"Setting up the party menu can be the best part of planning a party. You get to look up new and exciting things and taste test your food before you decide. A person can do this for themselves or hire a party planner to find a good caterer for you to sample their dishes. When you cook the food for your own party you have a greater choice in the food that's being served and have direct control over how it's cooked. On the other hand it can be quite a task preparing all the food for a party and if something burns or is undercooked you've got a problem to take care off. Though hiring caterers can get expensive. Perhaps the best thing is a balance of both. Have a restaurant or caterer prepare the main entrée so you're not worrying about it and work on your own side dishes and appetizers which can be significantly easier to make.

People love a menu that fits with a theme party. If you are planning an under the sea party the easiest thing to put on the menu is seafood. Or you can set up a party entirely around appetizers for say the Oscar party and hire someone to carry the appetizers around on trays. If you don't have the budgets entice your kids into the job with a promise of extra allowance.

Be sure to send out a list of the food on the menu in your party invitations. Some people have allergies to things like seafood or even peanut butter and if they arrive at the party to find there's nothing alternative to munch on it can ruin their enjoyment. If you send the menu out early enough it will give guests a chance to mention that they have an allergy to this or that and you can make additions or an alteration."