Do you remember how easy it was to throw a party when you were young? The parents left for the weekend. A couple of quick phone calls to some friends and boom! A Party was born. From time to time it would get out of hand as word spread and everyone in town decided to band together. But for the most part it was pretty simple. Friends brought food, drinks and music.
But as you got older, throwing parties got a little more complicated. Rules and etiquette reared their heads and your guests now arrived with more expectations than just having fun. But fear not! Everything you ever wanted to know about throwing a great adult party is out there.
The first is the first. What kind of party do you want to have? Do you have a theme in mind? Is it for a special occasion? Will it be small and intimate or larger and less intimate? Other obvious and simple questions center around things like the main age group of your guests. Or will it be multigenerational? The answers to questions like these will help you make some of the basic initial decisions about your party.
Age groups are a pretty strong influence in determining your party activities. Obviously, if you have a group of small children involved, it will be a different party than if the majority of the attendees are older people. The size of your party is also quite important because it will have a big impact on your budget, as well as the number of party supplies you’ll need to have on hand.
Inviting people can be a lot of fun, as there are several ways to do it. Personal phone calls, formal email invitations, electronic invitations, etc. As the world becomes more and more dependent on electronics, a very smart website has evolved. www.evite.com is a great way to send out invitations (all types) and get RSVPs that can also be personalized. Using a free service like Avoid will also help your guests. They can see who else has been invited, who has responded, and whether or not they have made any comments. Overall, it’s a great and smart device.
Rent, Rent, Rent. It’s been the standard for real estate for years, but it’s just as important for the holidays. Indoor or outdoor. A private house or a rented place. Does the size of the location match the number of guests? If you are outdoors, do you have a contingency plan if the weather turns bad? House parties usually involve quite a bit of preparation with cooking and cleanup before the party and then even more after the party with cleanup. Outside locations typically eliminate most of the prep work, as well as the servicing and cleanup afterward.
Food is probably the next big decision you have to make. You should consider whether you want to have a buffet or a sit-down dinner. Will you cook or have them serve you? Food decisions are probably the most important you’ll have to make regarding your party. When people talk about your party, they tend to ask “how was the food?” quite early in their conversations. People expect to be fed and they want the food to be good. And… food will probably be the most important item in the budget and therefore should probably be given more thought.
Obviously, throwing parties has many facets. I’ve just covered some of the basics and there’s a lot more we can learn before we can call ourselves party planning experts. But, I think we’ve covered the basics that should be enough to get you started having a successful party.
