Hosting a house party is fun and exciting, and it’s a great way to enjoy all the fun of seeing your best friends in an intimate setting where you can choose everything, from the food to the music and even a theme if you feel so inclined.
Give yourself time to prepare
While a short-notice party can be fun, giving yourself time to prepare makes hosting a lot easier and less stressful. If you enjoy the planning process, then you can go all in with Pinterest boards and cross-referenced lists, but even having a simple plan will make it easier to think of everything you need for your bash to go with a bang.
Depending on the type of party you are having, you might also want to give your guests a chance to prepare. If people need costumes or accessories, then giving them a chance to get organized will generate much better results.
Consider a theme
Having a theme is a great way to make a party hang together and it doesn’t have to be anything elaborate. You can go all out and have decorations, playlists, themed food, and encourage your guests to wear costumes, or you can go for something simple that will just help you to bring everything together.
There are plenty of themes that you can take to whatever degree you prefer: a casino theme could mean a professional croupier and a proper gaming table or you could just decorate with some playing cards and organize an informal blackjack tournament. For ideas of which games you can play and some online options that will give everyone a chance to play, click here to view the listing of a variety of games you could set up for your guests.
If you really want to keep it simple, you can just choose a color and encourage your guests to wear something that fits the theme, source some snacks that match your chosen hue and decorations can be as easy or elaborate as you choose.
Make a playlist
Nothing gives a party some instant atmosphere like a bit of music, and having a well-curated playlist can be a conversation starter, a cue to dance, or just a bit of background noise. Get your favourite songs organized in advance though – there’s nothing more annoying than listening to the first five seconds of several different songs while someone shuffles through looking for something specific.
If you can make your music fit your theme then it will pull it together well, whether you opt for Kenny Rodgers beseeching players to know when to hold ’em and when to fold ’em, or Eiffel 65 reminding everyone that the chosen theme is blue. It’s always worth checking to see if there are already dedicated playlists that fit your theme on your streaming service as they can be a great source of inspiration and ideas.
Smaller can be better
Unless you live in a mansion, your guest list will probably be limited by the amount of space you have. If you have too few people, a party feels a bit stark, but too many and everyone will be standing on top of each other. Similarly, if your theme involves playing games or pitting your guests against one another, then you want to have enough people to play, but not so many that everyone spends the whole evening waiting for a turn.
You can direct people to behave the way you want them to with a little strategic planning – if you lay out a buffet, people will congregate around it, but if you have trays of food dotted around, then you can encourage people to mingle and move between them.
Be an active host
While it might be tempting to provide the venue and the entertainment and then sit back and enjoy the fun, sometimes parties need a bit of intervention from the host. Encourage guests to help themselves to food and drink, and lead by example if there are games or activities to get involved in.
Introduce people to one another, and not just with their names – think about what might connect them and what they might find interesting about one another and include that to give them a jumping-off point for conversation. For groups where the guests do not know each other well, you can encourage interactions by introducing fun rules such as ‘all drinks have to be poured by someone else’ to introduce chatting with a bit of structure.
Whether you are a veteran party host who wants some ideas for your next bash, or a newcomer to the hosting game, you can throw a party that will go with a bang if you follow these simple rules. If all else fails, host the kind of party that you would want to go to, and at least you will be having the time of your life.
