Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Anatomy of a Party

There are a number if things to consider when throwing even the smallest of parties. Invitations – Time – Food – well, you can see the rest below. I have been thinking about my 30th birthday party for a while and how things are going to go. Even though I can be a pretty ‘high maintenance’ party thrower, in the last 5-10 years, I have tried to tone that down a little bit and simply enjoy myself and the guests at the party…..because really, this is what a party is about right? The people that you invite - - - and of course, the food. My family tends to focus on food quite a bit. Think about it – if you have no entertainment, no music, no decorations etc…. but the food is great, you will have a great party. Why? Because people expect food at a party and lots of it at that (our party will not have amazing cuisine - but hey, BBQ at the start of summer is always fun right? Plus, we will have lots of snacky stuff before hand). So, without further ado, I shall put my two cents in on the following categories:

Invitations: For a formal party, invitations are a must. If it’s a small affair, verbal invitations – or at the very least, an evite will do. I sent out invitations a couple of weeks ago – done and done!!!

Time: Make the time and date appropriate for your guests. If there is a lot of older family and/or friends involved, having an evening party may not a good idea (on the other hand, if your guests are primarily younger, they probably want to party on into the night - so plan accordingly). They can get tired easily and may have to leave early – or not come at all if the party is too late. They may want to go to bed early…so think of your guests here. I planned an afternoon party because of this – and because some people are going to have to drive a decent distance to get to our house. (But, I am hoping that the party is going to go on into the evening - we are borrowing a fire pit so we can hang out outside into the evening...but we shall see how it goes). Again, done and done!!!

Food: My philosophy here – have lots of it. It’s simple – an abundance of food is a good idea. There are ways to make a little food appear like a lot of food. Employ some techniques like this and people will perceive that you have TONS of food and rave about the party later. In addition to this, make sure that you have a variety of food. People like choices, so give ‘em what they want. One last thing here – ALWAYS have something for people to snack on when they arrive. There is nothing worse than arriving at a party hungry because it’s at lunch time and there is no food for hours (like while someone barbeques or something – that can take a long time). So, I planned my party for about 1:00pm, and there will be lots of food when people arrive. Done and done!!!

Drinks: Again, variety here is key. Soda, Ice Tea/Lemonade, beer, wine, water – this should suffice. If someone is soooo picky that they can’t find something within these choices – maybe they shouldn’t be at the party to begin with (of course I am kidding – but really, these choices are enough). Oh yeah, and before I forget – always personally offer every new guest that arrives a drink. Or at the every least, let them know where the cooler, ice and cups are so they can help themselves.

Music: Debatable. I will more than likely be hooking up some kind of music for the BBQ here in a couple of weeks – but some kind of background noise (music instead of TV is best because too easily men will gather around the pretty picture box that changes images rapidly – and by that time, the men will be lost) - - - sorry guys, but some of the male population can get stuck watching TV instead of interacting with other people….and if that happens, you have just lost half of your guests to the TV. Getting back to the point – background music (not loud), will encourage people to relax and chat with other people. There are no uncomfortable silences because really, you could simply be listening to the music right? When there is something going on in the background, it’s okay to sit silently if people so choose to. It would be better for people to interact, but with background noise, it makes it more comfortable for people all around.

Atmosphere/ Decorations: I have no idea what I am going to do here – but my amazing sister is coming to our house in a couple of weeks to help out with this. Thank God – because this is a weak area for me. I tend to focus on food more than décor – but this is somewhat necessary – especially for an unfinished house like ours. We need something to take away from the half finished house.

Entertainment: Again, depending on the party, entertainment will vary. If it’s a small intimate party, games may be appropriate. But there are other options. The bottom line here – make sure there is something for everyone. Usually if it’s a party where everyone knows everyone else, no entertainment beyond music is necessary – but heck, get creative here…..it’s your party right?

Neighbors: Oh gosh – always tell the neighbors why all of the parking spaces on the street are going to be taken. I think I will be inviting our neighbors, but that’s just because I am throwing a loosey goosey party. But, always inform the neighbors (or invite them) that you are going to have a considerable amount of people over and that there may be some noise. More than likely they will be okay with it – that is, unless you throw parties constantly - - - and then, in that case, I will personally call the cops (even though I only lived in an apartment for a total of a year and a half throughout my whole life – it was still too much for me with noisy neighbors).

Host Responsibilities: This is your time to shine. Like I mentioned above, the top priority is to enjoy yourself. Heck, you are throwing the party right? But beyond that – proper planning is necessary. Have enough food and drinks for everyone who is going to attend - - - and make sure, that when people arrive, direct them to the food (which is already set out) and the drinks (which are already cold). Then, during the party, make sure you offer one more time just in case. I say ‘just in case’ because who knows, some people are quirky and may not realize that the food and drinks are there to enjoy the whole time they are there.

There are some other categories that I am forgetting, but I simply don’t want to type anymore. As you can see, there are lots of things to consider when throwing a party. Some of these areas I am good at, others I am not. But this is the fun part – don’t be afraid to ask people to help you. You may be shocked to know that people in your life probably enjoy helping out for a party – it makes them feel involved and needed (simply because they are needed). Everyone is a party host at some point in time – and as soon as you throw your first party, you will see that you probably need a little help in order to keep your sanity….or simply to make your life easier. I have personally enlisted the help of a number of people – my friend Maggie (if she and her fiancé end up coming to P-ville a day early or so), my wonderful sister Mel – who of course is a great party thrower, and my lovely sister-in-law Sharon.......I love all of these people soooo much and am greatful they are going to help out.

As a side note – the first big party I ever threw was for my sisters bridal shower. At the time I threw that party (with the help of a couple of other people), I had never been to a bridal shower, nor had ever thrown a party – it was for something like 50 people, and I had NO IDEA what I was doing. The party was beautiful, had tons of food, and it seemed like everyone enjoyed themselves quite a bit. I got tons of complements on the party, but it was a bit stressful. I learned a lot from that experience to say the least. I just hope this party in June is half as fun as her bridal shower.



(Personal Note) Hey Mel: Am I missing anything here????? Let me know! :)

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