Hosting a party can go one of two ways. It can be one where everybody has a great time, remembers all the little things that you did to make it unique, and gets you invites to many future parties – the other, well it doesn’t bear thinking about!
Here, we look at ways to avoid making the standard errors. With a little preparation and planning, and with these great tips in mind, you’ll be sitting back the next day and congratulating yourself for throwing a great party.
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Guests
Know who they are, what they do, their partners, etc. This is essential to avoid any embarrassing faux pas such as the divorced guest being forced to introduce his new partner that’s not his wife! Also, expect some of the unexpected. If your invite says to bring a friend, then they might, so this needs to be taken into account for food and drink levels. It is also important to take in any considerations, like whether any allergies need catering for, or whether you need to make it accessible for disabled guests with handicap ramps. All of these small things can make the party experience much more agreeable for your guests.
Lower Your Expectations
Throwing a decent party is not difficult, so stop treating it as such. Building up the levels of expectation in your mind won’t help you and will inevitably lead to you panicking and making mistakes. If you say that the food is served at 8 pm, but everyone is chatting and relaxed, does it matter if it’s half an hour later? If it all goes wrong – well, everyone loves a takeout pizza!
Drinks
Drinks are crucial to a good party, so don’t forget to make sure there are plenty for your guests, together with the necessary add-ons such as ice and mixers and enough glasses or cups to go around. Most drinks are best cold, so think of a way to keep all of the drinks cold and ready for when the guests arrive. If you do want a cocktail, maybe make a punch bowl full for people to help themselves.
Remember though – not everyone drinks alcohol, and some may be driving, so have plenty of soft drinks and water available.
Food
Your party is not the time to become a master chef, undertaking an invention test, nor is it the time to cook complicated dishes you’ve never tried before. Stick to what you know is good and simple to prepare, have vegetarian options if necessary, and ensure that there are plenty of plates and cutlery.
Themes
If you want to go the extra mile, give your party a theme – just make sure that, unless you want your guests to put in hours of effort, it doesn’t require a tremendous amount of preparation or expense on their part. Think simple fun, such as celebrity face masks, tropical beach party, or the classic murder mystery.
So, as you can see, there is no need to worry. These simple tips will help guide you through the party process both before and during the event. There’s no need to hide behind celebrity masks either, just be yourself and enjoy your party. After all, you’ve earned it!
•Do you like hosting parties? What’s your favorite thing about it?
This post was a collaboration.
