Ask Millie
House party
More than a dinner, less than a venue event. The plan covers numbers, drinks quantities, food format, timing for arrivals versus food, and what the night needs to feel like.
← MomentsPlanSorted plans
Moments · House party planner
PlanSorted plans
nights at home too.
A dinner party, a house party, a footy watch party, a games night. At-home events have the same planning requirements as going out — food, timing, quantities, prep order — but without the built-in structure of a restaurant.
A night that runs itself, or one that needs constant work. The plan is the difference.
PlanSorted can plan at-home events in the main chat for a quick plan with no date required, or saved as a Moment if the event has a specific date and you want reminders and a draft plan that refines over time.
What gets planned
The parts that make or break it.
- Guest count
How many people changes everything: quantities, space, whether you need to borrow chairs, how many bottles of wine to buy.
- Food
Format (sit-down, grazing, finger food), dietary requirements, what to buy and what to make, what can be prepared ahead.
- Drinks
How much to buy, what to get in, whether to ask guests to bring something specific.
- Prep order
What needs to happen the day before, the morning of, in the afternoon, and in the hour before people arrive.
- Timing
When food comes out relative to arrival time. When to call people to the table. How to pace the night.
- Setup
Music, lighting, whether the furniture layout needs adjusting, any details that make the space feel ready.
The planning journey
A week out. Three days out. The day before.
7 days before
A week out
Lock the format and confirm numbers. Know what you are cooking and what you are buying. If anything needs to be ordered or sourced — specialty drinks, a specific cake, extra chairs — do it now.
3 days before
Three days out
Finalise the shopping list. Confirm any dietary requirements you have not already handled. If there is a guest of honour for a birthday, check any details that should not be left to the day.
1 day before
The day before
Final clear plan: what time does food need to be ready, what is being prepared in advance tonight, what is the order of the evening. The day of should be execution, not planning.
Example situations
The versions we see most.
Dinner party
Six to ten people, a proper sit-down meal. The plan covers menu direction, prep schedule, what can be made ahead, the right timing for courses, and how to run it without being in the kitchen all night.
Footy watch party
A specific kind of at-home event that runs on its own timeline. Food timing around the bounce, drinks quantities, whether there is a second screen for anything else. The prep should be done before people arrive.
Games night
The food and drinks need to work around the games, not against them. Finger food, low-mess options, timing that does not require everyone to stop for a long sit-down meal.
Birthday at home
A birthday that happens at home still benefits from a clear plan. When people arrive, when the food comes out, whether there is a cake moment, what the flow of the night looks like.
Family lunch
Different energy from a party. The plan covers food quantities for more people, dietary requirements across a wider age range, timing that works for kids if relevant, and when to serve things.
Add it as a Moment for a date-based event, or ask PlanSorted directly in chat for a quick plan.
Tell us the guest count, the format, any dietary constraints and what the night needs to feel like. Get a prep order, shopping list and clear plan.
Related