What makes a great party? Is it the company? The food? The location? It can be difficult to pinpoint what exactly makes an unforgettable party.
When it comes planning a party, you’ll want to make it the best ever, ensuring your guests leave with big smiles on their faces, and remember you for being a top host. Details like a fun photo booth with props will always be well received by your guests, so be sure not to overlook a single thing.
Provided you can master party planning basics; you’ll be onto a good start for ensuring a great together. However, the following special touches can offer that little something extra to help any party go off with a bang. Take a look and start planning your best party ever.
A menu that’s out of the ordinary
While chips and dips and cupcakes always make enjoyable party food fare, they’re hardly going to wow your guests. If you can impress your guests with some amazing food options, you’ll already be onto a winner. Party food doesn’t have to be expensive to make a good impression, and there are some fantastic party food ideas out there that won’t break the bank.
Design your own cocktail menu
It can be difficult to know what to drink at a party, and aside from a typical wine or beer – guests will love to indulge in some delicious cocktails. Design a simple cocktail menu featuring multiple options that your guests can choose from – you can make them up in batches to put in dispensers so that guests can just help themselves throughout the evening. Failing that, a prosecco or champagne bar will give guests the option to add their own liquors and mixers to create their own tasty drinks and will add to the fun of the occasion. You may also need to think about getting some co2 gas for the few who prefer a classic beer. These simple touches will make your party stand out from the others and give guests details they’ll remember.
Hire a photo booth
Photo booths are really having their moment, and whether you’re planning a wedding, a birthday party or another special occasion – a photo booth can really add to the fun. With Booth Boy Photo Booths, you’ve got some flexible options for backdrops, themes and more to tie-in with your event. An affordable and simple addition to your party, they’re a fantastic excuse for your guests to have some fun and can help you to document the occasion too!
Add a candy station
Kids, grown-ups, grandparents – everyone loves a candy station. Not only do they look great with some vintage candy shop decor and some brightly-colored treats, but they are a good way of filling up your guests and making sure that they feel well-fed. Setting up a candy buffet is easy and affordable. You can buy the jars online from Amazon for less than $20 and fill up with candy from your favorite stores. Make your candy station themed for the occasion, like this Labor Day candy buffet, and your guests will love it!
Live music
While you can learn to put together the perfect party playlist, there’s nothing quite like some live music to liven up a party. Having a band, singer or instrumentalist play at your party adds something extra special to the occasion and can take things to the next level. Having a live band or singer doesn’t have to be expensive – you might have family or friends who’d relish the opportunity or spot a cool local band that’s looking for their next gig. If all else fails, you can always enjoy a spot of karaoke instead!
Make it a costume party
While you might think that your days of costume parties are long behind you, they can actually be a really fun way to get your guests into the spirit of the occasion and have a good time. There are some cool costume party concepts you can look into, such as your favorite TV show or movie (Game of Thrones, anyone?) or choose a subject like food or sports. Offer some good prizes to the best dressed to encourage everyone to try hard with their costumes.
Invest in some Flowers and Decorations
Flowers are a great way for you to liven up any party. They add color, personality, and most of all, a bit of fun to the atmosphere. You can find a beautiful bouquet of flowers for birthday parties here, or you can simply invest in some bunting or banners. This will, of course, depend on the type of party you’re hosting, but either way, there are many options out there for you to choose from.
Offer some pampering
More laid back or girly occasions call for a spot of pampering to offer guests a memorable party experience. Planning a bachelorette or a baby shower? Why not bring in some beauty therapists to provide spa treatments to your guests? From mini massages to mani/pedis, you can treat your guests to some amazing treatments that will leave them feeling refreshed. This is also a great idea for kids’ parties, where you can add glitter makeup and other ideas into the mix to provide some fun entertainment to your guests.
Get an illusionist
While a magician might feel like something you’d find at a kids’ party, you’ll be surprised at the impact hiring one can have for your party. An illusionist who specializes in card tricks or slight of hand magic will be enough to impress, confuse and amaze your guests – and can be a good ice-breaker for guests who don’t know each other. You can hire an illusionist affordably for just a couple of hours to help keep your guests entertained.
Relax, and enjoy yourself
A stressed host can make everyone feel uncomfortable, so try to relax when planning your party. If you need help with the food, drinks or other elements of planning and hosting, make sure that you ask for a helping hand. Try to get as much done in advance so that you too can enjoy the party, and try not to stress about the small things. Enjoy your time with your guests as that’s the whole reason for having the party in the first place.
With some careful planning and a pinch of creativity, you’ll have everything you need to throw a wonderful party. Those extra elements can make a great impact, and there are some fantastic ways to make them work on a limited budget. Enjoy planning your perfect party with the help of some special touches and ensure your party goes off with a bang that people will still be talking about in years to come.
