When it comes to having social style, the ability to throw an amazing party is a skill you cannot be without.
To be honest, there's nothing worse than getting all dressed up and excited for a party to find that the host has put little effort in at all.
Many people assume that they can just invite over a collection of people, make sure there's some dip & crackers, throw on a bit of music and think the night will be memorable. It just isn't that simple.
But that doesn't mean that throwing a Holly Golightly-worthy event is complicated and beyond you either.
What every sister of style needs in her arsenal is a fool proof plan for throwing a fabulous party. With a bit of time and practice, this plan will become a built-in check list and you will find yourself the hostess with the mostess, throwing legendary parties with ease.
The Study of Style Guide to throwing a fabulous party:
1. Decide in advance what sort of event it will be
Great parties rarely just happen. Decide in advance whether the party will be formal, relaxed lounging, sassy cocktails, sexy, light-hearted etc. Once you have decided this you can organise the guest list, lay-out, decor, food, drinks & entertainment accordingly. It gives you a central theme to come back to when making decision about the party. It will also help you decide how much effort to put in. A formal cocktail party to celebrate a major event for example will require far more input on your behalf than last-minute casual drinks.
2. Put some thought into your guest list
If you want your party to be interesting, make sure that you don't just invite people who know each other. As much as that might be comfortable, your guests need to walk in and see at least a few faces they don't know to spice things up a little. That being said, if you invite a series of random people that all know no one at the party except yourself, you are going to be babysitting all night.
Invite people who will get along but make sure there's some diversity.
Lastly, ensure that your guest list isn't comprised of entirely couples. It is great to mix couples and single people to create some balance (rather than creating a social situation like the creepy couple dinner party in Bridgette Jones' Diary). A mix of ages if possible can be a great thing too.
3. Build expectation with your invite
The expectation that people bring to a party contributes a lot to the atmosphere. Now, once you have yourself a reputation for throwing parties that aren't to be missed, this isn't such a problem. However, initially you need to create the mood way before people walk through your door. If the event is worthy of paper invites, make them funky and a little different, maybe with a mysterious little teaser about the night ahead. Even if invites are of the casual e-mail variety, add a great pic and make sure you word things a little differently. Predictability is an aspiring Holly Golightly's worst enemy.
4. Get creative with your decor
If paper streamers and half limp balloons are your idea of party decorations, get some help. Flick through magazines or search online for some stylish party decor ideas and set about creating a scene that will wow your guests a little, even if it is simple.
Go classic with tea light candles and an abundance of fresh flowers all in one colour, or funk it up with brightly coloured Chinese paper lanterns, loads of floor cushions and incense.
Party decor doesn't have to be expensive, check out your local op shop (or thrift shop for our North American style queens) for collections of kitsch punch bowls, candle holders and more.
5. Prepare food to die for
Think about your guest list and the type of food they will enjoy. If you have a room of burly men to feed (and good for you by the way), chic petite cocktail food alone will not do the job and there is nothing worse than people leaving your event early because they're starving.
But if you can, refrain from serving the same old same old. I find nothing more boring than going to a social event and being able to predict the menu before even arriving. Even if it is good food, there's nothing creative in serving the same collection of food that everyone else has at their parties.
Have a few tried and tested favourites but mix it up a little. It can be great to have a few pantry stand bys that you know you can whip some great party food up with when last minute parties happen (as they do).
Make sure that you have at least one dish or snack that is exceptional, the kind that people will talk about the next morning. You don't necessarily have to make it, even if you cannot afford to have your party catered, you can buy pre-made platters of antipasto or sushi to supplement your own offerings.
6. Don't forget the music
Downloadable music makes it so easy to have a perfect party mix on standby. I like to have a party compilation on my laptop ready to go that just gets updated (or completely changed) every couple of parties.
I have found a good party mix to begin with ambient tunes (think Buddha Bar or Cafe Del Mar), moving into a bit of soul and funk before moving into your dance music tunes (if that's the sort of party you're after).
As a back-up, the Ministry of Sound Chilled Sessions albums are a great place to start.
7. Think of the little extras
If you want to move your party from the realms of OK to the realms of utterly fabulous, go above and beyond the call.
Put yourself in your guests shoes and imagine what little extras would make the night an absolute treat. A quieter, dimly lit area for people involved in deep conversations (or intense flirtation), lip gloss and perfume in the bathroom, plenty of ice for guests drinks, some pre-ordered cabs for the end of the night, a spare bed made up for the guest who ends up staying the night, funky party favours for people to take home - the list of the little things that make a night memorable are endless.
8. Its all about the atmosphere.
Don't go to the effort of organising a wonderful party and then hide yourself in the kitchen. Your food, music and decor can be second to none, but if people feel uncomfortable, they'll be looking to escape.
Make a fuss of people as they arrive (genuineness is the key here), offer drinks, food, somewhere to put their coat, introduce them to people who you think they would get along with and generally set them up for a great night.
Learn to read your party. If things seem to be dying a little, pump the dance music and get the dance floor started, if people seem to want to chill out a bit more, pull out the floor cushions and invite people to sit down.
These simple things can make a huge difference to some one's experience on the night.
9. Relax.
There's nothing worse than being at a party thrown by an anxious person. Even if you have been running round the house like mad preparing up until the moment guests arrive, have a glass of champers and relax once they get there. After all, if you're throwing the party o the year you want to enjoy it as well.
If your parties would make Miss Golightly proud, please feel free to add your suggestions in the comments.
