Test passed, footie team won, cats birthday? Whatever the reason you may be considering hosting a party at your place – good idea – bad idea? We take a look at the pro’s and con’s.
Hold a night to remember and you will be the hostess with the mostess – the night will be talked about for years to come, OK a few weeks at least. To make the night a resounding success, in your planning think about what you and your friends like to do and work from there – a video game night it the bomb for some, for others some dance opportunities are a must – you know you friends – think about what you will all enjoy.
A good party at a minimum normally has food and drink, some throw in a theme whether Super Hero’s, something being with S or 70’s funkster, then games, music, cooking are all optional – search Mr and Mrs Google for inspiration.
Why we are considering those you WANT to invite – also consider those who you DON’T want showing up – like half your college year. When handing out invites – let your friends know it is NOT an open invitation. Don’t stick a invite on the noticeboard at the gym in the hope the girl in the purple Lycra will come along, only to find out she doesn’t but the whole Zumba class does – ready to show off their stuff, and don’t make an open event on Facebook – we don’t even need to mention the name Corey do we?
If those who weren’t invited do turn up, this is where you will be glad you asked a not-so-uncool uncle or neighbour to hang out (out of sight) at the party to be called upon for moments exactly like this, not only do you get rid of the unwanted guests, but the uncle gets to feel like the not-so-uncool-hero uncle. You can even register your party with the Police – not so they can come by on a routine round every 10 minutes, but they know what is going down and can be there if needed to make sure nothing spoils your fun. Give your local station a call to find out more.
Getting the party organised, let alone making the magic happen on the night can be hard work – by taking the whole thing on yourself you may not only be a gibbering wreck come the night, but your wallet may be super empty for the next month meaning you miss out on all the catch-ups where your friends gush about the great time it was. For tips on throwing a party when broke check out this article by Rookie. To help conserve your funds and energy get the guests to bring food, their drink, even music and games – if a friend loves to DJ make the most of it – although perhaps ask for a demo tape before otherwise you could end up listening to Hey Macarena and Ricky Martin all night (the ‘Zumbaers’ might be happy though).
Oh and the neighbours – let them know you are due to be the hostess with the mostess – it normally softens their mood more than an unexpected noise – yes, yes it’s music, but to them it’s just noise!
But of course, not forgetting the olds if you still live at home, they could be super supportive helping arrange the whole thing or could be planning a romantic weekend away none the wiser to your plans, which is probably not the best idea – chat to them about the plans and get them to help out.
Now to the drink side of things, you may plan on a alcohol free party – fantastic (be sure to check out some mocktail recipes) – but if alcohol is likely to form part of the celebration here are a few things to consider:
– Have food and non-alcoholic drinks within easy reach for everyone – this is much easier than someone getting so drunk they spew in the plant pot.
– Check out the secondary supply of alcohol laws in your area –there are rules around supplying alcohol to young people, especially important if some of your mates are under 18
– Look out for each other – have your party remembered for the right reasons, not the wrong ones. Check out our safe partying page for more info.
Having a party at home means no designated driver role for you, no expensive taxis home – but is does mean you get to wake up with the mess – consider putting special things in one room and keeping that room off limits, not only does that means that Nan’s commemorative porcelain china mug of the Queen stays looking as lovely as ever, but in the morning you can hide in there until you’re brave enough to see the state of the kitchen. Why not kindly offer some friends to kip the night – with the ulterior motive of a morning clean up crew on hand.
Oh and a final tip, if you are going to aluminum foil every wall and window in your lounge to give some strange space effect, use a tape that comes off easily – we learn by our errors.
What about you? What tips to do have for going down in history as the host of the year…
Also check the related topics:
Alcohol Safe PartyingSpeaking to someone about your problems can be the first steps to a solution.
