Sometimes you just need to throw a good party. There is nothing better than hosting and meeting all your friends together in the same place. But how to do it? With the right preparation, the right food and music, a good guest list and a few things to do, your party will be a success and may even become a tradition.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Determine the Plans for the Party
Step 1. Choose your seat
Where will you hold the party? Will it be a big event or a simple reunion? Can you organize it at your home or a friend's? Do you have a venue in mind, such as a specific restaurant, bowling alley, cinema or park?
If you want to invite a lot of people and you can't organize at your house, you should book the place you are interested in early, to make sure you find it free. It is best to call at least a week in advance for a better chance
Step 2. Choose date and time
If it is a birthday party, you will probably want to organize it on the precise day of the anniversary. Otherwise, the best choices are weekend evenings, so guests don't have to go to school or work the next morning. Many are held after dinner, but a brunch or afternoon party can also be fine.
- Make sure you choose a free date for most of the guests. Do you know of another party, event or holiday that will keep everyone busy? You may need to ask your guests before setting the date in this case.
- You can also decide the "duration" of your party. That way, once midnight arrives, your guests will know they don't have to go home, but they won't be able to stay with you (or in the club that's closing). You will also save people the worry of having to leave without warning.
Step 3. Choose a theme
Are you organizing the event for a special occasion? In this case, choose something that pleases the guest of honor. Otherwise, try to choose a theme that is able to exalt or attract everyone. Here are some tips:
- Choose an accessible theme, especially if the party is imminent. A completely black party is simple; a 1940s-inspired party isn't (unless you give everyone time to get ready).
- Choose a non-clothing theme. A "panini" party (where everyone brings a different sandwich) can be a hit. Not to mention the classic wine or beer tasting parties.
- Choose a broad theme, such as a "golf" or "owl" party. You could then choose foods and courses related to your choice.
- You can also decide not to have any themes. Sometimes it's nice to just get a group of friends together to have fun all together.
Step 4. Consider who to invite to the party
In part you will have to decide on the basis of the location: how many people can accommodate the venue you have chosen? Also, who do you want to be in attendance and who would have fun at the party? Do you already know if someone will not be available?
- Not everyone loves to dance and not everyone wants to listen to music, some just want to talk and relax. If your party includes activities like these, consider this when preparing your guest list. Try to find a compromise to please most of the guests, creating spaces with different pastimes and, if possible, suitable for different ages.
- Decide if you want to allow guests to bring friends. This can cause the number of people at the party to levitate a lot.
Step 5. Set a budget
If you are the one planning the party, it will probably be up to you to bear most of the costs. You could take care of the decorations even if you don't hold the party in your home. How much are you willing to spend? If the budget is not very high, ask friends if they can participate. They want a party too, don't they?
A good way to cut costs is to ask each guest to bring something. This way everyone will do their part and you don't have to pay for all the food. You could also specifically ask certain people to bring drinks, ice, plates, napkins, and silverware. In the case of a “glow” party, everyone could bring one or more luminous items from home and then share them with the other guests
Step 6. Spread the word
A party cannot be considered as such without guests. You can start by posting an event on Facebook; You should still communicate directly with invitees, whether in person or through text messages. Try to start talking about the party two weeks in advance, so that the guests don't make any commitments; remember this once or twice as the appointed date approaches.
You could also create invitations or purchase them. Don't distribute them at the last moment; However, if you intend to extend the invitation to your friends' friends, do not communicate it too much in advance, otherwise too many people may show up
Part 2 of 3: Set up
Step 1. Prepare and display food
Food choices matter a lot for a party. If you don't know what to prepare, find a way to find out about the preferences of your guests. Finger foods that are almost always successful include chips, vegetables, cookies and cupcakes, mini sandwiches, pretzels, popcorn, crackers, cheeses and fruit.
- Don't neglect drinks, ice, glasses, napkins, plates, forks and knives. You will also need a refrigerated container to keep drinks cool.
- If you are of drinking age, be sure to offer soft drinks as well as alcohol - not everyone wants or can drink alcohol. You absolutely must avoid having a bunch of drunk people destroying the place and no one sober who can take them to their house.
- Always make sure none of the guests have any allergies or severe food restrictions; if this is the case, be sure to offer foods that they can eat too.
Step 2. Create a playlist for the party
What party is there without music? Choose a genre of music that is enjoyable for everyone and that fits in with the spirit of the party. You could leave the iTunes window open to instantly download the pieces suggested by guests or play videos.
If you don't have many songs, ask guests to bring their own. You could also use an online radio that shows the songs that are the most popular at the time
Step 3. Create the right atmosphere with music, lights and decorations
If you want to recreate the club atmosphere, prepare the right music, strobe lights, lasers, smoke machines and some video synchronized with the music. If you want to organize a classic wine tasting instead, avoid using strobe lights and instead use candles. It all depends on how you imagine the party in your mind.
As for the decorations, you have freedom of choice. Do you literally want to roll out a red carpet for your party? Do you want to use classic streamers? Do you want to recreate a Christmas atmosphere? Generally, decorations vary based on the theme you choose to throw at the party. You can also opt to have no decoration at all; okay anyway, if that's what you want
Step 4. If necessary, clean the house
If you are planning to hold the party at your home, be sure to choose an area where guests can sit, chat and eat. Clean the area before the party and tidy everything up to ensure guests feel comfortable and don't touch your personal items.
You should have something on hand to clean up any stains on guests or furniture. Also make sure there is enough toilet paper. It might sound odd, but you don't want guests to remember your party because of the lack of toilet paper; Also, don't run the risk of someone using the towels
Step 5. Prepare some group games
Don't think of traditional games like pinata or spin the bottle. The most suitable games today are video games, gossip games and the craziest ones.
- Rock Band is a great video game to offer at parties. It is available on several consoles; the goal is to play in a band using the guitar, drums and microphone that come with the game as a controller.
- The Guitar Hero series is another nice option. Depending on the edition you choose, it can be played by one or two players. As a Rock Band, he uses his specific controller (a kind of electric guitar) to progress through the levels by playing in time the songs that are proposed with increasing difficulty.
- Dance Dance Revolution completes this triptych. It can be played by one or two players depending on how many controllers you have at your disposal. The object of the game is to dance following the directions of the arrows on the screen. Even if few people will play it, it can still be a good source of music for everyone.
Step 6. Establish rules for the safety of guests and return home
If you are hosting the party at home, you could explain to everyone how it will play out. Coats go to the bedroom and the cellar is off-limits, for example. If anyone gets sick, there is a second bathroom after the first bedroom - don't throw up in the kitchen sink… and so on.
- If the party is being held in a club, you may need to remind everyone to behave responsibly. If guests lose control, you may be kicked out or asked not to return.
- If you offer alcoholic beverages to your home, you will have to decide how to handle it. Will minors also be present? Will you be careful and take care of the drunk guests? We will talk about this in more detail in the next section.
Part 3 of 3: Making the Party a Success
Step 1. Take photos
You'll probably want to remember the party and brag about it on Facebook, Twitter, and the other social networks you use. So start taking pictures! You can immortalize the table full of dishes, you and your friends in themed clothes, or the strobe ball. In fact, you should really photograph "everything". A good photo reportage will make your event popular and give you, for the next time, the opportunity to organize something more complex and perhaps more expensive.
If you really want to overdo it, offer your guests a "photo booth", an area dedicated specifically to photos. Put some fabric as a backdrop, decorate as you like and offer a basket with funny objects to take funny photos. This is a great way to avoid boredom
Step 2. Become a "social butterfly"
There will probably be a lot of people at your party who don't know each other well. In this case, you will have to be the link between them. To make everyone feel comfortable (especially at the beginning), act like a butterfly, flying from group to group, introducing everyone and dampening the tension. When the fun begins, you will see new friendships born thanks to you.
If this were a problem, consider organizing a game that involves everyone. You can try a classic game like "Truth or Dare"
Step 3. Clean up during the party
The parties get chaotic and they do it very quickly. Also, people rarely behave politely and decoratively at a party, particularly if they are not in their home. Whether you are in your home or in a public place, it may be your responsibility to keep the area relatively clean and tidy. It doesn't have to be spotless, but you definitely don't want a mountain of junk piling up on the drink table.
Make sure you keep the trash (properly sorted) in an open area. If the bin fills up, people will keep throwing the trash into the area until the situation becomes unmanageable, so fix the problem now to avoid getting it all over the place
Step 4. If your guests are drinking alcohol in your home, ask them to give you car keys
You will be responsible for their health. Ask for the keys at the beginning of the party, hide them in a bowl somewhere and return them only to sober people.
You could also assign a person to hold them, so that you don't have all the responsibility. If you know that someone doesn't drink because I don't drink, ask if they can help you: you already have a lot to do
Step 5. When the guests leave, give them a memento of the party
Whether it's leftovers, a cupcake, or a little treat, it's nice to make them go away with something - and you'll have fewer things to clean too. This way everyone will leave with a piece of the party, feel involved and remember it with pleasure.
Make sure you tag everyone in all photos when the party is over. People will remember how much fun it was and will be looking forward to the next one. What will the theme be?
Advice
- Spread the word about the party early! If people know about your party weeks in advance, you will give them a chance not to make any commitments.
- Make sure you talk to everyone and ask how it goes, to give everyone proper attention. Nobody wants to sit alone at a party.
- Try to arrive at the party venue at least two and a half hours before the start to prepare the decorations, arrange the sweets, drinks, food, music, etc.
- Always invite more people than you want to have to the party to compensate for those who don't come.
- Make sure you have the ability to accommodate people who may stay asleep in your home.
Warnings
- Don't allow guests to invite friends without your approval.
- Try to avoid people who have an aversion to other guests.
- Don't invite extremely pessimistic people, as they could spoil the atmosphere. Think about how your friends will interact. Will anyone be excluded? Two people don't get along? Do your friends know each other? Are they sociable? Do they have common interests?
- Avoid using drugs. You would risk an arrest and serious problems for both your parents and those of your friends.
- If you are under 16 do not serve alcohol.
