The month of May starts “party season”. It begins with Cinco de Mayo and ends with Labor Day weekend. Hosting a party can be a very stressful event, but it doesn’t have to be.
Checkout our “Top 10 Tips For A Stress Free Party” list to make your next affair a stress-free event.
Tip #1 – Pick Your Theme
Most people expect to start with the invitation, but it’s the theme you should start with.
How else will folks know it’s a Hawaiian Luau if it’s not stated in the invitation?
Tip #2 – It’s All in The Invitation
Expecting to have a fun “kid free” party since Jack and Jill are at grandmas? State it in the invitation so guests know what to expect. Make sure your Invitd invitation lists all key details such as food, dress code, ending time, etc.
Tip #3 – Food! Food! Food!
The biggest party foul is not having enough food and drink on hand. Wondering how much you need to purchase?
Check out the Party Food and Drink Calculator on FoodieandWine.
Tip #4 – Create A Supplies List
Hosts are already busy “hosting” so don’t waste your time washing cups or plates because there aren’t enough to go around.
Head over to FoodieandWine.com for a Party Planning Checklist.
Tip #5 – Create An Entertainment Plan
If you’re hosting a kid-friendly event, what activities will you have available to keep them entertained while the adults chat? Put out some board games, sidewalk chalk, bubbles, etc. to free up the parents to mingle.
Tip #6 – Create A Roadmap of the Traffic Flow
Creating a roadmap of the party flow will lead to a better experience for your guests. Is your kitchen large enough to host the drink station or do you need to designate a second area? Where do guests need to go to throw away trash? Will it block the folks in the drink cue? How about the restroom?
Visualizing how guests will move through out the party will make for the best layout.
Tip #7 – Follow up on Missing R.S.V.P.s
Some folks aren’t great about R.S.V.Ping. Instead of waiting on them to respond, follow up with them directly after the deadline date has passed.
Sure it’s frustrating, but nobody likes a “surprise” guest.
Tip #8 – Create Appropriate Playlists
Nothing sets the tone of a party more than a good party mix. Just as you don’t want to run out of booze, you also don’t want dead silence (unless it’s an intimate dinner party). Just make sure the tunes match the guests. There’s a time and place for Jay Z., but a kid-friendly party isn’t it.
Tip #9 – Prep Food in Advance
Many menu items can be prepped up to 48 hours in advance. Go over your menu and see what can be done the day before instead of day of. For example, the dough on this Homemade Grilled Pizza can be done up to 3 days prior. This will be key come crunch time.
Tip #10 – Have Fun!
Don’t forget the purpose of a party is to have fun. In between serving drinks and cleaning up, make sure to spend some quality time mingling with guests. Hosts can have fun too!
We hope these tips will help you stress less and have more fun when hosting your next party!
Have any other tips? Be sure to share with us in comments!