Your First Small Party
You finally got your own place and you want to invite people over, but you have never thrown your own party before. We’ve got you covered. All you need for a successful party is a little bit of preparation. The easiest parties to host are small parties with 4-12 people. This article will walk you through all the steps you need to feel like a professional host.
Before you start, you have to decide what kind of party you are throwing. You can choose the type of party one of two ways. You can choose based on the guests you want to invite, or you can choose guests based on the type of part you would like to have.
If you are choosing your party based on the guests you want to invite: Why do you want to invite these specific people to your home? Are they professional friends to impress? Are they people you know a little and want to get to know better? Are they family? Are they your best friends who do anything you invite them to? We are going to break people down into six groups: Family, Friends, Acquaintances, Neighbors, Political, and Professional Work Groups. Professional Work Groups are not always the people you work with. They can include members of a professional organization such as a business council or a nonprofit. Sometimes, your work companions will fit in as acquaintance instead of fitting into the professional work group category. For the most part, if your place of work allows casual dress, it is safe to invite anyone from work to any event that is appropriate for acquaintances. If you wear business causal or business attire to work, you should probably plan an event that is suggested for work groups. We will talk later about what sorts of people are appropriate to invite to most types of parties. There will always be exceptions to the rules; these are guidelines for what is usually successful.
If you are choosing your guests based on the party you want to throw: Do you want it to have a theme like a watch party for a show, a sporting event, a summer tiki party, or a unicorn pajama party? What about that theme or type of party attracts you? Is there something that you do not usually do that you want to feature at the party such as a new game you have not played, or you would like to show your off new pool? Have you always wanted to make a particular dish and have people to share it with?
Themed Parties: Appropriate for Friends, Family, Acquaintances whom you know share an interest.
Garden Parties: Appropriate for Friends, Family, Acquaintances, Neighbors, Political or Work.
Dinner Parties: Appropriate for Friends, Family, Acquaintances, Neighbors, Political or Work.
Brunch Parties: Mostly appropriate for Friends, Family, and maybe people you go to Church or have another weekend morning activity with.
Cookout/Pool Party/Picnic: Appropriate for Friends, Family, Neighbors, Acquaintances
At your party, do you want to serve food? (the answer should always be yes!) When you serve food, do you want to have a sit-down dinner, do you want to serve breakfast or brunch, or do you just want some snacks? Are you going to eat inside or outside? If I am throwing a party, I am going to choose the people I want to invite first, mostly because my friends are up for anything, and I’m a fangirl at heart. I want to have themed parties or parties with particularly cool food.
- Choose the type of party you want to throw. For my scenario, I am going to throw a party for the first new episode of Game of Thrones
- Narrow down your guest list. For an easy, small party, you want to keep the list under 12 people. Start with the people you cannot ignore, such as your spouse or roommates. Think about the chemistry the people you are inviting will have with one another. Since there will not be many people, they will be forced to speak to everyone. It is not a good idea to invite someone who will not know anyone else there. It is customary to invite spouses, girlfriends/boyfriends or families. It is also okay to choose not to invite children. You must be specific when inviting someone with a family to let them know that your party is adults only. For my Game of Thrones party, I am going to only have adults since it is an adult show. My list will consist of my husband, my two best friends, and three coworkers. One of my coworkers lives with her significant other, so I will invite them too. That puts me at a total of 8 people.
- Will your space accommodate the people you want to invite? I have a sectional and a rocking chair in the living room. I can fit between 7-9 people comfortably in my living room, so I can keep my guest list the way it is. If your space is not accommodating, you can choose to change the style of party, change the venue, or change the guest list. With small parties, most of them will be hosted in your home or in a family member’s home. Other spaces that may be reasonable would be an activity room at a restaurant, a place at a public park, or a place where an activity can happen such as a trampoline park or a bowling alley.
- Be sure the venue is available the day you would like your party.
- Choose what you need to tell your guests before they arrive. I want my guests to come dressed as a character from Game of Thrones. I don’t care if they come as someone sitting in the pub or if they have the best Cerci cosplay ever; I just want us to be a little geeky and have some fun. If you need your guests to bring swimsuits for a pool party or you’d like them each to bring a 6 pack, be sure to decide early so you can make it part of your invitation. It is rude to ask someone to come to something and then change the parameters. You never want your guests to feel obligated.
- Send out invitations. For more formal parties, a written invitation is suggested. You can create a group on Facebook, you could text each person individually, or you can invite them in person. Most people remember events better with some sort of written reminder. Group text messages are tacky and they become annoying with more than a handful of members. I am not friends on Facebook with everyone I am inviting to my Game of Thrones party, so I am going to invite each of them in person. I really want to create some cool scrolls with the date and time. I need to put my address on them because my coworkers have never been to my house. I do not need to add my phone number because I know that each of these people has it. I need to tell them about the costumes, and that I will be providing dinner before the show. I don’t want them to eat before they arrive, and I don’t want them to be hungry if I were only serving snacks.
- Finalize the activities you want to do at the party. You do not have to have any organized activities. You can choose to chat, eat, play bored games, show off your newly bloomed hyacinths, play card games, get out the slip-n-slide, or watch a movie or show. I want to serve dinner and make sure that we are done in time to watch the show. I also want to serve cocktails before the show, so I need to make sure I have about half an hour to an hour from the time dinner is finished until the show starts to make sure I can clear the table and make drinks. If the show comes on at 9 P.M., I should start dinner by 7 at the latest, so I will invite people over around 6. If we are done with dinner early, we can play a trivia game, or rewatch the last episode of last season.
- Finalize your menu. I want my guests to feel like they’re in a medieval tavern. I am going to find some big mugs to fill with beer or water for dinner. Check out our recipes or others on Pintrest to come up with some ideas. With such a small party, you want to make sure to avoid any allergies or food preferences such as friends who are vegan or gluten free. I am going to make a big fat roast with parsnips as my main dish.
- Decide on decorations. Many times I do not have any decorations for small parties. Some of them would require decoration, such as a holiday. For my Game of Thrones party, I am going to find a cool table cloth that looks like a castle wall, or maybe a map of Westeros. I want to have candles lit for dinner too.
- Plan and prepare as much as possible before your party. You don’t want to spend the whole evening in the kitchen. Put food in the oven, make drinks, set the table, put out appetizers, etc.
- During your party, play the role of host. Greet your friends at the door. Shake hands with everyone who comes in your home. Offer to take their coats, and offer them something to drink. Make sure your guests know the plan for the evening.
- When it’s time to leave, see your friends to the door. Shake hands or hug and say goodnight. Thank them for coming.