The 10 Commandments for Throwing the Best Party
By Jason Cardinal
My wife and I are social butterflies. That is, we like to host a good party or shindig. We also like to attend other peoples’ parties, but have been somewhat burnt in the past. I thought I’d whip up my 10 commandments for hosting the best darn party!
1. Everyone must have fun
- This includes adults, children, in-laws who hold grudges, neighbors, etc.
2. There must be music
- Make sure it’s not too eclectic – must appeal to everyone
- If it’s a live band, make sure they play well and not too loudly
- Music is a form of entertainment, but not the sole form of entertainment at your party (see below)
3. The décor must be fitting and appropriate – There must be a clear theme
- A little housework beforehand is appreciated
- Don’t organize a party less than a week after painting your home or semi-major renovation – take some time to let the dust settle (literally) or let the paint smell dissipate
- Decorations aren’t only birthday, Halloween, or Christmas specific – Theme parties such as Toga parties, Goth Rock dress-ups, Divorce parties, can be a lot more fun with the right ambiance.
4. There must be activities and games for everyone
- Make a contest out of it
- Offer a door prize – make sure there are enough small prizes to go around
5. Food must be for the Gods and for everyone
- Are there dietary concerns? Anybody allergic to glutens? Any vegans? Any Muslims that need to abstain from pork? Are there any kosher needs?
6. Entertainment must be distracting and make you lose your sense of time
- Awe shucks it’s already 2:45am – we were having a blast!
- Consider hiring a magician for about $100-$200
- Consider hiring a tarot card reader and set up an intimate corner for guest readings
- Casino night.
7. Arrange for a babysitting service
- This could be a responsible teen son who hosts the Wii console or DVD player and sets up little tournaments for the younger ones, who usually always take to the older, cooler cousin
- Consider a responsible daughter who could take care of the girls or boys
- You might want to consider paying your teen kid in exchange for their babysitting skills.
8. Ensure one of the hosts remain sober throughout the party
- What if someone gets hurt and needs first aid? Will you be capable with 2.4 liters of spirits in your system
- What if you have to run a quick errand around the corner to get more bottles of Chardonnay at the liquor outlet?
- Suppose the police stop by to check up on the noise?
9. Setup some Quiet Space or Sick Room
- Not everyone may be in top shape. Maybe one of the kids needs a time out.
- Set up the bathroom in a convenient way should people need to throw up – have clean facecloths and towels on hand.
- Set up a guest room with something people could lie on if they need to time-out a half hour. This is especially useful when people come over for dinner on New Year’s Eve but won’t necessarily make it to midnight – think of your eighty year old in-laws or grand parents.
10. Ensure you have an emergency back up plan
- I don’t mean that you need a plan in case you run out of beer or frozen buffalo wings.
- Do you have a complete first aid kit? Do you know how to use it?
- Do you have access to the phones throughout the house should you need to call 911? At one party, we lost the cordless phone only to find it the next afternoon at the bottom of the pool. Another time we needed to make an important call but the phone was nowhere to be found.
- Ensure you have everyone’s car keys
[...] Lady Gaga music,zappa on zappa inserted between songs. Remember, parties have to be safe (see our http://altralto.com/2009/11/the-10-commandments-for-hosting-the-best-party/) and fun so throwing on some Gaga music may cause someone to choke or projectile vomit into the [...]
by Top 25 Halloween Party Songs Music Playlist – Altralto
on 22. Oct, 2010