Would you describe yourself as a bit of a social butterfly? A lot of people would do which tends to mean that they enjoy being surrounded by people in social settings. Going out for drinks, eating in lovely restaurants, being in the hustle and bustle of a city at night. But one of the main things they may like to do would be to host parties and events. This could be in their own homes or on location.

Birthdays, Christmas, New Year, there is always an excuse to hold some form of Party or event. However, many might like the idea of doing this sort of thing more often, but don’t know where to start when it comes to the organizing and the arranging. Do not fear, here is a complete guide to help you become the hostess with the mostess allowing you to plan perfect parties and events every time.

What is the event or party for?

First things you might want to spend time considering is exactly the reason why you want to throw this party or event. There are many reasons you may be doing it a birthday party perhaps, or something specific to Christmas and new year, which is very apparent for this time of year. Maybe you want to work in the local community and raise awareness or money for charity by putting on a hosting an event for a good cause. This is the main thing to decide upon as then other decisions that need to be made can fall in line with the overall reason for this event.

Where will you host it?

The next thing you may want to think about doing is considering where you might want to host your party or event. There are a few options. A smaller more personal event or party could quite easily be hosted in your home, if you have space to do it, of course. Sometimes if you are looking at working within the community or perhaps with a charity for the event, then you may want to look at hiring spaces in the vicinity. A school, village or church hall, for example. You could also look at hotels and other larger areas that are saved for more corporate events if that is the route you are planning to go down.

Is there a theme for the party?

Now that you have decided on the reason for the vent, and where you plan on hosting it the fun steps can be taken to bringing your vision to life. One thing to spend some time thinking about wouldn’t be whether there is a specific theme to your event. This can be extremely useful when it comes to decorating and also for the people that are attending. A birthday party, for example, could be themed with anything in mind such as using colors as inspiration or even suggesting that guests turn up in fancy dress.

Perhaps giving them a specific subject or prompt to work with. Christmas and New year parties tend to have a bit of glitz and glam about them, so that could be your theme as well. Having at least something in mind, even if it is just a color scheme to work with, will help you in other areas of the planning.

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Inside or outside

Another consideration, but perhaps more for the summer months, would be to decide whether you want to host your party inside or outside. You could even consider incorporating both, especially if there is any entertainment to think about, which we will get to later on in the article. It might be a great way to add different elements to the event, and also give your guests the chance to get some fresh air.

Do you need any additional props for the party?

Now you have decided on some of the significant factors; you can start to look at the little details that will make your party or event a success. Firstly, you may want to think about additional props or tools to help create the vent you have in your mind. Perhaps marquees put in outside spaces can help give an inside-outside feel to the event. Maybe you like the idea of using decorations and thinking about the theme to add different dimensions to the party.

This could be balloons, it could be floral walls, or a red carpet to give it that glamorous feel when people enter the event. It might even be thinking about the straightforward things such as having enough tables and chairs, where and how you might serve food and drinks, and ensuring that you utilize any space you do have to make sure it all works together seamlessly.

Take some time to consider the guest list

Now that the actual party and event is coming together, your attention needs to be on the guest list and who exactly is coming. It is always going to be advisable to get any invitations or information that is required for the party out to potential guests as early as possible. This helps you to be made aware of exact numbers sooner rather than later, and also ensures that more people can make the event.

Take the time to consider who you want to be there, especially if the party is a more personal one than a corporate event. You want to ensure that you have a good mix of people. You will also need to take the time to think about where people may be sitting, that is if you are serving a sit-down meal, and ensure that you seat people together that will get on or that know one another to help enable the night to go off without a hitch.

Will you provide any entertainment?

You will need to think about the entertainment, and whether or not you plan on having any. Many people consider that at least background music is something that you are going to want to have. So having a playlist full of songs and music to be plugged in could be advisable. However, if you have the budget, you could consider a live DJ and a dance floor area to help kick off the party in style. It might be that you want to take it a step even further and look at a band that will play live music, an act like a magician that will entertain your guests and even something for the children if you do plan on having them attend.

Food and drink is a priority to organize

Food and drink are always going to be a huge priority for any party and event; even if you are not putting on a big sit-down meal, you will still want to ensure that your guests are happy and enjoying themselves. There are a few things that you can plan to try and ensure that your event or party caters for the masses. Firstly, you may want to think about a welcome drink. This could be a signature cocktail or just a glass of bubbles on arrival.

Canapes are always going to go well with alcohol and can help lighten the mood for your guests. Plus people love to talk about food. Sit-down meals may be more reserved for larger events, and this can be something seasonal using locally sourced ingredients or enabling the menu to fit with the theme of your event. There are lots of things to think about, but it will be worth it in the end.

The days leading up to it

The days leading up to the party will be busy, and you will find that there will be lots of things to do. It may be collecting cakes or flowers; it could be organizing the layout of the event space or even just ensuring that you have the final numbers for the guests. Using lists and making sure you note things down will help you stay on track with this.

Don’t forget your appearance and entrance

While you are organizing your event, it can be easy to forget that you also need to think about your attendance. Like all guests, you need to think about what you are going to wear and your entrance to the party. Being the hosts, you will want to ensure that your presence is known throughout the evening. Which means that making sure your appearance is right is an essential part of the planning process.

Party favors and gifts for guests

Finally, the last thing you may want to think about organizing would be party favors or gift bags for your guests. This could be things that have been contributed by local businesses, in a bid for some extra advertising. This works specifically well at larger events. Ir it may be something small and personal as a thank you for the attendance. Even things like an acknowledgment that a donation has been made in their name for a charity could also be a significant gesture. The options are endless, just don’t let it be an afterthought.

This guide should have you on the clear path to an event and party planning success.

The post Tips on How to Become a Hostess with the Mostess appeared first on Miss Millennia Magazine - Big Sister Advice for Millennials.