22 Party Tips

Time to party, eh?  Love it.  As I’ve attended a party school for college I’ve been lucky enough to enjoy my share of parties as well as host several myself.  Yes, all parties are different with various vibes and tribes but I do think that there are some essential party tips for any occasion, whether that’s a huge blow-out or a sporadic kick-back.  So here are my 22 Party Tips!

1.) stocked toilet paper.  When I mentioned this one to my girls they exclaimed “Yes!  Oh my god, it’s so damn annoying when there isn’t tp.”  When I mentioned this to my guys they said “I’ve never noticed”.  Fellas, if you’re hosting a party, us girls WILL notice.  Thank you.

2.) set your alarm for 11:50pm.  Cops and noise violations come knocking at midnight.

3.) music.  I know I know, this one seems pretty obvious but the main focus should not be that music is playing but that the music accurately reflects the mood of the event.  Hip-hop may be perfect for a dance party but not exactly the tone for a tea and scones party.  This should be obvious, but hey, it’s a biggie.  I’d also advice to start a playlist with current music, then a fan favorite every 10 songs or so such as popular songs from back in the day like “Hot In Herre” by Nelly, and don’t forget to add some of your off-beats favorites in the mix every 15ish songs or so like Black Carl’s “The Wolf”.

4.) ping pong balls.  While you’re buying the booze don’t forget the trademark plastic red cups and a few ping pong balls.

5.) the triangle method.  Almost everyone comes to parties in groups. Now, in a perfect world everyone would want to come to every party but occasional if there’s a group of say, 3, there could be that 1 person who doesn’t want to go and can then influence the other 2 to not attend.  Thus instead of getting 3 extra people at your party you have 0.  That’s where the triangle method comes in.  The triangle method if you’re a party-goer: if you want to go say you want to go, convince at least one other friend to confirm going with you, then have the two of you convince the skeptic third, creating a triangle of influence.  If you’re a host: If you have two friends you want to come but they’re on the fence about it tell person #1 that person #2 is going and tell person #2 that person #1 is going and thus you act as one end of the triangle to get those other two to attend.

6.) lie about start time.  For a large party tell people it starts at 9pm if you want your first guests to arrive at
10pm.  If it’s a kick-back tell people it starts a 7pm and expect people at 7:30pm

7.) good booze + equally important cheap booze.  I’m 99% a non-drinker so it took me awhile to understand the liquor expectations/hopes for a party.  Sure sure, you can get the cheapest vodka but prepare for your guests to reminisce of days of yesteryear when they mistakenly bought cheap vodka, so trust me, there’s almost always excitement for an iced bottle of Sky.  Spend the extra cash on the hard A, definitely get some bottles of beer for those drinking a little lighter, and be sure to get a 24-36 pack of cheap canned beer for the inevitable game of beer pong and backup when the good stuff runs out.

8.) snacks.  Most parties no matter what kind usually have some sort of snack.  Chips and dip or salsa are pretty standard.  Peanut M&Ms have always been a big hit at my parties.  Now, the snacks usually reflect the type of party it is (better food for a more formal occasion) but in my opinion bust out whatever you feel like munching late into the night.  My personal favorites: stick pretzels, frozen grapes, candy, and Cheez-its.  But please remember, it’s not your job to feed people. 

9.) ashtrays.  You’re definitely going to want to improvise one of these if you have a balcony or outdoors area.  

10.) kegs.  Kegs are a mixed bag.  As far as benefits go, more people will definitely flock to the party if they know there’s a keg, you can say that the keg will be tapped at a certain time for a prompter party start time, and you might be spending that much on beer anyway.  However, most girls would rather have a personal bottle than a pumped keg so if you plan on having a mixed crowd this may deter it.  For a bro night, this might be perfect.  Also note that once the keg is empty a lot of people file out.  My tip?  Get a keg for large BBQs and outdoors parties and not much else.

11.) extra pillows.  For dinner parties seating must be considered.  No one wants to be the one on the floor while everyone else is in a chair.  Extra throw pillows for the floor are a funky cool way to solve this problem. 

12.) video games/tv/movies/magazines.  This one’s a tricky category.  I’ve been to parties where there will be a group of people self-segregating to play video games all night and not mingle, and likewise with groups sectioning off to watch tv or read magazines while others hang out.  And of course there are those who don’t play video games and will be bored as hell at your party if you bring it out.  The tip for this problem is the idea of theme.  If it’s a video game party, or a movie night, or come over the watch the game, then these distractions are the party.  If not, prepare to alienate your guests.

13.) lighting.  Yeah, I know this one’s pretty obvious but have you ever been to a party when someone forgot to tone down the lights?  Sucked didn’t it?  Lights should almost always be dimmed but lighter for casual events, darker for harder partying.

14.) theme/novelty.  There are two types for parties: a regular party and a themed party.  Regular parties you decide to just have a bunch of people over, music, booze, ect.  A themed party has more planning involving though can be rewarding.  The best ones usually have some sort of novelty for the guests, such as a hot tub or a black light.  Here are my favorite themed party ideas: black light party where there’s a black light and white colors will glow, era party such as the 80s or 40s, toga party, faux bachelorette party going out with your girls and getting free drinks, jazz party where there are several instruments for people to jam, tea party where everyone brings some tea for others to try, pimp and hos party where you much dress up as either a pimp or a ho (more fun to be a girl dressing as a pimp and guys dressing like a ho), Sex and the City night, Lord of the Rings marathon, Twister party where everyone wears a solid color and the game of Twister is out for people to play, ugly sweater holiday party, a wine and cheese party, parties with glow-sticks, and a couch party where some friends of mine got a new piece of furniture and decided to throw a party for the fun of it.

15.) candles.  I personally love lit candles for dinner parties and girls night.

16.) gender ratio.  If you’re hosting a party aiming for 50-50 ratio for the genders is best for sexual tension and good stories afterward.  However, if your goal is to get a friend hooked up, a 70-30 ratio may be best.  With fewer girls, the girls stand out as do the few guys in a reverse situation. 

17.) party hopping.  I’m not sure how I feel about party hopping.  There are times when jumping parties can create a better time since one might be better than the other but  unfortunately this isn’t always the case and you can get stuck at a shitty party.  My simple tip?  If you’re having a good time, stay.  If not, party hop.  My personal strategy is to stay at one party for the majority of the night and when I’m done having a good time hopping to a wind-down party like hot tubbing can truly cap a great night.

18.) pets.  Put the pets away for a party.  Some people can be allergic or act stupid when they’re drunk. 

19.) the availability of water and soda.  Hopefully there will be a few designated drivers and you want to make sure they have something to drink and hold in their hands like everyone else.  Plus you’ll need the soda and juice for mixers anyway.

20.) pictures of friends.  This one’s more of a subtle tip.  Now, most people might not look at the pictures on your fridge or in your room, but some do.  In this facebook world it’s become increasingly noticeable when someone’s photo is displayed or not.  Photos of only friends back home might not inspire closer friendships in a party situation though photos of the last party might.  My tip: just be mindful who’s showing or who’s not if you do have photos up, and hey, most people don’t even have photos in their house in the first place.

21.) prep time.  If you’re hosting a party set yourself some time.  Please clean your apartment/house so people have space to roam and don’t feel grossed out by weeks-old food sitting out, make sure the alcohol has time to get cold in the freezer or fridge, get the snacks out if you have some, make a playlist or two, get the lighting ready, and get ready to party!

22.) be your own guest as well as host.  Be flexible always.  Sometimes venues need to change, sometimes more alcohol is needed, sometimes no one wants to drink and will want coffee or something else, sometimes people want to order food, and sometimes people puke.  Parties should be fun, so don’t over think or control everything.  Something I really need to remember for my own parties to be a guest myself for I realize how important it is to be the host and talk to everyone and introduce people and pay attention to those who feel a little awkward and check up on the status of booze or whatnot, but once those things are done, a party is to party so do it yourself!