I’m guessing you’ve found this article because you’re looking to host a party and are feeling a little overwhelmed. Hosting parties can sometimes feel stressful. There can feel like there’s a lot to get right and a lot of social pressure on your shoulders to get it right. Well I’m here to tell you that that’s ok we can all feel a bit like that but there is no need to stress. In this article, I’m going to give you some tried and tested tips for hosting a great party.
Assign the party a budget. You need to work out how big a party you are actually wanting to have and assigning it a budget is probably the best thing you can do for that. Gives you a framework, so you can plan with structure.
Choose whether you want to hire a venue or do it yourself. This is super doable. There seem to be plenty of venue hire websites online that can give you a nice selection of places to view. It actually makes this whole process pretty easy, which is convenient if you, like me, live in a city like London or have a small apartment. Hiring a venue also means people won’t damage your house which is a huge plus. If you want to host it yourself then this can also be a great option as house parties feel cosy and intimate.
Decide on a theme. This can be whatever picks your fancy. We all know the classic themes for parties (scary movies, tube stations). My advice for this would be to think of something that you think is interesting or pick a theme that would be popular with your friends like an in-joke. A good theme can go a long way to starting conversations which will help everyone to enjoy themselves more.
Organise home cooking or hire a caterer Or just buy snacks. Prepare foods that you think will be interesting to you and on the theme for the party. Get a variety. If you want to make it extra special you can hire professional caterers to do it for you but I’d reserve that for special occasions. There’s nothing that puts people at their ease quite like simple homemade (or bought) snacks.
Get the party started before the party. This means that on the day of the party you reach out to everyone via the Sense Social App and set the tone of the party. Maybe remind them of the time and theme in a funny way. The more you can hype it up before the party the better!
Decorate. A classic mistake I’ve made in the past is not decorating. Decorating can bring such a vibrant energy to a party. It makes it feel more special; it’s more of an event. It shows that you’ve put in the effort and care about the party you’re hosting as well as providing more talking points for the people at the party.
Prep the music. Take time to find music that suits the vibe and theme. Think about what music should be played. If you get this right it’ll create a great atmosphere and from my experience, nothing beats a great atmosphere. When the atmosphere is good, crazy stuff happens. That’s all I’m saying.
Welcome everyone. I like this one. I think it’s super important to welcome everyone to the party. Taking your time to do this will put your guests at their ease right from the off. It’s always super uncomfortable to get to a party and find no one says hello to you initially and you have to do all the uphill work to get into the groove of the event. Being welcomed is a big plus.
Connect different people in the same room. This is part of the fun of hosting a party Introducing different people you know to one another and seeing how they interact! You’re like a scientist mixing your friends’ personalities together to see what will happen. You become the facilitator of social magic and it can be extremely rewarding.
Relax. At some point, you’ve just gotta let bygones be bygones. It is what it is. You’ve done as much as you can. No matter if it’s gone exactly to plan or if there have been some hiccups along the way there is nothing more to be done now. You might as well enjoy the social spectacle you’ve created. The more relaxed you can be about things the more comfortable your guests will be. Now all you need to worry about is the cleanup.