There is no ONE WAY to throw a great event. That said, throwing a smashing party that seems effortless takes skill and finesse but not necessarily a ton of CASH. The trick is pre-planing!
As yourself the following and I assure you, it will be a night to remember!
What’s the purpose of the event? Is this celebrating a friend’s new promotion? Are you throwing the gig to show a potential squeeze how dynamic and amazing you are? Formal? Chill?
What’s your budget? How much can you responsibly spend? This can very easily dictate the formality, the type of event, the length of the party and how much of the event will be hosted by you.
Once you have your total budget set here’s a loose percentage to apply to each element of the party. Feel free to adjust this up or down based on what is important to you as the host/ess but this will give you a base line.. For me, the food and beverage is alway top of my list. For you it might be having a bartender or a live soloist. Or even rented seating in your empty apartment. Remember anything you spend on this party is an investment into future parties. No one has this overnight, pic of catering closet, but in time, you will build what you need to have events that you enjoy.
Here’s a budget breakdown…
(The magical part, if you don’t need one area you can use that budgeted amount anywhere!)
25 % food
50 % beverages incl boozey and not.
3 % invitations
15 % rentals
5 % decor/lighting
Number of Guests: The number of guests will greatly effect the feel of any party. Consider your space. How many people does your space hold? Make sure to consider a cocktail party where most people will be standing and a dinner party where most people will be seated. Do you have enough chairs, plates, silverware, serving pieces and linens. If not do you rent of go with fun disposables?
Duration of the Event: How many hours are your planning on the party being? If you are hosting use the 1 drink per hour per person rule. For a cocktail party 2-3 pieces of food per person per hour.
Music: Music sets the tone. Just for a minute, walk into a space with no music. Then walk into a space with music, even quiet music. It’s a TOTALLY different experience. Music sets the tone and the attitude of any event. Finding the right playlist is as easy as hitting Apple Music, Spotify or any of your favorite streaming services. There you can create a playlis that fits the mood you want to create.
Lighting / Decor: Equally as important is lighting. When in doubt.. CANDLES CANDLES AND MORE CANDLES. You can get a bunch of tea light from Ikea or any box store and spread them throughout your pad instantly creating a relaxed chic atmosphere. Another fun cheat is to get christmas lights, plug them in, roll them into a ball and place the in random corners of your place. They do get warm so make sure they aren’t near anything that they could damage. My biggest semi permanent lighting tip… DIMMERS. Every light switch in your house should be on dimmers. Dim lighting not only sets the mood but can also cover up wall dings, a less than detailed living room AND makes everyone look GREAT, even after a hard day at the office!
Flow: The biggest thing.. make sure the bar is accessible. May it be self serve or tended, people at a cocktail party want their cocktails! You want the bar to be easily accessible from as many directions as possible. If you have an outdoor space, or an open kitchen both are great for the bar. It can get a bit wet from spillage and raucous partiers as the night goes on… so be cautious. And keep in mind the kitchen always ends up being a point of connection. You want to casually direct people into areas by creating comfortable conversation areas. Scatter chairs, grab some big floor cushions. Make the space warm and cozy and people will flock to it!
BYOB? There is nothing wrong with asking to have people contribute to EITHER the food OR the booze but for god’s sake if you ask people to bring liquor have a fully accessorized bar that has ice, mixers, garnish and all of the other requirements. don’t have a martini party if you don’t have martini glasses!
Have any questions, need advice or want input check out the comments below or head over to our public Facebook page at www.facebook.com/zacliving360. Post some pics, get input and ask whatever you need.
