We’ve all been there. You have spent weeks dreaming up the best party ever, including purchasing decorations, creating the playlist, and creating the guest list of your dreams. And then comes the great day, and you find you have forgotten something very important. Possibly, the food was too cold before people could get there, or guests would have been clumsily standing around with their drinks in their hands and nothing to place them on. Such small details will disrupt what would otherwise have been a wonderful affair.
The fact is that effective party planning does not only depend on the big and obvious things. The little things are usually the minor, almost insignificant things that create the difference between an average party and a great one. We are going to explore five of those aspects that are often not considered in detail, but which should be included in your party-planning list.
Maintain the Right Food Temperature
Imagine the following: you made (or ordered) a beautiful array of hot appetizers and they are so beautiful as soon as they are out. Thirty minutes later all is lukewarm. Cold food is one of the quickest ways to dampen the mood of your party.
Most of the hosts tend to pay much attention to what to serve and end up forgetting how to maintain the right temperature of the food at all times during the event. When you have hot foods you can invest in dish warmer or chafing dishes so that you can retain that just-cooked flavor for many hours. In the case of cold food, ice and coolers should be adequate to preserve salads, desserts and drinks.
This fact gets even more crucial with parties that take several hours or outdoor parties, where controlling the temperature is more difficult. Your guests will certainly sense (and value) how their food will still taste so good at hour three, as it was at the beginning of the party.
Satisfactory Lighting in all Spaces
The very atmosphere of your event is made or broken by lighting and it is ironic that a lot of people do not think about it until their guests have to squint and see what they are eating, or get hurt by bumping into something. The ceiling lights of your dwelling may be good enough in everyday things but can never give the effect you desire during a party.
Go beyond your core area. Will the guests have to walk through the corridors, visit the restroom, or go outside? Are there dark spots where groups might gather? Think of including string lighting or candles or battery-powered LED lights in such places. In the case of evening parties (outdoors), the pathway lighting is not only beautiful but also a safety requirement.
The right lighting can make your place look like magic, and the poor lighting will make the visitors feel insecure or even unsafe. You can also make a trip to your party area during the same time of day that your event will take place, and see the dark spots that require action.
A Memorial Capturing Plan
You may even assume the process of photo documentation will take care of itself in the era of smartphones. However, here is the truth of the matter, you are not taking pictures when you are busy hosting. And your guests are usually too busy talking to even take a photo as well. The party ends sooner than you had expected, and you now have three photos of yourself, all blurry.
The use of specific photo booths or even photo-attracting backdrops will draw the guests to take pictures and provide a fun activity. It does not have to be overboard but a plain setting with good lighting and perhaps some props can do miracles. You might also appoint a friend as the informal photographer or even contract a professional photographer in case you have the money.
The other opportunity that is often overlooked? The details. Before your guests come take a few minutes and take pictures of your well laid table, the decoration set-up, and of those details you have so carefully attended to. These memories will come in handy to you in future.
Sufficient Seating (and Spaces to Lay things Down)
There is nothing that screams “we did not actually think this one through” like guests with plates, drinks, and napkins in their hands since there is no space to sit or lay them down. This is particularly bad during cocktail parties or other informal events where seats are not laid out.
Compare your guest number and the seating situation and be truthful with yourself. Do you have enough chairs? In case it is a standing event, will you have cocktail tables or surfaces on which they can put their drinks? Do you have sufficient side tables in your area?
And do not neglect outdoor affairs–you may think that patio furniture is all you want, but once guests add coats, purses, and plates, you will be short of places. Think about renting more seating or tables, or improvise on ottomans, cushions and borrowed furniture.
This is so that your guests can be relaxed to have a good time and not to perform a balancing act the entire evening.
A Cleanup Strategy that is Realistic
The following is a detail that no one wishes to consider when the excitement of party planning is in action, what will happen once everything is complete? Exhausted hosts have to work in a disaster area in the middle of the night when they are tired of work and only desire to fall asleep.
Prepare to clean up your party. Install trash cans and recycling bins in highly visible areas in the area of your party. Assign a place where the guests can leave dirty dishes (such a bin or bin next to the kitchen is very good). Disposable plates and cups can also be considered when it comes to more casual events–in some cases, convenience wins, and that is not so bad.
In case of a bigger occasion, you can go as far as to hire one of your friends or relatives to do simple cleaning during the party or just after. Planning a bit in this regard can make a world of difference as you would wake up to a messy situation and proceed to the next day with minimal cleaning up to do.
Bringing It All Together
It is in these details that the magic of a really memorable party lies. Although the guests may not be aware of the fact that their food remained warm or they had space to sit, they will undoubtedly feel it. Such small details help to create the atmosphere of consideration and care so that people get a sense of being welcomed and comfortable.
The next time you are organizing your next get-togethers, you want to consider these aspects that are normally neglected. Your future self will be glad, and so will your guests.
