How to Throw a Big Party: Step by Step
Even if you’re not a socialite, there will probably come a time in your life when you’re called on to host a big gathering. Whether it’s your son’s wedding rehearsal after-party, or a holiday get-together at work, you’ll spend some time worrying to ensure that everyone else has a good, carefree experience.
If you’re not familiar with throwing such a party, it can be tempting to put in an order for a keg of beer, hang some streamers, and simply hope everything goes well. Keeping a few steps in mind, however, will ensure that you bypass any embarrassment (Really? My iPod’s shuffle feature wasn’t a good DJ?) and have your guests asking for the date of your next shindig.
1. Examine Your Budget
The amount of dough you have to spend is going to play a large part in dictating how the rest of your party goes—i.e., how many people you invite, what theme you choose, and what sort of food and drink you have to offer. Set up a spreadsheet with the following categories: invitations, decorations, food, drink, entertainment, door prizes/gifts. While you don’t have to set every category in stone right now, you probably have a basic idea of some things, like whether you’re going to hire servers or if you’re going to give out party favors.
2. Choose a Theme and a Venue
The key to picking a great theme is to put a little thought into who you’re inviting. Costume parties can be great fun—but only if your guests are likely to dress up and actually get into it. If it’s a classier or more demure group, a good-looking but simple theme can go a long way—think a black and white party, or 1920s theme. Definitely include details on the theme in the invite: for a ‘20s themed party, you might want to remind your guests about flapper culture and famous gangsters to give them an idea of how they’ll want to dress.
The venue is going to depend greatly on your budget—if you’re paying to rent a hall, this can easily be the most expensive part of your party. It’s not too hard to get the right place; just make sure it fits your party’s vibe and level of fanciness.
3. Send the Invitations
Decide whether you’re going to go the old paper invitation route, or if you’re going to be sending out an evite. Evites are generally fine for casual and semi-formal occasions. On either type of invitation you want to be sure to include the following: party description (e.g., holiday party, baby shower), date, time, location, theme and expected attire, RSVP deadline, and any special information (bring your own drink, two guests per invitation, etc).
Don’t send your invitations more than eight weeks in advance—they’re likely to get lost—unless the part is over a popular holiday or requires significant travel. For casual parties, three to four weeks before the party is plenty of time.
4. Prepare Your Food
After you’ve got your RSVPs back, you can start thinking about what types of food and how much you should have prepared. For a dinner party, of course, there will be a lot more logistics involved, and if it’s a large party, you’ll probably want to hire at least one server to help you. If you’re hoping to fill your guests up, plan on having at least 1 lb of food per person. If, on the other hand, you’re just interested in serving finger foods and hors d'oeuvres, ensure that you have at least 5-10 appetizers per person.
Drinks will depend on the vibe of your party as well. For some, simply calling up your local liquor store and ordering a keg of a nice beer will do (a full keg will hold about 175 beers). Other beverage options include punch or mixed drinks; for mildly alcoholic ones, you can expect that each person will drink about one-tenth of a gallon. To stock a bar for a larger party, have on hand 750 milliliter bottles of bourbon, vodka, gin, scotch, rum, and tequila. Don’t forget the mixers, ice (1 lb per person), glasses, and napkins.
5. Decorate
Decorating a truly great party will mean that you need to get out your thinking cap and get a little creative. Streamers and balloons from the local party store are a bore—putting a little more effort in will create a party your guests really remember. Your local thrift store, junk store, and craft stores can be great resources. Decorating a large house can be a lot of work: focus on lighting, place settings, and music to create the overall feel. It’s not realistic (or attractive) to cover every inch of the wall in kitschy party flair.