Tips For Hosting a Party!

If you have never hosted a party before, it can be a little intimidating the first few times you do it. You may feel more at ease by hosting small parties until you become more experienced.

The first step is to decide what kind of party it will be.

Will it be formal, or informal? Large or small? Indoors or out? Who will you invite? Will you serve food and liquor? Are you celebrating any special occasion? How much money do you want to spend? How much space do you have?

These are just some of the decisions you need to explore before you start issuing your invitations.

Once you have decided on these matters, pick a date, time, and location, and draw up a list of people you wish to invite.

Depending on the custom in your social circle, you can issue formal written invitations, invite your guests by telephone, or ask them in person.

Whatever method you choose, it's a good idea to issue your party invitations at least two or three weeks in advance.

One of the most important aspects of throwing a party is to make sure that all your guests understand exactly what kind of party it will be, and what is expected of them. Be very clear about the exact time, date, and location of the party.

Here is a checklist to help you make sure your guests know what to expect:

-Is the party formal or informal?
-Is it a costume party?
-Does the party have a theme?
-Are you supplying food? Will you provide a full meal, or just snacks and appetizers?
-At what time will the food be served? Will it be a formal, sit down meal? Or buffet style?
-Are you supplying alcoholic beverages? Do you want people to bring their own beverages?
-Do you want the guests to bring anything, such as food, appetizers, party favors, or liquor?
-If you have any unique requests, make them very explicit. For example you may not want anyone to consume alcohol or smoke on the premises.
-Do you want people to bring their children, or leave them at home?
-Does the party start exactly at a certain time, or is the starting time approximate?
-Is attendance "come and go"?

A few days before the party, telephone everyone on your list to remind them again about your party, and to have them confirm whether or not they will be attending.

Parties can be very simple or they can be quite elaborate affairs.

You can create a memorable splash without spending a lot of money.

Use your imagination to turn your party into a unique event. You can get lots of great creative ideas from magazines, television programs and books to help you plan interesting activities, food, and d