Party Planning 101

With so many details involved, hosting a party can be a lot of work. That’s why the best thing to do is to recruit a party committee — whether it’s your family (the kids make the best official dessert tasters!) or a few of your closest friends. A couple of weeks before the party, sit down over dinner or drinks and make a to-do-list. Tasks can be delegated to speed up party planning, or you can do them together to add to the fun. Either way, it will make the entire endeavour easier so you won’t already be burnt out before the disco ball starts spinning.

Pro Tip: Start a WhatsApp group or find another convenient way to supervise party planning.

Do yourself (and your house) a favour and do not invite everyone you know! Handpick your guest list to include people who have a lot in common for a spirited soiree, who are keen to meet new people, or who just want to have a relaxing night with friends. Invite your inner circle, fun colleagues, or even just your neighbours to encourage the community spirit and to get to know the people who live around you. When the day of the party rolls around, guests should enjoy each other’s company, and mingling should come easy.

Pro Tip: Keep the party contained by avoiding the plus one option.

The ambiance of the party space is crucial in setting the tone for your get-together. Move your breakables to a safe place, have enough comfortable seating for your guests for when they need to relax, and make room for a decent dance floor because you know people are going to break out their moves soon enough. Additionally, the easiest way to turn your home into party central is exquisite lighting! The solution here is a simple string of fairy lights to provide that warm glow which never goes out of style. Put them up wherever you want a little sparkle, or go fancier with strobe lights, LED strips or candles, and lanterns. Lighting like this also makes for incredible, Instagram-worthy photographs, which is definitely a huge bonus.
Pro Tip: Pick up a few sheets of transparent coloured paper and cover your light bulbs in them to have wallet-friendly yet classy coloured lighting.

Good music brings life to the party, so do not leave your tunes to the last minute. Set up a good sound system where it can be heard best (possibly in the living space of your house), and don’t forget to hook it up to a playlist created beforehand. This ensures the grooving never takes a break, and you aren’t scrambling on YouTube trying to remember that one song you heard on the radio the day before. A fixed music playlist will set the vibe you want the party to exude — so keep this in mind when you’re planning your jam!
Pro Tip: If you don’t have the time to create your own party playlist, try Spotify for readymade sets or GrouPlay where your party-goers can add their requests to your list.

No celebration is complete without lip-smacking delicacies making the rounds. The key to putting together the perfect menu is choosing food which is easy to make for a large group of people, and at the same time, is easy to eat. In other words, though they are simple enough to make, chicken wings is not the best idea unless you like the fiery-fingerprint look for your upholstery. On the other hand, chips and avocado dip work every single time. Delectable yet doable should be the bottom line when it comes to party menus.
Pro Tip: Food that can be put on toothpicks should be your top picks.

Once you have these elements of your party sorted, you can sit back, throw on a party hat, and have the time of your life.