Throwing a party is often associated with lots of planning because you have to decide on a venue, theme, music, food, drinks, and activities that your guests can enjoy during the event. Even spontaneous parties still require a bit of planning because you have to make sure that there’s at least food that can be served to your guests.
But you can’t be a good host if you don’t cover all the grounds of great party planning mentioned above. Since you’re throwing a spontaneous house party, you already have the venue covered. Themes are optional, so it depends on the kind of party you’re throwing.
If you’re celebrating a well-known holiday or fictional event, then your theme can revolve around those topics. Otherwise, themes aren’t necessary. An integral aspect of your party is the music because it sets the overall tone and mood for the event. So, you should work on your playlist like your life depends on it.
The last three aspects of a good party — food, drinks, and activities — will highly depend on what you’re throwing your party for. That means before you can go ahead with all your planning, you should decide the purpose of your party first. Also, you should keep these three contingency steps in mind:
You Can Never Have Too Much Food and Drinks
The worst thing you can have during your party is to have a house full of guests with no food or drinks available to satiate their hunger or thirst. In this specific situation, less is not more. If you’re going to invite 10 people over, then you should prepare food and drinks for at least 15 to 20 to be sure.
It’s better to have lots of food and drinks left over than to not have enough, especially if food is at the center of your social interaction. For instance, if you’re hosting a dinner party, then you should have enough meals prepared to accommodate anyone who wants to have seconds.
Or if you’re hosting a house party, then you should have enough beer and snacks. This could also be wine and cheeses, depending on what kind of party you’re hosting for your guests. The important thing is that you have more than enough food and drinks for everyone if you want to be a good host.
Prepare for the Worst-case Scenario, Always
No matter the situation, something is bound to go wrong. If you’re an avid planner, then you should know to always prepare for the worst-case scenario at all times. But even if you’re not much of a planner, you should still be ready to face the worst.
For example, your house party is scheduled to occur during the middle of summer, with the sun high up in the sky. And for some unknown reason, your HVAC system decided that it’s the best time to malfunction. So not only will you have a broken HVAC system, but you will also have a house full of sweaty guests.
In such cases, it can be overwhelming to come up with a good solution to your problem. Fortunately, some companies offer emergency HVAC rentals for anyone who needs them. These rentals can be set up and functional within two hours to provide relief to you and your guests.
Always preparing for the worst may seem like a pessimistic outlook in life, but it can also be smart because it keeps you ready for whatever comes your way. Instead of seeing it as a negative thing, you can look at it as having the foresight and the ability to stay proactive during worst-case scenarios.
Have a Contingency Budget and Keep a Set of Keys Ready
Even after all your contingency plans, there is still some room for disasters to enter the picture. But because these are unforeseeable circumstances, you can’t really fix them until they present themselves to you. In such cases, you can stay one step ahead by having enough budget to cover the unaccounted costs.
It can also be wise to have your keys ready to be grabbed at any moment in case you need to run to the store quickly for some back-ups. Your contingency budget should be enough to cover all these expenses, which means that you shouldn’t skimp out on your party. After all, you’re not throwing a party every weekend.
Parties are usually birthed from spur-of-the-moment conversations to satiate a need to socialize with your friends or family. But just because your party is spontaneously decided doesn’t mean that you can’t plan it down to the last detail. Remember that being prepared will always pay off in the end.
