Tips to have a Great Party!

The time has come to throw a party and your stuck! You’ve never thrown a “real” party with invites, food, entertainment etc. Now the day has come and you don’t know what to do…don’t worry, below are some simple tips to help you get started.

Tip #1 – What is the reason for the party/event? Birthday, graduation, retirement, game night etc, a great party starts with the theme. Take a moment and ponder what is the reason for the party. From there, you can consider things like age of the party goers, gender (girls birthday for example), dress (costume party perhaps), games or no games, and decorations.

Make a list of these things so you can refer back to it as you begin your planning. Another aspect to include is BUDGET! Chances are you’re going to spend some money even if the party is minimalistic or you include things like BYOB (bring your own beverage), or pot luck.

Tip #2-Age of all party goers matters. Its important to consider who will be attending the party. Does it make sense to service alcohol if there may be children or a pool present? If its a kid’s party, do you need some form of entertainment such as games, jumpy houses, cotton candy or popcorn machines etc? If its an adult only party, will there be games, music, dancing, sporting event on a big screen etc.

Tip#3-Location, location, location! This one is a must to consider. Are you going to host it in your home? at work? at a park? Things you may need to consider if its at your home would be parking for your guests, how late your party will go (think neighbors…), afterparty cleanup, rides home for those who were partying a bit too much. If your party is offsite, say at a park for example, do you need to reserve space, time block? What are the cooking restrictions of the park? These are all important questions to answer prior to picking your location.

Tip #4-The Guest List is a vital part of throwing a good party. As anyone knows who has had a party before, inviting the right mix of people can mean the difference between a dud of a party and one that people are reminiscing about years later! You may not get the list perfect, but careful consideration of who you are inviting will go a long way to having a successful party! Also, consider how many people you are inviting….too many can be an issue. You may need help running the event….heck you might even need security.

These are some basic tips to get your party rolling….I’ll follow up with another post on party planning (themes, food, drink etc.).