When people attend amazing parties, they remember those experiences. Parties are meant to be joyous and memorable experiences. However, when you’re the host, you bear the responsibility of making sure everyone else experiences greatness. The stakes are even higher when you plan on hosting a big party. Thankfully, there are plenty of tips you can employ if this is your first time hosting a large party. Consider the following tips.
1. Set a Budget
Consider all of the facets of what makes a party amazing. Then, recognize that it takes money to pay for all of those facets. The amount of money you have access to will determine how creative, resourceful, or laid back your execution will be. If you have a large budget to cover servers, caterers, and more, this will decrease the amount of labor you’ll need to consider during the party. Determine how much you’d like to spend on the venue, food, and more. Then, find vendors who can work with those budgets. Once you’ve determined the budget, do not go a cent over. Pay your vendors what they’re worth, and be intentional about paying everyone on time.
2. Stick to a Theme
Especially when you’re creating the visual aesthetic for the night, it helps to have a theme. If you’re throwing a costume party or a Christmas party, create a defined theme so that guests know how to dress and prepare. A theme also helps with visuals such as backdrops, artwork, and more. If you’re throwing a big party and want to impress your guests with a fun and interactive theme. A great party theme would be glow in the dark, and you can include glow-in-the-dark paint in your decorating and use safe glow items that your guests can dress up in.
3. Delegate Specific Assignments in Advance
Don’t wait until people arrive to start handing out assignments. Certain people should know their assignments in advance so that they know how to prepare. Delegate a clean-up crew to take care of the venue once the party is over. Consider details like making sure enough bathroom necessities are fully stocked for guests. Once you get the guest list, make sure you have enough people to cover the food preparation and distribution. Depending on the size of the party, make sure people are on hand to help direct traffic and parking. These tasks might seem insignificant to some, but they can completely make or break your experience as the host.
4. Create a Breakdown of the Night
One of the worst ways to kill the vibe at a party involves dead space. If you’re waiting on entertainment, the DJ, or the food, a party can quickly become stale. Create a timeline of the night that includes minute-by-minute details. It’s a great idea to assign someone the responsibility of being the MC. If you’re hosting the event, you have a lot of moving parts to consider. By giving someone a timeline of the night, they can make sure the entertainment remains consistent so that people don’t get bored.
5. Take the Necessary Safety Precautions
Making sure everyone remains safe is paramount. The approach to safety needs to be multi-pronged. Know how many people are allowed in the building at any given time. In addition to what the fire marshall’s rules allot, consider how many people can comfortably fit into a venue where social distancing rules are in place. Know where all of the exits are located in the building. Depending on the type of party you’re having, security might be necessary. Considering the health of others, think about whether this will be a masked event or if masks are optional when a person is vaccinated. In throwing a party, you don’t want it to turn into a super-spreader event.
As you prepare to make this night a memorable experience for others, do your best to avoid stress. Take it one step at a time by taking care of different tasks at the right times. Create a checklist of items you need to take care of as the party gets closer. Once you’ve prepared and checked items off of the list, do your best to remain present and in the moment. You’re only one person so you don’t need to bear the weight of making sure everything is completely perfect. If something arises, maintain your composure and deal with it as it comes. As long as you employ these tips and take things one step at a time, you’ll have an amazing time.
