7 Websites That Make Party Planning a Piece of Cake

Take the pain out of picking the perfect location for your party with the help of The Venue Report. The company has a team of reporters and correspondents who list venues that pique their interest; there are venues for small gatherings, getaways with friends, and, of course, huge weddings. The site is especially handy if you’re planning an event from afar.

Gone are the days in which a hostess needs to trawl online directories for the best floral, food, and music vendors. Fiestah has tons of prescreened vendors all in once place, allowing planners to compare quotes, pay, and manage their hires with one account.

A group of business school graduates put their minds together to come up with Elliewood, an ecommerce company that sells place settings and party decorations in a box. Shoppers can purchase by theme and for the amount of people expected at the party. We particularly love their Mercer collection, which was inspired by the iconic Scalamandre wallpaper.

Especially useful for larger events, AllSeated helps take the stress out of creating a seating plan on paper. The site offers a platform on which party planners can keep track of venue information and their seating plan and offers collaborative logins so everyone involved in planning can connect centrally. The best part? The service is free.

Postable keeps all of your guests’ physical mailing information in one central place. It makes writing invitations and thank-you cards a breeze! Hosts can write a mass letter sent to all their guests or personalize each letter. Postable puts the cards in envelopes and takes care of the rest! As a bonus, their cards are printed using 100 percent recycled paper.

Everyone takes photos at events nowadays, and GuestShots offers a seamless way to nudge your friends into sharing their snaps. Originally designed for weddings, GuestShots can be used at any kind of event, whether a birthday party, anniversary get-together, or baby shower. The site collects all the photos in one place and offers reasonable rates on printing or transferring the files to a USB for physical sharing.

If you're hosting at home, take the stress out of the afterparty by arranging in advance for professionals to help you tidy up. Handy links users with professional cleaning people, who can be scheduled as late as one day in advance. If you've hosted a big party, remember to tip generously.