Help me plan a proper party please?!

[ZenNudist]

I am not used to this.

I've booked a large room at a local sport club which is a nice light room with tables and a (cheap) pay bar.

Its for my sons first Holy communion so I want it to be fun for him but I'm using it as a chance to get friends and family together post covid.

I was thinking of inviting 50 to 80 people . In addition to friends and family I'm inviting the children from school with their families but I'm not expecting people to want to stay more than the time it takes to eat a buffet and then for the kids to play some party games with an entertainer. Family and close friends likely to hang around drinking til 5 when we are kicked out.

Please help me on timings and how not to make it lame!

So far we finish church as 1230 so I've said to arrive from 1pm. I'm going to book the caterer to deliver food as we arrive (sandwiches, sausage rolls, chicken legs, crisps etc,) and set it all out on a long table. Thinking to start eating at 130.

Party entertainer for the dc from 2 til 3.30 and then switch to party mix music or just no music.

Was thinking massive (costco) cake plus sweet stuff and tonnes of crisps. Perhaps get a balloon man in at the same time as the entertainer?

Decoration was going to be helium balloons on tables which would double up for the kids to play with. Guess I'm hoping I can get them dropped off at 1pm too.

Do I need something else to make it more fun or trust that kids will enjoy regardless?

I'm not Catholic, so might be way off the mark with this, but won't the other dc and their parents all (or mostly) be wanting to go to celebrate with their own families?
Sort of Mary going for a meal with Mary's Mum and Dad, Grandparents, siblings, possibly Aunts, Uncles and cousins, and Michael going with his extended family ?

or, if i am wrong, and it is usual for a whole class to celebrate the occasion together (not my experience, but doesn't mean it doesn't happen), then will your friends and family really want to go to a children's party ?

Just seems an odd mixture of a guest list to me??

Re caterer, overwhelmingly, they will want to deliver and set up before guests arrive.

I'm not sure that the dc will want an entertainer either. They will have sat through Church, will eat, and then play with their classmates won't they (if class mates come) ? I'm not sure they need to be 'entertained' further.

Bring some quiet toys and set up a quiet corner, not all kids like the chaos, have some coloring books pens pencils available, even board games go down well and cheap in the second had shops.

Is there any outside space? If so bring a few balls and outdoor toys, garden games. Adults like to play as well.

Sack off the entertainer, and get a bouncy slide instead.

Please get some proper food in - a bowl of crisps won’t cut it. Costco do platters - each platter tells you how many it serves. Buy a couple of extra on top

Thanks for replies

@MrsPear you might have missed that I said there would be a catered buffet at 130. Crisps junk and sweet stuff in reserve so people can pick at in the afternoon. Id hate to underfeed people but don't want to oversugar the kids. Not sure about being able to set up food as we are at church so food will arrive when we can get there for. I will speak to the caterer. The alternative is a sainsburys party food delivery but it's summer and I don't want it getting warm and the caterer is known to the venue. It must be fairly common for people to come from church (christenings say) to a club and food turn up.

@Kite22 you are right, usually a whole class party but we are away for that one so this is just ds and one other in mass.

Party entertainer went down fine with same group at a recent party and i don't want to leave them to "play" together as there's only one big room. We'd need a dj but that won't entertain the kids.

It's indoors with no outdoor space so I can't do bouncy slide/Castle but would have loved to. Equally when I have been to parties with bouncy castle outside then it needs adult supervision and is a bit of a nightmare.

Cake may yet buy a posh one because I wouldn't personally eat a costco one but then kids love all the frosting and costco cakes are fairly standard round here. I'd rather spend more on the buffet.