1. Guest List
The most important planning detail for your party is who you invite. It may sound simple but you want a group of people who will get along. This is also when it’s best to decide what kind of party you’re going to have. Will it be a ‘rager’ or an intimate gathering of friends? A good way to get a guest list together is to choose some close friends and give them each a ‘plus one’ (or maybe even two or three) depending on how many people you want to show up. This way you know everyone by association, you can more or less trust your guests and it’s an easy way to meet new people.
2. Playlist
Once you know who’s coming and the relative size of the party, it’s important to curate a good playlist. This helps with further deciding the vibe of your party. If it’s small you might want more chilled music, so that people can sit and talk. A larger party should have a lot of variety, you can’t appeal to everyone, but you can do your best. Do you want people to dance? If so plan accordingly with your choice of music. Consider asking some of your friends for suggestions, and maybe test it in advance.
3. Food and Drink
The last planning detail is your shopping. If the party starts after 9, you can expect that people have already eaten, and all you’ll need is some crisps and dip. But, if you’re having people over earlier, they might expect you to feed them so make it clear whether or not you will– the last thing you want is a bunch of hungry guests. It doesn’t have to cost much to have a good party. Ask people to bring their own drinks to cut down on costs. I’ve found that it can help to buy some mixers since everyone will bring a bottle of booze and no one will think about a litre of coke or a bottle of cranberry juice. You’ll seem like a gracious host, and you still spend the least– mixers are the cheapest part. Also, buy disposable cups and you’ll save yourself a world of hassle when it comes to cleaning up. To keep the party environmentally conscious opt for paper instead of plastic, and have guests write their names on their cups to avoid confusion.
4. Noise complaints
If you live with multiple flatmates make sure everyone knows you’ll be having a party well in advance. If you want to go the extra mile consider knocking on your neighbours’ doors and letting them know you’re having people over and there might be some extra noise. If they know you’re having a party and expect some extra volume it’s less likely you’ll get any complaints.
5. Clean up
Yay, your party was a success, and now there are cups all over the floor, along with mystery liquid. If you ever want to host again don’t wait too long before busting out the broom. If you’re not too tired when everyone leaves it can help to go around with a jumbo trash bag and get rid of all the trash. This way when you wake up in the morning the surfaces are clear and it will feel much less daunting. Ask a couple of friends from the night before to come over and split the workload. The most important things are vacuuming/ mopping, wiping down all counters, and maybe some light fumigation. Odds are your kitchen will come out cleaner than it was before.