc. start polishing them up.

If you want to purchase permanent tableware or favors, visit a store like Tuesday Morning and see what they have. (Tip: Shop right after holidays, buy things on sale, and be ready for the next year.) Look at Plum Party for Valentines Party dishes and don't forget the novelty items like Hearts Toilet Paper or fanciful Valentine Party Favor boxes.

Elegant doesn’t have to be more expensive
People instinctively cut back when the goods are pricey, i.e.,  if you serve Beluga Prime from Caviarteria in New York (price $750/lb.), your guests won’t be expecting to make a meal of it, and who can eat more than a dab of caviar anyway? If you’re providing Krug Clos du Menil from Sherry-Lehmann in New York ($1,400 a case), no one’s going to be chugalugging it. Tell them it’s Kobe beef (up to $500/lb.) and they’ll be too horrified to ask for seconds.

Make Julia’s Child classic chocolate cake, all of 1" high, and one small sliver suffices even the pickiest eater. It’s richer even than a Starbuck’s brownie. These things titillate your senses other than raw hunger and so are very satisfying in another sort of way. Have a classic piano in the background, and people naturally move into refined slow-motion. But if these aren't in your budget try some Gourmet Delights - Home Sweet Home Basket - Simply Delicious Basket.

Candy Bar Wrappers

However, if you’ve got bins of queso dip and tortilla chips, everyone will have that no-holds-barred approach to the buffet table. If JC and the Sunshine Bang are cranking it out, well all impulses are on "go"!  Include some gourmet treats; dried soups, salsa, sauces, or seasoning packets.

Sausage and Cheese Basket

Brunches are quite economical! Call those pancakes crepes – no, really, it’s a separate recipe and divine, serve a light fruit punch or Bloody Mary’s, some bacon and sausage, a light salad … won’t cost much at all. I recommend Julia Child’s crepe recipe, and definitely the flaming orange crepes. They nearly put your tongue to sleep, and again, these things are so "rich," no one wants more than a taste. A little trick thrifty hostesses learn!

Entertainment
Live entertainment adds a really special note to a home party. Local talent is probably available that isn’t expensive. Check with universities, colleges, high schools, and churches – the choral directors, the music or dance department. Check the yellow pages. There may be several children’s dance groups, and they are always charming, because children can do no wrong, entertainment wise. Check the ballet and tap schools and see if you have a boys’ choir. If these don't work for you just pull out the CD player and try this Broadway Music CD

Plan your own Valentine entertainment with Glam Girl Polish Pinata filled with treats to give to each guest.

Make decisions and book it. Also get a babysitter for the kids – or send them all over to your sister’s with a sitter over there. Book your hair and nails. Send out the invitations. Put all your "details" in a notebook. Start cleaning, cooking ahead, getting glasses out, freezing, and cleaning the farther corners of the house.

The little touches:
Now have some fun. Look on the Internet for things like candles and soaps for your guest room, and roses to your door, and maybe some heart posters on the wall. These are little touches you CAN add, not things you MUST have.

If it’s in your home, always have something hot to serve that’s in the oven as the guests arrive and smells divine.

Tip: Always use candlelight if you can. It hides a multitude of "sins," i.e., dust bunnies and carpet stains, and sets a gentle ambience. 

If you want a good turnout, do your PR work. Talk up the party with friends as you see them, mail out Valentine Save The Date cards in advance or give them a call to see if they got their Valentine Party Invitation. Drop a hint about the Clos du Menil, or the Big Band. This should get you started.

©Susan Dunn, MA, certified Emotional Intelligence coach, http://www.susandunn.cc . Offering individual coaching, employee programs, distance learning, The EQ Learning Lab™, a the EQ eBook Library – http://www.webstrategies.cc/ebooklibrary.html . Want to become a certified Emotional Intelligence Coach. Go here – http://www.eqcoach.net . Mailto:sdunn@susandunn.cc for FREE eZine. For daily tips on EQ, send blank email to EQ4U-subscribe@yahoogroups.com