For most people, the definition of living a good life entails spending quality time with their friends and loved ones. The practice of spending time with your family and loved ones is grounded in both culture and religion. Whether it’s Christmas, Sabbath, birthday party, Eid, or Diwali, every religious rite is punctuated by the presence of our loved ones and sharing a meal together. It’s a way to take a break from all other distractions of the modern world and embrace an age-old excuse of surrounding yourself with conviviality and joy.
There’s a reason why the practice of throwing parties and dinners has survived the test of time and has been passed on from one generation to the next. From medieval feasts with people cloaked in silk robes and covered in jewels to the roaring 20s and high society parties with crowds wearing gowns and tuxedoes, parties have greatly evolved, but the essence of these gatherings has always remained the same. Then, of course, we also saw the uproar and opulence of parties at the turn of the last century as depicted in Fitzgerald’s novel and the party of the century that was thrown by Truman Capote and considered to be the final great party thrown at the New York Plaza hotel.
The global pandemic brought a rupture in our day-to-day lives. From work-life to social life, everything came to a halt. The world came to a standstill; consequently, the party culture subsided too. But now that the world is coming to life again, after the relief in lockdown restrictions, the urge to get together and throw a feast to catch up with everyone is getting stronger for everyone.
Preliminary Steps:
Throwing a party, especially in these times, is the best way to show your love and support for your friends and family. But it comes with the usual costs of planning and arranging everything. It can be a long and tedious process sometimes, but with the right approach, the process itself can be turned into a source of enjoyment and fun. Here’s a fun little guide on how to throw a heartwarming soiree for your loved ones that they will remember and cherish in these times and the time to come
A tea-party? An intimate get-together to rewind and unpack? A slumber? Or something fancier? Deciding on what type of party you want to throw is the first step towards organizing and planning, as it sets the tone and paves the way for all other decisions. It is ideal to plan ahead of time before the event, as it gives you leeway to make changes and introduce new ideas to your to-do list. Speaking of to-do list, it is better to jot down everything that enters your mind because it helps you brainstorm and incorporate or delete ideas that you deem fit.
Presentation and Ambiance:
One of the most stress-inducing steps when it comes to throwing a party is décor. Of course, you would want to decorate your house with all kinds of buntings and frills to get that party feeling going. But décor can burn a hole in your wallet if you don’t stay cautious while spending on it. It’s easier and pocket-friendly to buy décor from wholesalers. Whether you want ribbons or tags or balloons arch kit wholesale vendors are always there to cover you up.
Ideally, your seating arrangement should encompass your whole house because no one appreciates being restricted to a single room. It also helps guests to make themselves feel at home and take the food wherever they want if there’s less space. Speaking of making your guests feel at home, music is a really good catalyst to prop up your parties. It also builds mood and creates a pleasant atmosphere. Make sure you have your party playlist ready because constantly changing songs will only tire you out. Most people usually play a curated playlist of hit pop songs that everyone loves and can sing along to.
Food:
The second most stressful thing after planning and organizing is coming up with a menu for the event. Food is an extremely social thing that bridges the gap between people, and on a macro level, between cultures too. And it is a way to peoples’ hearts. So you might like to pay proper heed to this aspect of the party. Most people like to pick and choose a new cuisine that they had never tried before in order to surprise and win their guests. But doing that sort of experimentation does require pre-planning and proper recipe and ingredients. You can’t improvise or develop a new cuisine under a time constraint. Make sure you have a variety of options for your guests to choose from because taste and food choices can be very subjective, and not everyone likes to bake their cakes in the traditional way.
Bonus Tips:
Now that you have selected your theme, invited your guests, and decided on the menu and decor, it’s time to look through the elements that don’t get much attention but can both make or break your impression as a host. We spend so much time decorating our houses and ensuring the food is properly served that the untidiness of our places goes unnoticed. An untidy house can create a wrong impression on your guests and make them feel unwelcome. Hence you have to ensure that you and your home are neat and welcoming. Try to speak to every guest, especially those coming to your place for the first time, so that no one feels left out. And last but not least, make sure you have extra food or snacks stocked up, so you don’t have to worry about running out of food.
We hope these tips help you throw your most memorable post-lockdown party and give you the title of the best host.