Is there anything more fun than a good knees up? Surely not. Although, if the thought of hosting has you hankering for a cosy armchair, a good book and a cup of tea, we don’t blame you. Hosting is not without its pressures, but often, the trick is in the preparation, and if you take care of certain aspects in advance, then hosting a party at home couldn’t be easier (or, more enjoyable).

 

What Makes a Good Party?

We have some foolproof answers for how to throw a party that will show people a guaranteed good time. Taking into consideration the entertainment, the food and drink, the atmosphere – and of course, the aesthetics – go a long way to making the night memorable. Once you’ve dealt with those, everything else should, theoretically, take care of itself. Read on for our party planning advice.

 

House Party Theme Ideas

Consider it a “theme”, or more simply an “occasion”. The type of event you’re hosting and the aesthetic style you’re going for are the first elements to address that will feed into your other choices. Your guests will want to know what to wear, so clarify your dress code upfront. It’s fun to get creative but you don’t have to get complicated (though if you want to throw a fizz and fur party, we’ll eagerly anticipate our invitation). Lending your occasion a theme can help to engage and excite guests and set your party apart from others that they are attending. Here are a few house party ideas that might get your mind whirring. 

Dinner Party

Ah, the classic dinner party. The perfect way to showcase your wonderful cooking skills. Or, cooking skills lacking, why not order a tasty takeaway? – you can even set it out on your finest china plates to give it a little extra pizzazz. Sitting around a dining table is a wonderful way to chatter away with your favourite people. One of the best bits about hosting a dinner party is setting the table to create a magical and intimate atmosphere. Think twinkling candlelight, low flower arrangements (so you can see across the table), and handwritten place cards for designated seating. But more on table settings later… 

Main elements to consider: Menu, tablescape, guest placement, conversation starters, background music

Cocktail Party

Unsurprisingly given its name, the drinks are the main attraction at this type of event. For a more formal occasion, offer a selection of specific cocktails, which are pre-prepared and ready to serve – either by yourself or waiting staff. For a more informal occasion, set up a home bar complete with a selection of spirits, mixers and garnishes and allow your guests to help themselves. If you’re hoping to take a more polished approach to entertaining, consider hiring a bartender or mixologist who can whip up different drinks for your guests on demand. Don’t forget to offer alternative options for anyone who isn’t a cocktail fan, such as wine, beer and soft drinks.

Main elements to consider: Drinks, glassware, dress code, entertainment, music, nibbles.

 

Afternoon Tea

Afternoon tea is as much about the aesthetic as it is the food, so pay close attention to the details. Select your linens – tablecloth, napkins etc. – and then think about how you might set the table. A layered look, with different patterns, textures and designs looks nice when brought together with a cohesive colour palette. As afternoon tea typically involves finger food, you needn’t be too formal with your place settings. A dinner plate at each setting, cutlery and perhaps a side plate will be enough for your guests. When it comes to serving food, you could stick with tradition and place vintage cake stands in the centre of the table, or fashion your own by placing a dinner plate on top of an upturned bowl. For something more relaxed, look to serving boards and giant chargers.

Main elements to consider: Food presentation, napkins, seating, colour palette, menu

Garden Party

If you, like us, are situated in Britain, this one’s most likely to take place in the summer months. If you’re lucky enough to be hosting on the day of a heatwave, a source of shade is essential for keeping guests cool and comfortable. To go above and beyond, have sun cream and iced water on hand, as well as a parasol or two for shady reprieve. Our Co-Founder and Creative Director Sue Jones blessed us with this tidbit from her own hosting experience: “Last summer I bought a paddling pool for my dogs, but they would have nothing to do with it, so I put it under the table and filled it with iced water so we could put our feet in it while having lunch outside. It was lovely and refreshing.” If you’re hosting on a cooler day, or into the evening, keep a few blankets on hand for extra warmth. 

Main elements to consider: Weather-appropriate setup, comfort, seating, refreshment, decorations

 

Games Night

Activities are great icebreakers for occasions when you have invited guests who don’t know each other. They’re also a great option for familiar friends… propose a game that calls into question just how well you know each other (such as Mr and Mrs). For less familiar friends, choose something that will encourage interaction and have everybody laughing. You could also send out a request for each guest to bring a game of their own to boost your haul. Display all your physical games on a table so that when guests arrive, they can see what’s in store for them. Make sure to pre-plan some of them and get familiar with the rules to keep the fun rolling. Another tip is to have a prize for the winner to encourage guests’ competitive streaks. 

Main elements to consider: Icebreakers, instructions, prizes, space, arrival time, refreshment

 

Special Occasions

Maybe you have a specific reason for getting your friends and family around, be that a birthday, an anniversary or a celebration of your latest achievement. One way to make this special is to think about the people (be that yourself, or a loved one) who you’re commemorating and try to make it personal to them. Favourite foods, drinks, colours, hobbies can all play into your chosen aesthetics and activities. If you’re going to be making a speech, make sure you’re set up in a space where everyone can gather comfortably, and include seats for those who don’t want to be on their feet too long. Plus, ensure that you’re familiar with how to work the speakers so that you’re not faffing with the volume when you need to turn your music down…

Main elements to consider: Space, dress code, decoration, seating, refreshment

 

Guest List and Invitations

Once your occasion is decided, you can get down to the nitty gritty details that will ensure you have people turning up at your door to begin the festivities.

Set your Date

Step one is picking a date. We all know that adult life means this process can actually be the biggest challenge of all, so simplify it by choosing a day that works for you and send out your invitations well in advance to make sure that all your recipients can make it.

Create your Guest List

The dreaded list, who to ask and who to leave for another day. Well, one consideration here is the available space you have, as overcrowding a space so that it’s stuffy and uncomfortable can be as problematic as underfilling one – an echoey space can make for awkward, forced conversation. Think about whether you want to allow plus-ones or if it’s invite only, and be prepared to manage expectations on that front. Your space limitations and budget may provide you with a perfect excuse…

Make and Send Invitations

Have some fun with the invitations. It’s all too easy to send out a message via your phone but why not do it the old-fashioned way with paper invitations? That will be sure to make guests feel special and set a precedent for the aesthetics. Remember to outline any chosen themes, dress codes or requests and include an arrival time. Often, guests like to turn up fashionably late, so perhaps suggest a time half an hour earlier than you would like guests to arrive, without cutting into your precious preparation time – there’s always a few early birds. 

 

Party Decoration Ideas

Any location can feel party appropriate with the right atmosphere, and any space can be made more intimate with a few choice touches.

Choose Lighting Carefully

Lighting can be make or break when it comes to atmosphere and ambience. A go-to rule is to switch off your overhead lighting and dot around table and floor lamps for a softer, warm glow. We’d advise scattering different sources of light throughout your space – our best-selling range of wireless lamps will add essential shine to tabletops, mix in a selection of fairy lights and candles in decorative holders for a final atmospheric flourish – everything, and everyone, looks better by candlelight.

Create Sociable Seating Setups

Whether you’re hosting a casual dinner party or something altogether more formal, we recommend striving to keep it intimate, even if the guest list itself is anything but. Practical considerations are key to this when it comes to hosting a party, so think about how you can make your setup as sociable and seamless as possible. Invite guests to mingle by clustering armchairs and pouffes for people to perch on, and remember to include plenty of surfaces on which to place drinks in between sips. 

Mix Up the Tableware

Depending on the formality of your occasion you can decide whether you need a full dinner setting with dinner plate, side plate, all types of cutlery and glassware, or simply a single plate and glass per person. In terms of aesthetic choices, pick a colour scheme – choose a central shade and one or two to complement it. Flower arrangements look lovely in the centre of a table, though make sure centrepieces don’t obstruct views across the table so that everyone can see and talk to one another easily. Name cards are a nice touch for making guests feel particularly special and also showing your own creative flair. 

Catering for Parties at Home

You can have the best music, the best guests and the best decorations, but nothing makes a party a success quite like the food. Providing a delicious and plentiful spread will ensure your event goes off with a bang.

Contemplate the Menu

This, again, is occasion dependent. For a dinner party, consider every course, from the starter to hearty mains that speak to the season and delectable desserts. For your less food-oriented events think tasty bite-sized appetisers, or bowls of finger food that’s easy to pick up and not too messy. 

Prep Ahead

As mentioned before, you don’t have to do all the cooking, you could opt for a takeaway and simply elevate it with your presentation. But if you are cooking, try to prep as much as you can before guests arrive, or even the day before so that you can focus on decorating and dressing on the day. 

Don’t Forget Drinks

If you’re serving alcohol, ensure there’s enough food to balance out the booze. At a cocktail party, we recommend offering two or three different cocktails to appease all palates with a mix of sweet, sour and bitter flavours. Also make sure to consider those who aren’t drinking and offer something more interesting than water as an alternative. Elderflower cordial is an elegant and classic crowd pleaser.

 

Hosting Tips and Etiquette

Don’t Overcomplicate, Delegate

When your guests offer a helping hand, although it may be natural to refuse, but often a task provides them with something to quell their own nerves and feel useful, so if you could do with help, say yes! Equally, a task shared is a task halved, so you will be able to be your most welcoming self.

Welcome your Guests

When your friends and family walk through the door, it’s normal to have a little pre-party nerves. That goes for you and for them. Having a champagne flute ready to offer on arrival can take the edge off. Beyond the arrival, don’t schedule your evening too tightly, as it goes without saying that guests are likely to turn up at different times and may want to spend some time greeting each other before getting stuck in. 

Soundtrack the Night

While the gentle hum of conversation does provide a pleasing backing track to a sunny evening, there’s nothing quite like music to get people into the party spirit. Start by playing more low-key melodies, especially during a dinner, to allow people to talk easily, and bring in something a little more upbeat as the party gets started later on into the evening. If you want to appeal to everyone’s musical preferences, get everyone to choose their favourite song. This can provide as much laughter as it can joy.

Make it Personal

Nothing shows people how much thought and attention you’ve put into an event quite like those personal touches. It’s the little details that will really elevate the occasion. We’ve mentioned hand-written name cards and menu cards for place settings – consider mixing up the designs of each one. To end on the right note, you could also hearken back to your childhood days and make up little goodie bags for guests to take home. That was always the best bit!

 

Ultimate Party Planning Checklist

Read everything and feeling reassured, if, a little overwhelmed by all the information? Here’s a concise list of all the elements we think you should consider for your party:

Theme/Occasion | Dress code | Date/Time | Guest List | Invitations | Icebreakers | Decoration | Lighting | Space/Seating | Tableware/Glassware | Menu/Refreshment | Music