If you plan on having quite a few guests and can’t do it at home, you may want to make reservations at your venue beforehand to make sure they can accommodate you. It’s best to call at least a week in advance to give yourself the best odds of getting the okay. Make sure to set a date on the invitation on when to RSVP, if the don’t respond by then call them.
Also, make sure to pick a date when most of your guests are free. Do you know of another party happening or a community event or holiday that has everyone booked? You may have to do some asking around beforehand to figure out if this is the case. [2] X Research source You may also want to have a duration of time for your party. That way when it hits midnight, your guests know that they don’t have to go home, but they can’t stay with you (or at the venue that’s closing). It also helps people not have to worry about an unscheduled departure.
Do something that’s accessible, especially if the party this weekend. An all black party is easy; a 1940s party is not (unless you give everyone adequate prep time). Do something that’s not clothing related. A sandwich party (where everyone brings a different sandwich) could be quite the hit. Not to mention the classic wine or beer tasting party, too. Chocolate tasting is also seriously fun. Do something with a broader theme, like a “golf” or “owl” themed party. You could then have “par”faiths or chicken wings, and other themed fare. Or don’t have a theme at all. Sometimes it’s just nice for friends to get together and enjoy each others’ company.
Not everyone wants to dance and not everyone wants to listen to the music; some people want to talk and relax. If your party is one kind or the other, take that into account with your guest list. However, if you can, try to accommodate for different interests and levels of social comfort with space planning if it is possible, and, if applicable, account for different age groups. Also determine whether you want your friends to bring friends or not. That could seriously change how many heads you have to plan for and mouths you have to feed.
A good way to deflect the costs of a party is to have a potluck. This way everyone chips in and is a part of the fun and you don’t have to pay for all the food. You could also specifically instruct certain people to bring drinks, ice, plates, napkins, and cutlery.
You could also make invitations or buy them. Pass them out within a reasonable time frame of notice. If you plan on instructing your invitees to bring friends, don’t send out the invitations too soon or you could end up with a bigger party population than you can handle. If you are allowing friends bring friends, put a limit on the amount of friends they may bring, otherwise you may be overwhelmed with the swarm of people you don’t know when they arrive.
Do not neglect drinks, ice, cups, napkins, plates, forks, and knives, too. You’ll also need some method of chilled storage (like a large cooler) to keep the drinks cold as well. If you’re of age, be sure to offer non-alcoholic drinks if you are offering an array of alcoholic drinks – not everyone wants to or can consume alcohol. What’s more, you don’t want a bunch of drunk guests trashing the area and no sober drivers to get them home. Always make sure that none of your guests have allergies or serious diet restrictions; if they do, make sure there is food for them to enjoy, too.
If you don’t have a lot of your own tunes, ask your guests to bring their own. You could also play an internet radio station that has whatever is hot, and jam away.
As for decorations, this bit is completely up to you. Are you going to literally roll out a red carpet for your red carpet party? Go old school with streamers? Make it look like Christmas threw up in your house? Generally your theme will dictate the decorations. And none is fine, too, if that’s how you roll.
It’s a good idea to have some cleaning stuff around, like a stain stick just in case someone spills on themselves or your furniture. [9] X Research source Make sure there is enough toilet paper, too. It may sound weird, but you don’t want the only memory of your party to be an empty tube, and you really don’t want someone you may not know using your hand towels.
Rock Band is a good game to have going on in the background for parties. This game is available on multiple game systems with the objective of playing as members of a band with the use of the guitar, microphone and drum kit included with the game. The Guitar Hero series is another good one. This can be a one or two player game depending on which edition you choose. Like Rock Band, it uses its own controllers of the guitar nature to play through the game’s levels. Dance Dance Revolution rounds out this trio. It can be one or two player depending on what controllers you have available. Step to the music as directed by the arrows on the screen. Even if only a few people play this game, depending on which edition you choose, can provide some great music.
If you’re at a venue, you may need to remind everyone to act responsibly. If they get loud and disorderly, you could either be kicked out or asked to never return. If drinking is happening at your home, you need to decide how you want to run it. Are there minors present, too? Will you watch and care for your guests if they become too drunk? We’ll address more details in the next section.
If you’re going all out, set up a “photo booth” – an area of the room set up specifically for taking photos. Place a piece of fabric on the backdrop, decorate it as you see fit, and keep a basket of props handy for people to use to take funny photos. It’s also a good activity for bored guests. [11] X Research source
If this an issue, consider getting a game together that involves everyone. Charades, Heads Up, and even games like Truth or Dare can be classic hits.
Be sure to keep the trash and recycling in an open area. If it gets full, people will likely keep piling it up until its unmanageable, so get at it as soon as possible to avoid it spilling everywhere later in the night.
You could also designate someone as the key keeper, so you’re not dealing with all the responsibilities. If you know someone isn’t drinking of their own accord, ask them if they could do this for you – you already have to deal with everything else!
Make sure to tag everyone in all your photos, too, when all is said and done. People will be reminded of how fun your party was and be looking forward to your next one. What will the next party’s theme be?
