This post is inspired by an impending birthday of a certain girl who is turning 27 tomorrow (pointing at self)... I started thinking about the ways people arrange parties here in the states and back home, and these ways turned out to differ enough for me to share about it.
To make things more clear and easier to picture, let's write out 2 scenarios of how the parties are arranged in the USA and how I would have done it where my friends and family are.
How to throw a party "American Way":pick a place and make a reservationcome up with a more or less defined thememake a list people and send or mail invitationsthe invitations give all the details: when, where and what to wearshare a wishlist/registry if there's onenow the fun part: pick the decorations, utensils, napkins and about anything else that matches the theme and the mood of the partymost unexpected: the party favors! the beautiful of saying "thank you for coming" which has been perhaps the most surprising to me
How to throw a party my way:call, send a text to those who I think I will invite a month in advance and tell them about my plan to have a party to celebrate XYZI don't know the details, but I'll get back to you latera week before the party call or send a message to half of the people from the first time and tell them "So you're coming, right?"be mad and annoyed with those that end up now showing upfigure out what I am going to wear and what my guests are going to eat and drinkdislike half the presents I get because I was too modest to actually say what I wanted/needed and was hoping the guess will somehow figure it outoh, and when it comes to decorations, party favors etc, it's easy - who needs those?!
That is not to say that I don't miss the parties done "my way", but I rather keep them as my dear memories than the way to do.
To make things more clear and easier to picture, let's write out 2 scenarios of how the parties are arranged in the USA and how I would have done it where my friends and family are.
How to throw a party "American Way":pick a place and make a reservationcome up with a more or less defined thememake a list people and send or mail invitationsthe invitations give all the details: when, where and what to wearshare a wishlist/registry if there's onenow the fun part: pick the decorations, utensils, napkins and about anything else that matches the theme and the mood of the partymost unexpected: the party favors! the beautiful of saying "thank you for coming" which has been perhaps the most surprising to me
How to throw a party my way:call, send a text to those who I think I will invite a month in advance and tell them about my plan to have a party to celebrate XYZI don't know the details, but I'll get back to you latera week before the party call or send a message to half of the people from the first time and tell them "So you're coming, right?"be mad and annoyed with those that end up now showing upfigure out what I am going to wear and what my guests are going to eat and drinkdislike half the presents I get because I was too modest to actually say what I wanted/needed and was hoping the guess will somehow figure it outoh, and when it comes to decorations, party favors etc, it's easy - who needs those?!
That is not to say that I don't miss the parties done "my way", but I rather keep them as my dear memories than the way to do.
