How to Plan a Successful Party
- By Lynn Taylor
- Published 09/21/2011
- Food and Drink
- Unrated
One of the most significant things to keep in mind when planning a party is that you want it to go smoothly enough so that you can enjoy time with your friends. What fun is throwing a party where you are running around all night and you don't get the chance to interact socially with your company? Irrespective of whether you are throwing a party for friends & family, small, large, casual or formal; with a bit of thought and planning you'll be able to accomplish it with elegance, style and ease.
The key is to start out planning your get together 4-6 weeks prior to the event to make certain you aren't running around at the last minute. Start by selecting the refreshments and food you're going to be serving to your guests. Planning this early on will ensure you get your recipes and supplies together well ahead of time. Next start deciding on the invitee list and start making your invitations; this will provide guests plenty of time to get the party on their calendar and R.S.V.P. Always be certain to go shopping for items that will not expire well ahead of time, these items would consist of napkins, plates, etc.
With regards to hors d'oeuvers anticipate each guest eating around 5 appetizers per hour for the first couple of hours of the event. Which means if you are planning to have 10 guests at your gathering, and the party will go on for 5 hours you will have to have at the very least 100 hors d'oeuvers. It is always recommended that you pad this number slightly in order to be sure you don't come up short. It is also a good idea to serve party foods that are finger friendly, are not messy and don't require utensils. Finger foods help to make serving, eating and clean up much simpler at the end of the gathering. To prevent congestion in certain areas of the house, or space during the event it is good to have people circulating with the finger foods, or to have various tables in various rooms stocked with appetizers.
You will definitely need to make sure that you've got a variety of things on the menu. You will want to include hot, and cold hors d'oeuvers in addition to some veggie options. It is additionally usually a good idea to offer some fresh fruit, and veggies for individuals who are vegetarian or dietary conscious.
Be sure you stick with food items which can be easy and quick to prepare and will not decrease in taste and texture should they sit around on a serving dish for a little bit. Items which do not require cooking are always excellent like cheese, crackers, grapes, nuts, chips, and bread. You may also serve baked items which include cupcakes, brownies, croissants, and other pastries.
Another very easy to prepare item is spreads and dips, and they are always guaranteed to please. With dips you can have a number of things that may be dipped that include: bread, potato chips, and vegetables.
When it comes to refreshments you can plan on party guests roughly drinking a couple of drinks per hour; whether that be alcoholic or non-alcoholic refreshments. Make certain to have enough ice on hand, as your homes ice maker will most likely not make nearly enough ice to keep up with the party. It is always smart to hit a store and stock the fridge with a few large bags of ice. Depending on the number of attendees you are going to have you may choose to purchase plastic cups, and plastic wine glasses if you're having a bigger group; for smaller groups you might just want to use your own. An additional strategy is to incorporate some kind of system so that guests can identify and re-use their glasses during the event; this tends to cut down on the clean-up after the gathering and also ensures there are adequate glasses to go around.
Throwing a fantastic party does not mean you need to go super extravagant and spend a bunch of money. By planning ahead, and preparing in advance you can entertain in style and elegance and make certain your attendees have a blast. The whole idea of a party is to make sure everybody has an enjoyable experience, which includes you the host.
The key is to start out planning your get together 4-6 weeks prior to the event to make certain you aren't running around at the last minute. Start by selecting the refreshments and food you're going to be serving to your guests. Planning this early on will ensure you get your recipes and supplies together well ahead of time. Next start deciding on the invitee list and start making your invitations; this will provide guests plenty of time to get the party on their calendar and R.S.V.P. Always be certain to go shopping for items that will not expire well ahead of time, these items would consist of napkins, plates, etc.
With regards to hors d'oeuvers anticipate each guest eating around 5 appetizers per hour for the first couple of hours of the event. Which means if you are planning to have 10 guests at your gathering, and the party will go on for 5 hours you will have to have at the very least 100 hors d'oeuvers. It is always recommended that you pad this number slightly in order to be sure you don't come up short. It is also a good idea to serve party foods that are finger friendly, are not messy and don't require utensils. Finger foods help to make serving, eating and clean up much simpler at the end of the gathering. To prevent congestion in certain areas of the house, or space during the event it is good to have people circulating with the finger foods, or to have various tables in various rooms stocked with appetizers.
Be sure you stick with food items which can be easy and quick to prepare and will not decrease in taste and texture should they sit around on a serving dish for a little bit. Items which do not require cooking are always excellent like cheese, crackers, grapes, nuts, chips, and bread. You may also serve baked items which include cupcakes, brownies, croissants, and other pastries.
Another very easy to prepare item is spreads and dips, and they are always guaranteed to please. With dips you can have a number of things that may be dipped that include: bread, potato chips, and vegetables.
When it comes to refreshments you can plan on party guests roughly drinking a couple of drinks per hour; whether that be alcoholic or non-alcoholic refreshments. Make certain to have enough ice on hand, as your homes ice maker will most likely not make nearly enough ice to keep up with the party. It is always smart to hit a store and stock the fridge with a few large bags of ice. Depending on the number of attendees you are going to have you may choose to purchase plastic cups, and plastic wine glasses if you're having a bigger group; for smaller groups you might just want to use your own. An additional strategy is to incorporate some kind of system so that guests can identify and re-use their glasses during the event; this tends to cut down on the clean-up after the gathering and also ensures there are adequate glasses to go around.
Throwing a fantastic party does not mean you need to go super extravagant and spend a bunch of money. By planning ahead, and preparing in advance you can entertain in style and elegance and make certain your attendees have a blast. The whole idea of a party is to make sure everybody has an enjoyable experience, which includes you the host.
Lynn Taylor
Lynn Taylor enjoys party planning, catering, shopping, writing and working on the computer. You can visit her newest website at World Market coupon, or World Market printable coupon that may be able to help you save when planning that next event.
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