Parties & events

Party planning checklist for two people (birthday, shower, anniversary)

Updated · by the Simpleban team

In short

Planning a party with one other person — a partner, a sibling, a best friend — goes wrong in the same two places every time: nobody knows who is doing what, and the reminders turn into nagging. The fix is a short timeline (six weeks is plenty for most parties) with every task owned by one person. Below is that checklist for a birthday, baby shower, engagement party or anniversary, plus how to put it on a free shared board so the board does the reminding.

Simpleban, a kanban board for two people: a shared “Our home” board with This week, Doing, Waiting and Done columns, cards marked Mine or assigned to a partner, due dates, repeating chores and a moving-day countdown.

6 weeks out

  • Agree the kind of party, rough budget and guest count (both of you).
  • Pick the date and book the venue — or confirm whose home (one owner).
  • Start the guest list; get addresses or phone numbers.
  • Decide the theme, if any. Book anything scarce: a bouncy castle, a photographer, a private room.

4 weeks out

  • Send invitations with an RSVP date two weeks before the party.
  • Plan food and drink — cater, cook, or potluck. Note allergies as they come in.
  • Cake ordered. Playlist started.
  • For a surprise party: assign one person to the cover story and one to the guest list, and never swap.

2 weeks out

  • Chase RSVPs. Final numbers to the caterer or the shopping list.
  • Decorations, tableware, candles, balloons ordered.
  • Games, speeches, slideshow — who's doing which.
  • Gift or collection organised, if it's for someone.

The week of

  • Shop for non-perishables; order drinks and ice.
  • Confirm vendors, delivery times and the cake pick-up.
  • Clean and set up the space the day before. Charge the speaker.
  • Day of: one person on food and drink, the other on guests and timing. Swap halfway.

Put it on a shared board

The Event planning template gives you Ideas · Booked · To do this week · Done with starter cards. Add a countdown to the party, give each card an owner, put due dates on the deadlines (RSVP cutoff, cake order), and hand a card over when it needs the other person — they'll see it as “waiting on you” and get a short email in the morning if it's still there. Both of you have the full app on your phone and neither pays.

Templates to start from

Questions, answered

How far in advance should you plan a party?
Six weeks is comfortable for a birthday, shower or anniversary at home; eight to ten if you need to book a venue or caterer; two or three is doable for a small gathering if the guest list is short.
How do two people split party planning?
Write every task down and give each one a single owner; keep only the real joint decisions shared. On the day, split by role — one on food and drink, one on guests and timing.
Is there a free app for planning a party with someone?
Simpleban is a free shared board for two people, with a countdown, due dates, ownership on every card and reminders that come from the app rather than from you. Start from the Event planning template.
Does it work for a baby shower or engagement party?
Yes — the checklist and the board are the same shape. The Baby prep and Christmas planning templates cover the bigger seasonal versions.

Plan the party on one board

Start from the Event planning template and share the link.

Your board starts as “Event planning” — columns and example cards you can change or delete.

Try the live demo board first

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