New Year’s Eve is the time for the biggest party of the year, and if you are tired of fighting with the crowds at a restaurant or club and want to host a party yourself, here are a few things you should remember.
Plan Early
Firstly, start your planning as early as possible. There are a lot of factors that contribute to an unforgettable party, and you don’t want to skip any. Whether it be the drinks you want to serve, having vapes available for smokers, or what games you want to play, decide in advance.
Planning early also allows you to inform your guests as soon as possible, as many would plan their New Year’s Eve celebrations fairly early.
Send Fun Invitations
The next thing you should do is to send some fun and exciting invitations. Don’t go down the route of sending a boring text message; instead, get creative with an email invitation and start the party early.
There are email invitation services that allow you to add music, animations, and a variety of other extras that will make your invitations fun and unique.
Theme & Decorations
To take your party to the next level, add a fun theme. This can be anything from the classic Great Gatsby, to guests dressing up like their favorite meme or celebrity of the year. Either way, a theme adds another layer of fun to the evening.
Once you have a theme, decorate your house or party space accordingly. While there is no need to break the bank, still make the effort to decorate as much as possible.
Party Favors
While not essential, party favors are a small extra that your guests will really appreciate. You can keep it simple and give them each a bottle of wine or something similar when they leave, or you can make it a bit more “useful.”
A unique idea is to give out “hangover kits,” a small bag that has some headache tablets, electrolyte powder, a snack, etc. Your guests will most definitely thank you the next morning when they wake up and remember they have one.
Games or Activities
A great way to get people into the party mood is to have a few fun games and activities lined up. There are countless party games on the market that have easy-to-understand rules, and can be played by ten, fifteen, or even twenty people.
You can also rent or buy a mini karaoke machine that you hook up to your TV and had the mic over to your guests. Whatever you choose, some enjoyable games will always keep your guests happy.
Food & Drinks
If you are planning on having a one or two dozen people over, it is always best to opt for finger food and platters instead of set meals. You can make these yourself, but there are plenty of grocery stores and restaurants that can cater your party as well.
As for drinks, if you don’t have an endless budget, ask your guests to bring their own. However, a case of wine, some beer, a few bottles of soda, etc, are fairly inexpensive and your guests will appreciate the addition.
Create a Signature Cocktail
Another twist to add to the evening is to create a signature cocktail that you serve to your guests as they enter or throughout the night. Using the internet as inspiration, you can easily create a delicious drink that will leave its mark on the party.
Create a Photo Area
A small feature that will leave you with a ton of memories is to have a dedicated photo area or photo booth. Have a couple of decorations marking the occasion, and have your guests take tons of photos throughout the evening.
Another fun idea is to have a special pair of glasses, a hat, or something similar that everyone wears, takes a photo with, and then passes it on.
Music
The music playlist will be a personal choice, or one that fits with your theme, but it there are a couple of things to remember when creating a playlist. Firstly, keep the music upbeat and in line with the festivities and feelings you want to convey.
It is even better if you pack the playlist with dance classics or hits that your guests can sing along to. Secondly, know when to wind it down, and keep the music a bit more calm once the excitement of the New Year begins to wear off.
Have a Countdown Moment
Make an extra bit of effort to have a special countdown moment. You can either have a big clock counting down the minutes, show a live stream of a specific event on your TV, or something similar.
Also, try to get your guests together at least 10-15 minutes before the clock strikes midnight, as you don’t want to forget about anyone, and they miss out on the climax of the evening.
Sleep Over Arrangements
Finally, and this only applies if you have the extra beds or space available and if you are comfortable with it, but make it known that some guests can stay the night if they choose. While many will probably say no, it is good to have the option available.
Some guests may stay very late and end up being too tired to drive, or you may live somewhere where the streets are exceptionally busy that night; either way, having the sleepover option available would be appreciated by some guests.
