Planning a birthday party is stressful. There are a million details to think about and to take care of. It does not matter if it's a kid's party where clowns, balloons, loot bags, and parlor games are the natural fare or a more formal birthday party for the boss - attention to detail may just save the occasion.

Sometimes, in the hustle and bustle of preparation, some important things may be left out. It is important to have a checklist of everything you need, from the things you can do yourself or have assigned to other people. On that list, you can set your priorities. For example, more than food or venue, the most important element of a surprise party is the people who will be around to greet the celebrator.

To make sure people come, send out birthday party invitations at least a week before. This will allow people to make necessary adjustments to their schedules. Adding an RSVP number on the invite will also save you the trouble of having to call each one of your invitees to confirm. Ask them instead to call you. This way, you will have a good idea of how much food to order or how big the venue should be to accommodate your guests.

As you may not have time to explain your party theme, let your invitation card do the talking. Your party motif can be incorporated into the design of the card. And if you are more creative, you can send out items as invites instead of the usual card. For example, if you are planning a superhero-themed party, you can send miniature superhero dolls. These can be kept as souvenirs of your birthday party. But of course, there are the professional party invitation designers and printers you can count on, especially when you are pressed for time and can?t give much focus on the production of the invites yourself.