As the country reopens and we exercise our refound freedoms, we’re thinking about how to make good on all those postponed events and parties.

You can and absolutely should be planning functions this summer. There’s no sense in sitting around waiting while life passes you by. Birthdays need parties, weddings need receptions, Christmas needs feasts, the end of the year needs work dos, and the start of the year needs all kinds of summer celebrations.

Plan early You can always change a plan, but you can’t magic one up out of nowhere on the eve of the event. Book your venue and caterers now, and let your guests know before they make other plans.

Write it down If it’s not written down, it’s not really a plan. Some extremists say if the plan’s not in a spreadsheet it doesn’t exist. Take down budget and prices, assign responsibilities, set deadlines, and share the plan with whoever needs to see it.

Negotiate prices Vendor costs aren’t always as fixed as they appear. Ask for an early booking discount, or see if there’s anything in the contract that you don’t need.

Go with the flow You are but a thistledown drifting in the wind. Whether it’s a cancelling guest or a switch in entertainment, things are going to change and you need to stay flexible.

On that note… What’s your rainy day plan?

Keep it tight(ish) Keep your guest list to 100 or fewer if you can, juuust in case there’s a switch to ‘red light’ under the new traffic light Covid restriction system.

Set your expectations Communicate with your guests and your venue. Let them know your expectations about vaccinations, and what any contingency plans might be.

Party down It’s more important than ever to have a good time. Take the opportunity to have some fun, talk to people, dance, and laugh. It’s a mental health exercise!

Read more: 8 fabulous locations to host your summer event