📝 Overview

Manage the entire party booking process—from creating customizable party packages to collecting payments and confirming bookings. This feature simplifies gathering party inquiries, scheduling, and payment collection for birthday parties, private events, and field trips, making it easier for both you and your customers.

The party feature operates as a request system, not an automatic event booking. Final confirmation and scheduling will depend on your approval and availability.

When customers submit a party request, you will receive their inquiry in your Sawyer account under Products > Parties and via email. You can then take action to confirm availability and coordinate event details directly with the customer before confirming the event. Once party details are confirmed, an event is created on the calendar. You can use the party feature to request deposits, manage add-ons and collect partial/full payments through the system

💡 While the built-in party feature handles request-based bookings, you can also manage parties using other scheduling types in the software—such as semesters, camps, or appointments—depending on your business model and needs. Each method offers different advantages. See Alternative Party Setup Methods below to compare.

🔔 Feature Availability

This feature is included in the Grow and Scale pricing plans. To learn more about pricing tiers and features, visit here or contact our team to upgrade your subscription plan.

💡 Legacy Provider Note: If you went live prior to March 1, 2022, you will continue to have access to your current features as one of our legacy providers and can use this feature as described below.

🛠️ Setup: Creating and Configuring Party Packages

Create a New Package

Click here to learn how to create a new party package

In the left navigation pane, select Products and then Parties
Click New Package in the upper right of the screen
Choose your Package Type: Party, Private Event, or Field Trip
Complete the following details:
- Photo — Upload an image of the party or activity (optional)
- Package Name — Title of your party offering (e.g., "Birthday Party Package")
- Package Description — Details about what's included
- Headcount — Maximum or standard number of attendees
  - Select can request additional headcount if you choose to allow customers to add additional people
- Duration — How long the party lasts
  - Select can request additional time if you choose to allow customers to add additional time to the party
- Locations — Where the party can be held
  - Select can provide an offsite venue if you can set up parties outside of your home location
- Starting Price — Base price for the package
  - Select can see starting price if you want customers to be able to see the starting price range
- Policy — Cancellation or other relevant policies
Click Save

Edit Your Package

Click here to learn how to edit your party package

Once you've created a package, you can edit it at any time:

In the left navigation pane, select Products and then Parties
Click the options menu (three dots icon) to the right of the Package Name
Select Edit to make changes
Click Save when you are finished editing details

Publish Your Package

Click here to learn how to publish your party package

Once you've created a package, you can edit it at any time:

In the left navigation pane, select Products and then Parties
Select the Publish button.
A check mark will now appear in the circle and the party will appear on your widget.

➕ Add-Ons: Offering Additional Options

Add-ons are optional upgrades customers can select when requesting a party. They're global and appear on your widget for all applicable packages.

Click here to learn how to manage add-ons

Navigate to Parties
Click +Add-Ons from the top menu
Enter the add-on name and price (e.g., balloons, pizza, face painting, specialized entertainment)
Click the + sign to Save

💡 You can add custom add-ons later when communicating directly with a customer about their specific party request. Include only add-ons that apply to all packages on your public listing.

📋 Managing Requests & Payments

Payment & Transparency Setup

Using Form Fields & Agreements for Deposits

If you're collecting deposits (especially when using semesters or appointments with the deposit-as-portion workflow), use form fields and agreements to ensure transparency:

Create form field checkboxes specific to your party activity that acknowledge the customer will pay a remaining balance later
Add an agreement that outlines the total party price and payment schedule
Assign both to the party activity so customers see them before booking

This approach helps prevent confusion and reduces follow-up support questions about when the remaining balance is due.

Receive Payment vs. Quick Charge

When collecting a remaining balance after an initial deposit, you have two options:

Receive Payment (on the original order): Ties the remaining payment to the original party order, keeping all revenue in one place for cleaner reporting
Quick Charge: Creates a separate charge. If using this method, establish a consistent description convention (e.g., "Party Balance - [Customer Name]") so you can easily identify and track these charges for reporting purposes

Choose based on your preferred method for revenue tracking and reporting.

How Customers Submit Party Requests

Once you publish a party, customers will see it in the Parties tab on your widget.

They'll click Learn More and submit a request with the following information:

Contact Information:

Parent name

Phone number

Child's name

Child's age

Party Details:

Location

Preferred date and time

Estimated headcount

Special requests

Customers receive a confirmation email after submitting, letting them know you'll review their request and contact them soon.

Create Party Requests on Behalf of Customers

You can create party requests for your customers by navigating to Products, then Requests, and then selecting New Request in the top right of the scree.

Review and Manage Incoming Requests

Click here to learn how to review and manage incoming party requests

Go to Products, then select Parties, and then Requests. You'll see a notification badge showing the number of new requests.
Click on a request to view all details. You'll also see the party appear on your calendar with a dotted border, making it easy to check availability.
Update party details, add custom add-ons, and review special requests
Click Save when you've made edits

💡 Note on payment workflows: The steps above apply to the built-in party feature. If you're using semesters, camps, or appointments to manage parties, customers book directly through those scheduling types rather than through a request system. Payment collection and processing will follow the standard workflow for that scheduling method.

Request Payment

Click here to learn how to request payment

Once you've confirmed all details with your customer and reviewed the cost summary:

Open the party, scroll down to the bottom of the screen and then select Request Payment
Choose whether to request:
- Full payment for the entire party
- A deposit amount of your choice
Your customer receives a payment request email
Once they submit payment (deposit or full), you'll receive a confirmation email

💡 If you're using the deposit-as-portion workflow (especially with semesters), remember to collect the remaining balance before or on the day of the party via Receive Payment on the original order or by creating a Quick Charge with a consistent description convention. Have your customer's payment method on file to streamline this process.

Booking Confirmation

Once payment is received, the party status changes to Booked, and your calendar is updated. Your customer will also receive a confirmation email.

🔄 Alternative Party Setup Methods

If the built-in party feature doesn't fully meet your needs—such as restricting availability to specific dates and times or using a more structured booking experience—you can set up parties using other scheduling types in the software. Compare the three approaches below to find the best fit for your business.

📅 Using Semesters for Parties

When to use it: Semesters work best if you offer parties on a consistent, repeating schedule (for example, every Saturday at set times throughout a season).

How it works: A semester is a timeframe that repeats weekly. You set up an activity called "Birthday Party" within a semester to manage recurring party availability.

⚠️ Important pricing constraint: Semesters require drop-in pricing with a capacity of 1. This setup does not support payment plans (deposits + remaining balance charged at different times). You have two options:
Easiest option: Charge the full price upfront via drop-in pricing (no deposit).
Alternative option: Use the drop-in price as a deposit amount, then charge the remaining balance separately via Receive Payment or Quick Charge. When using this approach, you must:
- Clearly outline the full party price in the activity description (e.g., NOTE: Payment now is for deposit ONLY. Remaining balance will be charged on the day of your party)
- Add form field checkboxes and agreements specific to this activity so customers acknowledge they'll pay the balance later
- Be aware that if you increase capacity after initial bookings, attendees will see the form questions again and be charged the deposit/full amount again

🔔 Best for: Art studios, creative spaces, or instructional facilities that offer parties at consistent times throughout the week or season.

Click the arrow for more information on using semesters for party set-up

Setup steps:

Navigate to Activities and create a new activity titled "Birthday Party"
Set it up within a semester that repeats weekly on your party days
Define available time slots, capacity (set to 1), and pricing
Configure payment options (full price or deposit amount, depending on your preferred workflow)
Publish to your widget

🏕️ Using Camps/Events for Parties

When to use it: Camps offer flexibility for one-off parties or irregular bookings while allowing you to set specific dates and times. They're also ideal if you need to collect waivers.

How it works: You create individual camp "events" for each party date you want to offer. Each can have its own capacity, time, and pricing.

Pricing options:

For sporadic schedules: Select individual dates and use drop-in pricing (same workflow as semesters), OR create one-off schedules with "Full Event Price" (more manual, but you avoid manually charging remaining balances later and eliminates the need for transparency notices).
For waiver collection: Use the built-in party feature to collect the initial waiver request and payment (deposit or full amount as you normally would). Once paid:
1. Create an activity specific to that customer (e.g., "Jacob Party")
2. Book it as a one-off private event on the Camps/Events tab
3. Set capacity to the number of attendees
4. Set the event as free
5. Share the private link with the customer for them to distribute to their attendees (waivers will be collected at checkout)

🔔 Best for: Mobile studios, paint-and-sip businesses, or providers who want flexibility to offer parties on varying dates without a recurring schedule, or those who need to collect waivers.

Click the arrow for more information on using camps/events for party set-up

Setup steps (standard one-off bookings):

Navigate to Activities and create a new activity titled "Birthday Party"
Set it up as a Camp with a single date and time slot
Define the capacity and pricing
Repeat for each additional party date you want to offer
Publish to your widget

📆 Using Appointments for Parties

When to use it: Appointments allow you to create multiple time-slot openings within a single event, giving customers the ability to book a specific date and time from a calendar view.

How it works: You create one "Party" appointment type with multiple available time slots. Customers select their preferred date and time from the calendar.

⚠️ Important capacity constraint: Appointments are strictly one-on-one. Capacity is automatically set to 1 and cannot be increased. Use this method only if each party booking is for a single customer.

Pricing: You can set a per-session rate for the deposit amount or full payment (same considerations as semesters if charging deposits—use descriptions and form fields for transparency).
Note: The booking widget will display as "Appointments" rather than "Parties." If this doesn't align with your branding, consider using semesters or camps instead.

🔔 Best for: Providers who want a self-service booking experience with specific time slots, or those with a custom landing page directing customers to the appointment link.

Click the arrow for more information on using appointments for party set-up

Setup steps:

Navigate to Appointments and create a new appointment type titled "Birthday Party" (or similar)
Define available dates and times by creating multiple appointment slots
Set capacity (automatically 1), pricing, and payment options for each slot
Publish to your widget
Consider adding a direct link on your website pointing to the appointment booking to improve customer discoverability

❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Find answers to common questions about setting up and managing parties.