Party
Do you have a big celebration or company event coming up? Planning a smashing party can be a trick. Here are our top tips to set you in the right direction:
Tip #1: Plan ahead
It seems like the most obvious thing but your plans, but the more you can get out of the way before the big day, the much easier your tasks will be at the party. This includes buying drinks in bulk as you find sales in your local area. You will also want to complete the meal prep for this day by preparing everything that you will need to cook ahead of time, desserts should also be completed by the day before.
Tip #2: Invitations
If your event is something especially formal, the paper invitations will need to be sent out at least 3-weeks before the party. But if the party will be a more relaxed social event, you can notify the attendees within 2 weeks. But you want to make sure everyone that is coming to the party will actually arrive, so ask that they RSVP within a week of the event. This way you will have the full head count, then be sure to include enough plans for 2 or three extras, because there are always those gatecrashers.
Tip #3: Keep it Intimate
You can host a spectacular dinner party with nothing more than 6-8 guests. The important thing will be to make sure that the people you invite get along well with each other. If this is the first party, don’t invite people that make everyone uncomfortable, like the boss — or that guy/girl who always says inappropriate things at the wrong times?
Tip #4: Dietary Requirements
Make sure you have taken a full-record of all the individual allergies and dietary requirements for the people you have invited. Then make sure that everyone has something they will eat that is not just a bowl of plain lettuce.
Tip #5: Lighting
The lighting you choose can set the tone for a beautiful night. Use candles and tealight in excess to create an especially magical tone to the evening. Make sure that the main lights can be turned down to their lower registers and turned back up again if needed. If there will be children at the party, or the atmosphere will be especially energetic. You can change candles with flameless red candles, fairy lights or light up LED props from Premier Glow. You can use fragranced candles in the bathroom, but in the main hall only use unscented candles as these will not interfere with the flavors of the food.
Tip #6: Set the tone with music
Make sure there is music that everyone will enjoy. You can get an idea of what types of music everyone likes by asking for a single song with each RSVP. Make sure that you begin with something nice and soft and never have the music so loud that people can’t converse comfortably.
Tip #7: Don’t take risks with food
It is always best to stick to a surefire win when planning your meals. You may be thrilled about the exotica Peruvian restaurant in town but you can try that for yourself later. For now, stick to a meal plan that everyone will find acceptable. If you were to serve a late meal that some people find rather exotic, you could increase the levels of stress. This also goes for experimenting with your own new recipes. If you will be doing the cooking, make sure you use recipes with which you have extensive practice and you know are popular.
