Parties have always been a significant part of our culture, from children’s birthdays to wild night outs; everyone likes to bring people together to celebrate. However, throwing a party that involves inviting over a large crowd requires careful and deliberate planning to ensure that your guests will enjoy and won’t forget your celebration even months or even years after the last bottle was popped. So, to guarantee a successful large party, here are nine tips on how to throw it.
An “Inviting” Invitation
The invitation is often overlooked but shouldn’t be, as it sets the tone for the celebration. Upon opening an enticing invitation, your guests will instantly feel excited about the impending party. A fetching invite comes in many shapes and sizes. A beautiful, thick calligraphy may be lovely, but so is a hysterical and heartfelt email. You can include all relevant information like the location, time, dress code, occasion, etc., and any other related tidbits—the more personal the invitation is, the better.
Festive Decorations
You don’t necessarily have to put over-the-top decorations for your party, but you must transform your space with twinkling candles, a pretty tablecloth, and fresh flowers. You’re also welcome to put up balloons and streamers, as well as blankets, colorful throw pillows, and a hanging sign with glittery letters.
A Diverse Group of Guests
You should have a little exclusivity to your party. You don’t want to ask every person you know. Instead, you can come up with multiple guests and curate a peculiar group of people. Invite people from every aspect of life. Do you think your childhood friend would hit it off with your new office mate? Invite them both to your party and make sure they’re right next to each other. Consider the individual personalities of each of your guests. The best crowd will include excellent listeners and great conversationalists, extroverts and introverts, and people of all ages.
Delicious Food
It won’t be a great party without a delectable spread of food, so don’t neglect the menu. It doesn’t matter if your event occurs during odd hours; you still need to have some snacks for your guests to eat. You don’t need to be a professional cook to set up a beautiful cheese platter; you only have to befriend your local cheesemonger and prepare everything on a platter.
You can also serve platters of chicken wings from a favorite Korean joint or crudité from Costco, as long as you keep everything out of their packages. Plate on chafing dishes or elegant serving platters to keep your food warm. If you prefer to make a menu of dainty finger foods or homemade dips, do as much as you can ahead of time. You don’t want to waste your precious time in the kitchen while your guests enjoy themselves without you!
The element of surprise is also one of the things guests will be texting and talking about the next day, so be creative!
Potent Cocktails
Some people don’t think of alcohol as a necessary addition to throwing a fun party, but if you do, you surely don’t want to mix up cocktails all night, so if you can, make one in a big batch before your party starts, do so. Make a punch bowl of sangria or a big pitcher of margaritas, and as your guests enter, offer them a beverage. You can also try setting up a bar and let your guests brew their drinks, or you can provide wine and beer. Appropriate glassware is preferred but not required—solo cups are acceptable in a pinch.
A Dynamic Playlist
Your party may feel like a meeting if music isn’t involved, so turn up the songs and set the mood with a dynamic playlist. If you curate a playlist, make sure you have many hours of music and pick pieces that will move along your party. The tunes that are playing during your dinner need to be different from the music that plays after. Keep things mellow and chill during mealtime, and then play dance tunes to get the group movings. Another great idea would be to set Spotify to your favorite channel. Since you’re throwing a large party, you can even hire live musical talent like a DJ or a band that will take the burden off the host. And if, for some reason, the song stops halfway through your event, make sure you reset it ASAP!
Group Bonding Activities
If you’re inviting a huge crowd, you would want to get every guest to do something together to make them more friendly and relaxed with each other. Consider adding games to your program. They don’t need to be cheesy, but including an element of competition to your party will liven things up. Charades and trivia games are classics and timeless party activities that don’t get old because they’re fun. If you want something more modern, you can try playing Cards Against Humanity or Table Topics. Additional ideas include karaoke, croquet, and Mexican Train.