Nothing gets you in a festive mood like a great holiday gathering. In my opinion, you only need a couple of things to get the party started, liquor, great music and a karaoke machine. I have hosted several parties for different occasions and karaoke is always a hit. Nothing spells fun like a bunch of tipsy people singing and dancing.
Set the mood and create a festive atmosphere. Decorate your home or venue with bright holiday decorations and set up stations for food and liquor. Create special drinks like cranberry & apple martinis along with Sangria and some nice sparkling wine. I normally get a bartender for my parties, but for smaller events I allow people to mix their own drinks according to their specifications. I have also played bartender for my friends parties and it’s a great way to get to know people. For some reason, party goers love to talk to the bartender.
I recommend that you buy party trays and skip all the cooking, you can’t enjoy the party if you spend all day slaving over a hot stove. You will be tired and worn out by time the party gets started. Get appetizers and skip dishes that require long preparation times. Veggie trays, mini burgers, fruit trays, party wings, and dips work well for gatherings and think of all the time you will save by not having a sink full of dishes.
Your choice in music depends on the crowd you invite but line dances is something that everyone loves, the cha cha slide, the electric slide or whatever slide you know works well and gets people on their feet. Older over thirty crowds lean more towards R&B, pop, soft rock so skip Lil Wayne. Chose your music according to the crowd and make sure it’s something that gets people swaying to the beat.
There are tons of holiday games available on the internet but I find that most of them are geared towards younger crowds. If you have a gaming console Just Dance is actually fun and provides away for you to burn off all the appetizers you just ate. Charades works well and I keep a card table and a deck of cards handy just in case people want to play cards. Provide some form of entertainment so people won’t be bored to death. Stimulating conversation can only go so far.
Invite sociable people, nothing makes a party more boring than people that simply don’t like other people. It’s fine to invite anyone you please, but parties work well when everyone has great socialization skills. It ok to have fuddy duddies in the mix but everyone sitting there looking at each other is not a fun time. If you’re the hostess, and you’re involved with someone with less than proper socialization skills believe me everyone will wonder what’s wrong with that person and your current boo shadiness will be the topic on everyones ride home. As the hostess, you make or break the party. A good hostess is cheerful, hospitable, and sets the overall tone of the event. Be gracious to your guest and thank them for spending the evening with you.
The purpose of a party is to have a good time, celebrate with friends, and socialize. So crank up the karaoke machine and get the party started and as always, make sure you’re the hostess with the mostes!
