Tips for hosting a splendid house party

Great house parties are always those where everyone seems to be having a wonderful time, guests and hosts alike, without anyone seeming to break much of a sweat. Great camaraderie, lip-smacking snacks, foot-stomping music and your favourite cocktails. When all these elements fall in place like clockwork, it’s the magic of the perfect house do. However, a lot of behind-the-scenes effort will have gone into curating this magical evening.



Let us look at some of the elements that make a great house party:

# Clear the clutter: The first step is to ensure you create enough clutter-free space in the main hosting area for the guests to move around freely. For this, if you have to move or rearrange furniture, so be it. A tidy hosting area exudes warmth and joy and feels particularly welcoming.



# Right lights create great vibes: By using pretty lamp shades and elegant pedestal lights innovatively, you can accentuate the beautiful nooks and crannies of your home and create a sense of magic. Right use of lights can indeed bring on that X-factor to your house party, creating a mesmerizing ambience.

# Music sets the mood: Once you have got the space and lighting arrangements sorted, the next task is to create a swinging playlist of the right music to liven up the party. Spend some time ahead of the special day to curate this playlist with care so that the music never stops during the party and everybody has a wonderful time even during breaks in conversation.

# Sip and bite: While it’s advisable to keep your bar cabinet properly stocked and diverse so that the guests never have their glasses empty, when it comes to food, it’s always sensible to have more finger-food options. Bite-sized snacks always go well with drinks and conversation, and hence are almost always the preferred choice of guests, often stretching onto well beyond dinner time.

# Let your neighbours know: It’s a great idea to keep your next-door neighbours apprised of your house party plans so that they are not stumped by the late-night loud music and all. So instead of cursing under their breath, it’s more likely that they will accept it in good humour and might also volunteer to join in and help out.

# Keep the washroom clean: Your guests will almost certainly need to use the washroom at least once during the course of the party. So, take care to keep the facility clean and deodorized, while making sure there are enough tissues, toilet paper, handwash, hand-towel, etc.



# Prep well ahead: You must make it a point to complete all your preparation before the first guests arrive. This is in particular regard to the food spread planned, more so if you are cooking at home. Make sure food can be put on the table with the minimum of fuss and complex, last-minute chores can be avoided. Little details if attended to early, can add so much more fun and easy flow to the party.

You are all set now. Let the party begin…