How To Throw The Best Party Ever

 

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Throwing parties is a beautiful way to celebrate love, friendships, family and special occasions in our lives.  The formula should be simple: we gather together all the people we love, ply them with food and drink and get to making memories.  Except sometimes it isn’t that simple.  What elevates a good party to be a great one?  How do you make your celebrations one to remember?  It turns out the answers may surprise you..

Keep It Simple

If you’re going all-out to create a special occasion, then you could be tempted to think that bigger is better.  But that’s definitely not the case.  In fact, when it comes to trying to cover all the options, sometimes, providing too many alternatives can mean you run the risk of not doing things well.  Take cocktails, for example.  Lately, it’s been the fashion to create a signature drink for your celebration - and it’s a fantastic way of making your party memorable.  But don’t spread yourself too thin by trying to provide too many varieties.  One or two perfectly done star blends are preferable to 10 inferior cocktails.  The same goes for other types of drink- two types of carefully chosen craft beer are going to make more of an impression than five generic ones.  If you want to have impact, narrow the options down first.  Be bold and find the options that will delight your guests and give your event a distinctive character.

Turn It Up To 11

The basics of throwing a great party are unchanged - good food, drink, and the right music.  The way to make your event stand out is to take those basics and amp them up.  Turn the food or drinks into an activity - set up a ‘choose your own toppings’ pizza station or ice cream bar, or show people how to mix a cocktail or make sushi.  Go for a couple of show-stopping elements that get people talking and provide a focal point, such as novelty cakes or a piece of unusual decor that you’ve crafted to fit a theme.  Likewise, take care when selecting your music - a great playlist can make or break a party.  Find pre-mixed lists on Spotify that provide enough anthems to keep most people happy, and make sure you tailor the music to the mood of your event and the type of guests you’ve invited - what will they appreciate?  Is it all about 90s grooves, or smooth jazz? are Ibiza floor fillers in order, or are the latest chart tunes?

Take It Digital

To make more of your party, why not use social media to give it a boost?  Get people excited prior to the date by encouraging them to talk about it on a private Facebook group.  What music do they want to hear?  Who are they looking forward to catching up with?  Ask some questions and get people chatting to create a buzz before they arrive.  If it’s a big event, use a hashtag so that people can share their pictures of what happened after the event - a way to let everyone enjoy it the next morning when they have a look through and recall some details.  This approach turns an event into an experience.

Make Guests Feel Welcome

It’s simple but the way you make people feel within the first couple of minutes of their arrival dictates how their evening will go.  So make sure you are at the door and that you deputise a few helpers to collect coats, welcome guests in with a smile and make sure those first couple of drinks are in their hands.  Many people can feel nervous entering social situations with lots of others, and a warm welcome can go a long way towards making them feel at ease.  If you have a mix of people who aren’t familiar with each other, make sure that you introduce each guest to at least one other person with whom you think they’ll have some common ground.

Planning For Success

Making sure each element of your party is carefully planned in advance really is the key to a smoothly run, successful event.  Running out of vodka or not planning enough food can really put a dampener on a good event.  To help you plan, use a reminder app to break down all the tasks you need to get through before the party and stagger them so that you don’t get overwhelmed.  Nailing down the details in advance means that you can focus on your guests and enjoy the event when the party starts.

Have fun!