Party Survival Tips
Keep your gathering fun and stress-free for everyone, you included
Hosting a great social gathering.
HOSTING A PARTY AT HOME is the perfect opportunity to bring friends together to enjoy each others’ company with no unwanted distractions. While eating out can be nice, cooking at home is usually much cheaper, and experiencing new recipes with other people can be fun. You also don’t have to wait
around for a table, or rush to finish your meal, when you are hosting a dinner party at home. Here’s our guide for hosting a great evening.
FORGET BEING PERFECT There’s often something we don’t like about our homes but don’t let this put you off throwing a party. Most people simply like to be invited to a fun evening and will probably pay little attention to their surroundings.
KEEP THINGS SIMPLE Minimise stress by taking a few shortcuts. Not a great cook? Order in a takeaway or prepared food. Don’t want to handwrite invitations? Send a customised online card invitation. You don’t need exquisite cuisine or cocktails to throw a great party. Just have a couple of nice details here and there, and the rest will take care of itself. Some bright paper straws, a bunch of flowers or some balloons go a long way and are all inexpensive.
DEFINE YOUR PURPOSE Forget the ‘one size fits all’ party. Work it out your way. Don’t simply throw a party the same way it’s always been done. Instead, shake things up and do something that suits your own values. Remember, don’t let activities get in the way of allowing people to have a good time. If people don’t want to get involved in a game of charades, let them watch instead.
USE SPACE WELL Having a large house doesn’t guarantee the best party. In fact, larger venues can be problematic, as people can become segregated – meaning they’re less likely to bump into each other and start a conversation. At the other end of the spectrum, you need to ensure your guests don’t feel as though they’re standing on top of each other. People tend to sit down more at daytime parties, so have a seat for each guest. But a night party can be a different story.
SEND INVITES CAREFULLY Firstly, send personalised invites, as people are more likely to attend. Also, think about who you’re going to invite. Your more reserved friends might not enjoy an action-packed games night, so consider asking them to your next dinner party instead.
SET THE TONE According to various studies, people remember the beginning and end of parties the most. Considering that most hosts focus on the food and activities in the middle, we might all be getting it wrong! So, consider a speech, a toast or some drinks, and don’t forget the music.
HOST WITH RULES The best hosts will circulate the room and talk to one person at a time while connecting guests together as well. Don’t let one person dominate the
conversation. Consider separating people who already know each other and encourage them to mingle with others they don’t know. Also, be sure to specify whether the party is child-friendly on your invitation.
PLAY FUN GAMES Aside from card and board games, there are other great games you can play as well, such as ‘Heads Up’, a mash-up of Celebrity Heads and charades, where you have to guess the word on the post-it note on your forehead from the clues your team gives you. Karaoke and Cards Against Humanity (a party game where players fill in the blanks to finish the sentence using words or phrases typically deemed offensive, risqué or politically incorrect) are also popular choices.
CLOSE THE NIGHT Have an exit time planned so guests don’t outstay their welcome and you have plenty of time to tidy up. Encourage people to have one last drink and thank them when they leave.