Some say that throwing the perfect party is an art form. It’s certainly spawned an entire industry, with countless people making a living through party planning careers. Whether you’re interested in throwing lavish large scale gatherings, or just hosting a casual get-together with some friends in the backyard, there are some easy ways to ensure that you throw a good party. And really, they’re not that complicated.
In theory, everyone should be able to execute the perfect party, but if you’ve found that your last couple soirees haven’t quite been up to snuff, maybe this list can help you out. Without further ado, check out these four tricks for throwing the perfect party.
- Be Prepared with Excess Everything
Planning a party requires a fair amount of foresight. You need to know how many people are coming, plan the basic events of the evening, think about the kind of food you’re going to serve, the kind of drinks you’re going to mix, etc. There is a lot to take into account. But the one thing you should always do when you’re preparing for a party? Be prepared with an excessive amount of everything. If your guests only end up eating half of the food you’ve prepared, so be it. At least everyone gets leftovers. But on the other hand, there’s nothing sadder than a party that runs out of margaritas halfway through the evening. So long as you err on the side of caution and stock up on your party supplies, you’ll be able to relax and enjoy yourself, which brings us to our next tip.
- Try Not to Micromanage
If you’ve been planning an important party for a long time, it can be hard to resist trying to micromanage your guests. If it turns out that the bean bag toss you thought would be a fun retro addition to the party isn’t exactly taking off with guests, don’t sweat it. Nobody wants to be forced to play a game when they’d rather chat over drinks.
If you’re throwing a pool party and nobody’s swimming, just go with it. Everyone is going to have a much better time, yourself included, if you just let the party chart its own course and go with the flow of the evening. It’s much easier and you’ll be able to enjoy yourself, rather than spending the night corralling your guests to the next event of the evening.
- Give Everyone Some Swag
You might not have thought about this one, but a great way to create a memorable party is to literally give your guests something to take home and remember it by. An easy idea? Order some customized t-shirts from a site like RushOrderTees for the event. You can choose your design and pick something in line with your theme that your guests will love. It’s an easy and inexpensive way to send everyone off on a high note.
- Figure Out the Music Ahead of Time
Men’s Health spoke with professional party planner and reality television host David Tutera about how to throw a good party, “’Music is the heartbeat of your party,’ says Tutera. Yes, you can just queue up your iPod to whatever you already have downloaded in your library, but Tutera suggests switching it up when it comes to playlists. Keep the mood chill with loungey tunes at times, while mixing in dance tracks throughout to get people off their feet. And don’t forget those classic crowd-pleasing sing-alongs—who can resist a little “Benny and the Jets” a few beers deep?”
With these four tips, you should be well on your way to throwing the perfect party. All you have to do is start sending off some invitations!
Photo credit : CanStockPhoto
