Katie Teague Writer II
Katie is a writer covering all things how-to at CNET, with a focus on Social Security and notable events. When she’s not writing, she enjoys playing in golf scrambles, practicing yoga and spending time on the lake.
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Gone are days when party planning required days and weeks of effort. It’s no longer as tedious of a task as it used to be, thanks to a variety of apps and smart devices. There’s an app for everything, from music and games to drinks, and they can help you throw the greatest shindig your friends and family have ever attended.
Check out these party-planning apps to throw a bash your guests will be talking about for the rest of the year.
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Once you know how many guests are coming, create a task list to get everything done before the big day. The feature also lets you set reminders, so you won’t fall behind. You’ll need to set a budget and start building your shopping list for the party. Track your budget for food, decorations and party favors.
Manage guests attending by sending them invitations and checking off RSVPs. If applicable, create a seating chart with Pro Party Planner’s augmented reality feature to better visualize what your party will look like.
Pro Party Planner costs $5 to download, plus $1 per month.
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Before you begin planning an event, you need to get an idea of how many people will be there. You don’t want to plan for 50 guests only to have 10 show up and leave you with tons of uneaten food.
Use Evite (download for iOS or Android) to invite your guests with personalized invitations. Design templates with photos from your phone, and add the event name, time and location.
Send invitations via text or email. Track the RSVPs to see who has viewed your invitation, and who has accepted or declined. Nudge guests who haven’t responded and create polls for party and food ideas.
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Planning a party from scratch isn’t easy, so gather inspiration from Pinterest (download for iOS or Android). If you have an idea of what theme you want, search for it on Pinterest to see thousands of boards with party designs.
If you’re planning a low-key party, search for “simple party ideas” or if you’re planning a more upscale event, search for “fancy party ideas.” Sometimes people will post where they found the decorations and the cost.
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Begin planning the meals you’re going to cook for your event with BigNight (download for iOS). If you’re hosting a formal party, create a menu for your guests. Name the menu and organize by courses, like drinks, appetizers and the main dish.
Import recipes from Pinterest or your favorite recipe website by using the in-app browser. Then create a shopping list with the ingredients you’ll need. Check each item off the list as you shop.
Set reminders for each task, like bake the cheesecake the night before, and add whipped cream one hour before the party begins.
BigNight costs $4 to download.
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Your guests will be impressed with your bartending skills when you use Cocktail Flow (download for iOS or Android). The app gives you detailed drink recipes that you can make with ingredients you already have.
Plan ahead of time by having a cocktail menu for your guests and include classics like wine, beer or fun cocktails. You can customize the drinks for your event attendees by liquor, drink type (tropical, creamy, shot) and strength (light, medium, strong).
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A good party doesn’t last long without music. It puts people in a good mood and helps loosen them up.
Spotify (download for iOS or Android) is our music streaming service of choice, with more than 50 million tracks available and 232 million users, according to the company. Keep in mind what your guests like, and make or find a playlist with a good variety of songs, or find a station that will play fun party favorites from every decade.
Spotify is free to use if you listen with commercials. To listen commercial-free, subscribe to Spotify Premium. It’s $10 per month for an individual account.
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Once everyone is feeling good, keep the party going with Karaoke (download for iOS or Android). Whether your guests like country, pop or rock, there’s a huge catalog of songs to choose from, ranging from 7 Rings by Ariana Grande to Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen and Tennessee Whiskey by Chris Stapleton.
Browse through categories like popular, recommended and genre to find a song. Tap Sing when you’re ready to begin your karaoke session.
Record your songs and hear them played back. Don’t worry if singing isn’t your forte — the app uses sound effects to auto-enhance your voice.
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For guests not interested in singing karaoke, set them up with a game full of laughs, like Heads Up (download for iOS or Android). This game can be played with any number of people, so everyone can get involved.
The player selects a category and then holds the phone to their forehead so the other players can see the screen. The other players act out what’s on the screen so you can guess what it is. Category options are celebrities, animals, movies and more.
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