With the holidays around the corner I thought I would send out some tips on throwing a party or holding any kind of gathering. While you can certainly host a party that has every possible frill, the most important part of any gathering is the people who are there. Don’t let the details overwhelm you. If something is stressful to you then don’t include it in your party. Make your gathering as simple as possible to make it as enjoyable as possible for you. With that in mind, here are some things that have helped me as we have hosted parties through the years.
Pick your theme
A theme can give your party an extra touch. It can add a touch of class or a fun vibe. Choose a theme based on a holiday, a favorite activity, or anything that suits your fancy. Use the theme to decide on decorations, party favors, food, and activities at the party. You can have a party where you do nothing with the theme or reason for the gathering as in the case where you’re having people over to watch a game or movie or to just visit.
Decide when to have your party
Decide when to have your party By inviting guests 2-3 weeks prior to the party there will be a higher chance that people will be available to come to your party. It might be helpful to consult school, church, or community calendars if you want to ensure that you’re not competing with another event. You can also send out a soft invite by letting friends know that you’re having a party on a certain date and you’re wondering if they’re available that day. When you send out this soft invite, it isn’t necessary to send out all of the details about the party. Just let guests know briefly what the party is about and the date. When you do this you can adjust the date if you find that too many people aren’t available that day.
Send the invitation
Text, email or use good old fashioned mail to send out your invite. I have observed that individual invites are responded to better than a group text or email so be sure to send out invitations individually. You can use an app like Evite or Canva to create a fun invite or you can simply send out the details in a normal text or email.
Food
It’s pretty safe to say that every great party includes food. It can be as simple as ice cream or some other dessert or snack that you buy. If you want to have something homemade or more fancy then you can always make the food on your own or even have your event catered. Requesting guests to bring food is also a great option. When asking guests to bring food this can be done in a random fashion-just have people bring whatever they want or you can assign people based on the first letter of their last name to bring a sweet treat or a salty snack or drinks. Another option is to ask people to bring something specific or have your guests choose from a list of items what they will bring. While it is nice to offload providing all of the food, keep in mind that if it is important to you that a particular variety of food like a main dish, salad, or dessert is there for your guests you will want to provide that yourself.
Make some lists
Create a list of all the tasks that need to be done in preparation for the party. Divide them into groups of when they need to be done for example, the week before, two days before, the night before, morning of the party, etc. Save this list digitally for future use. You will find that your to do lists can be reused or renovated based on the party you’re hosting. Remember to also make a shopping list. Depending on the nature of your party and the food involved, you may need to shop twice for your party. Do the majority of your party shopping several days before your event. Keep in mind that during holidays particular colored plasticware and plastic tablecloths may not always be in stock. Purchase these items well ahead of time so you aren’t disappointed to find that you can’t get them. Some food, like fresh berries, should be purchased, at earliest, the day before the party but preferably the day of the party so that you don’t end up with rotten berries when you go to set out your food.
Enlist help
If you are hosting a large event (30+ guests) where you are providing all of the food and you want to be able to visit with your guests, it is a must to have someone help with the food. It isn’t easy for many people (including me) to ask for help but I highly recommend doing it. It will make your event so much more enjoyable for you.
Take notes after the party
Through the years I have hosted numerous parties and coordinated/prepared/served food for quite a few events. It has been extremely helpful to take notes after each event so that when I did the next event or a similar one I had ideas of what was needed. I took notes on how much food was purchased or made and then how much was used. I noted how many people were in attendance so I knew what quantities were needed for a particular number of attendees. One easy way to determine how many people were served is to pay attention to how many plates you set out.
Final thoughts
Keep in mind that not all parties or gatherings have to be a big ordeal that require a ton of planning. Throw a simple party. A while back, I wanted to make a coffee cake that I love. Knowing that it was too much to eat for my husband and I, I invited some ladies over to share it with me. We had a great time visiting and eating coffee cake. No theme required. No fancy invitations required. No decorations required. Impromptu parties can also be enjoyable and save you from stressing over all of the planning that can go into parties. If you always have some basics on hand like paper products and food that you enjoy sharing with others like ice cream, appetizers, ingredients for making your favorite dessert, beverages, etc. you can invite friends over at a moment’s notice.
So what party are you throwing next? What about one of the following?
Dinner Party, White elephant party, Birthday party, Comedy party with treats & mocktails, Ice Cream (or some other dessert) party, Baby Shower, Bridal Shower, Cast Party, Brunch, Graduation Party, Game night, Girls night out, Craft night, Easter Egg hunt for Adults, Progressive Dinner Party, Costume Party
Comment below on things that have worked well for your party planning and hosting.
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