Nice post. I love hosting parties. All sizes. For me I enjoy taking care of people and building community. The hard part now is I have small children. We still do, just with more juice boxes.
Nice post.
I love hosting parties. All sizes. For me I enjoy taking care of people and building community.
The hard part now is I have small children. We still do, just with more juice boxes.
Great list! A bunch of things I try to do already when we have our annual party. Some other good things from my experience hosting a regular "large" social gathering. Keep the date as consistent...
Great list! A bunch of things I try to do already when we have our annual party. Some other good things from my experience hosting a regular "large" social gathering.
Keep the date as consistent as possible, if you are going for something annual. Makes it easy for people to remember.
If you have a bunch of friends who are from out of town, try and schedule around a big event that would already bring them into town. A great example is university homecoming. People are in town and it's a good excuse to see everyone again.
A simple themed website can integrate you RSVP, FAQ and other information in a simple to reference spot. Plus it's a fun thing to design every year. Host it on GitHug pages or Cloud flare pages for the cheap.
Think big tent. Do you have friend with kids? INVITE them. Even if they don't come. Make the people with kids feel invited and welcome. Hell invite your neighbors. Can't stand the ones immediately next to me, but I always invite. Let's them know we have something going on so they can be on good behavior and it helps build your "village". Did they come? Great! Make a point of taking the kids from the parents for a bit. Introduce your friends to neighbors and vice versa.
Keep the area of the party contained. Think small but intimate if you can. Spread your furniture out so people can still congregate of they want, but still leaves it open for others to join. Outside is best weather permitting.
A variety of bev's is critical. We always have kegs - everyone who partakes loves free beer. Seltzers for my health conscious and sober friends. Pop for the kiddos and one fun "themed" cocktail. Simple recipe, looooowwwww stress.
The day of the party? Clear your schedule. Prep as much as you can the day/night before but you'll still be running around like crazy trying to get stuff setup day off so make sure you don't have much going on.
Low-stakes games. Sure Cornhole and shit is fun, but I've never not seen people smile for a good old fashioned marble run (gambling optional), stein holding contest or trying to eat a donut from a string. Games should try to stay on theme IF you feel like having them.
Lastly, simple hearty apps/food. A bunch of easy to batch cook bites and one fun "statement" snack.
Or you know what? Do whatever the hell you want. You'll still have a good time. And throw a damn party. Our society needs more goddamn parties.
This reminds me of how parties are supposed to be in books, or in some occasions (when not based on a book), in movies. I'm an introvert, and this is just so very weird to me. Also, my SO is an...
This reminds me of how parties are supposed to be in books, or in some occasions (when not based on a book), in movies.
I'm an introvert, and this is just so very weird to me. Also, my SO is an extrovert, and I can tell you 100% both of us have headed up some amazing parties that have nothing to do with anything suggested.
Personally, I really don't know how to throw a party, but I suspect the key factors should be:
If you're throwing a party, it's a free option for people you'd consider family and/or friendly if not friends. That is, it's not something you're beholden to or including people you do not care about.
If people don't like it, don't invite them next time. Though why were they in your life and on your guestlist?
Seriously, reading that stressed me out a bit, though I have been overwhelmed with functioning in life lately... but I wanted to represent those of us who do like "throwing parties" but keep it real and ... uh, not like that I guess? Not like some required function?
I honestly don't know what type of party this actually advocates, aside as I previously mentioned if it was in a book (and I'm thinking maybe I need to re-read The Great Gatsby, of which I could not remember the title, but a quick search of "books about parties" did me a solid), because no military/work/extra large socialite person I was either related to or semi-associated with ever seemed to be aligned with this in the parties I've had to attend.
This article has some nice common sense tips but also recommends using apps for inviting and invitee tracking. By the end of the list it all seems to be a bit much.
This article has some nice common sense tips but also recommends using apps for inviting and invitee tracking. By the end of the list it all seems to be a bit much.
Nice post.
I love hosting parties. All sizes. For me I enjoy taking care of people and building community.
The hard part now is I have small children. We still do, just with more juice boxes.
Great list! A bunch of things I try to do already when we have our annual party. Some other good things from my experience hosting a regular "large" social gathering.
Keep the date as consistent as possible, if you are going for something annual. Makes it easy for people to remember.
If you have a bunch of friends who are from out of town, try and schedule around a big event that would already bring them into town. A great example is university homecoming. People are in town and it's a good excuse to see everyone again.
A simple themed website can integrate you RSVP, FAQ and other information in a simple to reference spot. Plus it's a fun thing to design every year. Host it on GitHug pages or Cloud flare pages for the cheap.
Think big tent. Do you have friend with kids? INVITE them. Even if they don't come. Make the people with kids feel invited and welcome. Hell invite your neighbors. Can't stand the ones immediately next to me, but I always invite. Let's them know we have something going on so they can be on good behavior and it helps build your "village". Did they come? Great! Make a point of taking the kids from the parents for a bit. Introduce your friends to neighbors and vice versa.
Keep the area of the party contained. Think small but intimate if you can. Spread your furniture out so people can still congregate of they want, but still leaves it open for others to join. Outside is best weather permitting.
A variety of bev's is critical. We always have kegs - everyone who partakes loves free beer. Seltzers for my health conscious and sober friends. Pop for the kiddos and one fun "themed" cocktail. Simple recipe, looooowwwww stress.
The day of the party? Clear your schedule. Prep as much as you can the day/night before but you'll still be running around like crazy trying to get stuff setup day off so make sure you don't have much going on.
Low-stakes games. Sure Cornhole and shit is fun, but I've never not seen people smile for a good old fashioned marble run (gambling optional), stein holding contest or trying to eat a donut from a string. Games should try to stay on theme IF you feel like having them.
Lastly, simple hearty apps/food. A bunch of easy to batch cook bites and one fun "statement" snack.
Or you know what? Do whatever the hell you want. You'll still have a good time. And throw a damn party. Our society needs more goddamn parties.
This reminds me of how parties are supposed to be in books, or in some occasions (when not based on a book), in movies.
I'm an introvert, and this is just so very weird to me. Also, my SO is an extrovert, and I can tell you 100% both of us have headed up some amazing parties that have nothing to do with anything suggested.
Personally, I really don't know how to throw a party, but I suspect the key factors should be:
Seriously, reading that stressed me out a bit, though I have been overwhelmed with functioning in life lately... but I wanted to represent those of us who do like "throwing parties" but keep it real and ... uh, not like that I guess? Not like some required function?
I honestly don't know what type of party this actually advocates, aside as I previously mentioned if it was in a book (and I'm thinking maybe I need to re-read The Great Gatsby, of which I could not remember the title, but a quick search of "books about parties" did me a solid), because no military/work/extra large socialite person I was either related to or semi-associated with ever seemed to be aligned with this in the parties I've had to attend.
This article has some nice common sense tips but also recommends using apps for inviting and invitee tracking. By the end of the list it all seems to be a bit much.