Preparing for a fresh new year is always super exciting, and the best way to properly prepare to see in the new year is to celebrate with family and friends. New Year’s Eve parties close the current year, and open up a brand new year, which can act as a fresh blank page for some.
Every year, there’s always some form of drama that took place, or something that we’re all glad to close the door on. So why not see out the year with a bang, and organise a fabulous gathering to celebrate newness. Of course, party planning and hosting can come with stresses. The first thing to do is decide whether you want a sit down meal, a house party, or even a hosted event at a hotel or local club.
Once you have decided what type of party you are looking for, consider the following to ensure you are the ‘hostess with the mostess’, and put on a super NYE party!
1. Choose the right type of food
You want to be able to relax at the party, and not have to be continuously watching the oven and setting timers off, standing over pots and pans and having various dishes cooking at different times and temperatures. If you’re planning on having a large party with people socialising in one place, think about buying finger foods and nibbles that can be enjoyed on the go. You can buy lots in supermarkets that simply lay out on baking trays in the ovens and cook for 15-20 minutes. Other options include cold foods, like sausage rolls, crisps and dips, cheeseboards and cakes which don’t even have to be cooked.
2. Pick the correct venue
Think about everyone’s travel plans, as you want to make sure the venue of choice is easily accessible and doesn’t put people off attending. Also, the type of venue has to reflect the theme and feel of the party. For example, if you want to hold a sophisticated cocktail and dinner party, look at restaurants with private dining spaces or party rooms, or venues like listed hotels or castles. If you want a relaxed, cosy feel, look at a house party, or hosting at a golf club or a local hall.
3. Send invitations and make it official
People can be forgetful – we live busy lives these days and not everyone is so good at diary keeping. By sending out a professional invitation you have created, designed and sent out yourself, your guests have no excuse not to know the plans and timings. You don’t have to be super skilled to design your own invites, you can do it with the help of online sites, who help you with sizing and layouts, and guide you through the printing process.
This way, your invitations will be printed professionally and you can check they look correct before sending to print.
4. Think about entertainment
Similarly to choosing the venue and theme, it is important that you choose the right style of entertainment. Entertainment can make or break a New Years Eve party, especially if people are expecting entertainment. If you are opting for a casual, relaxed house party, your guests won’t be expecting anything at all, or if so, something low key. However, a grand venue, a fancy menu or a ‘big bash’ may have people wanting to watch a band, singers or some form of act.
You could make fancy dress be the main theme, and everyone’s outfits will soon become the main form of entertainment! You can’t beat a musician, like a guitarist or piano player if you’re having a little party or meal booked.
5. Ensure everyone’s drinks are topped up
In true New Years style, it is tradition to celebrate with flutes of champagne. If you are hosting a party, make sure you have more than enough bottles to go around. You don’t want to be one short for that all important toast at midnight! You could go the extra mile and have buckets placed around the venue, with bottles chilling in ice, to get the excitement going.
Not everyone drinks Champagne, so make sure you have other options. Nozeco is a great option for those who don’t drink alcohol. It tastes similar to Prosecco, so those who don’t drink can still feel special. A few bottles of wine on offer along with spirits and mixers always worked well too.
Depending on the type of party you have, your guests may bring their own bottles too, so you may not always be the one footing the bill for the expensive drinks.
6. Plan well and enjoy the party!
Party hosts can often spend too much time double checking the party is going to plan and that everyone is OK, and before they know it, they haven’t really relaxed and enjoyed themselves. Make sure someone else close to you can do the guest checks on the night too, so you can get into the wing of things without worrying constantly. As with most things in life, the build-up to a New Year’s Eve party will be much more enjoyable and exciting if you have put adequate planning in place. The more planned and prepared you are, the less chance of anything going wrong.
Remember that even if you are the host, you can delegate tasks to people you can trust, and enjoy the entire experience from start to finish.
Now lets get you looking forward to throwing an incredible celebration for NYE!
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