Art of Hosting – Page 6

Summer is HERE! The delicious smoky smell of BBQ rising from the grill, rooftop happy hours, and the familiar smell of freshly cut grass means summer is in full swing! If you’re anything like us, you’ll jump at the opportunity to throw a party to celebrate both the time off and warm weather (Finally). However, as nice as all of those things sound... It can be stressful planning a summer party. In a survey done by BJ Club, they found that 71% of people found that planning a party was super stressful! So today, we want to talk about 5 tips for throwing a fun and stress-free party because raising your cortisol levels is totally uncalled for, especially in the summer! Before We Get Started, Make Sure to Save This To Your Pinterest Board Tip 1: Pick The Right Theme Giving your summer party a theme is the best because it automatically gives you a color palette, game ideas, decor inspiration, and even fitting food ideas. This means that making decisions on all of those things is a lot easier and less stressful. If you think about it, you really have endless options to choose from when talking about games, decor, food, etc. So by narrowing those down with a simple theme, you don't need to worry or feel overwhelmed with too many options and decisions. If you’re stumped on a theme, here are some that are popular: Hawaiian Luau Garden Tea Party Backyard BBQ 4th of July Carnival Pool or Beach Party Crawfish or Lobster Boil Do you like glitter and metallic details? Go for a Glam 4th of July. Are you more rustic or are you into modern designs? Pick your style and bring it to life at the party. Also, keep in mind that you don't need to go with a complicated theme. By going with a super simple theme such as a pool party or garden party, you don't have to go all out. 2. Think Conversation Starters So this one is probably unique and you don't see it mentioned in other articles BUT it's important to think about. People love talking and engaging... That is half the reason you're having a party after all. So, give guests what they want! Search on Amazon for backyard games, dinner party games, and conversation starters and you’ll see endless options. A key tip here: choose games that cater to the crowd that’s coming over. Got a couple coming over? Play a couple’s trivia game. Here’s a short list of some of our favorite games grouped by audience: Adult Games Cards Against Humanity Pick Your Poison The Voting Game Family Friendly Games Family Feud Heads Up 5 Second Rule Couples Games Mentally Stimulate Me Code Names Speaking of couples and conversation starters... If you know that the party is going to be mainly couples, you should check out these cocktail napkins designed specifically for couples! 3. Make a Food Bar Mandatory Party Planning HACK! Are you ready for this one? Guests LOVE FOOD BARS...⠀ And we're not just talking about alcoholic ones (although, those are nice too!). We're talking about pretzel bars, donut bars, taco bars, ice cream bars, candy bars, hot dog bars, nacho bars, and many more. Food bars are so easy and fun to assemble because of the singular ingredient nature of them, try it out! So not only does this make all of your guests super happy, but it also makes things super easy for you. You don't need to go crazy with 20 different food options... All you need is one central food bar. It doesn't get much easier than that for you! 4. Incorporate a Drink Bar You know we couldn’t mention a food bar without mentioning a drink bar, right? Our personal favorite for summer is a Mimosa Bar. So much so that we launched our very own Mimosa Bar Decoration Kit designed specifically with party planning in mind. This Mimosa Bar Kit comes with everything you need to create the perfect summer party bar! With over 90 pieces, all you need to do is find some juice and bubbles. Plus, you can even order it right on Amazon. The different juices and toppings you can pair to make a delicious mimosa are endless. This is one of the main reasons why our Mimosa Bar Kit comes with 25 pre-printed juice tags that cover the most popular juice combinations. 5. Get into the Details Now you have to be very careful here because too much detail can create overwhelm but having just the right amount will have your guests swooning over your party! Keep the details stress-free by choosing only ONE major area to channel your inner Martha Stewart. Ask yourself, “What details matter the most for this specific party with this specific group of people?”... Hosting a food-themed party like a Crab Fest? Go all in on your menu and serveware. Hosting a pool party? Up the ante with pool games but keep food simple with hotdogs, burgers, salad, and premade sides. By focusing on just one central detail, you can make a huge difference in your guest's experience while also not making it too stressful for yourself. Remember These Tips By Saving Them To Your Pinterest Board Bonus Tip Yup, that's right! We've got a bonus tip for you and this one may just blow your mind. What if you had all of your party planning done for you and consolidated into one easy-to-follow way? All you need to do is put it together... What if the perfect summer party is already planned and ready for you? Well... That's exactly what Partytrick does for you. You don't need to scroll through endless blogs or Pinterest pins for ideas. They've put together everything you're looking for in any type of party... including the ultimate stress-free summer party! If you really want to eliminate stress while planning your summer party, we definitely think you should check out Partytrick. Are You Ready to Plan the Perfect Stress-Free Summary Party? Summer parties don’t have to be stressful, and with these five tips (Plus the bonus one), you’re sure to throw the perfect stress-free summer party. Invite some friends over, make a food bar mandatory, incorporate a drink bar, get into the simple details, and use Partytrick if you really want to make it easy! With these tips in mind, you can confidently enter the summer season with ease knowing that you have what it takes to host a great summer party. Happy planning! What are some other ways you prep to host a summer party? Let us know in the comments below! For more party inspiration, hosting tips, and exciting new ideas, join our mailing list and follow us on Instagram @cotierbrand