How to Host a Cocktail Party Successfully

Learn how to create a great cocktail party without a lot of fuss!

Things You'll Need

• A Budget
• Theme
• Invitations
• Decorations
• Drinks
• Glasses
• Music
• Activities

Instructions

1. Determine the budget in which you feel comfortable spending and do not go over the amount determined.

2. Create a theme. Your theme is solely your choice. You can create a theme based upon the season or even your hobbies or other interests.

3. Invite twenty to thirty friends. You may send friends invitations through Evite, which is a social-planning website for creating, sending, and managing online invitations or purchase postcard invitations and envelopes to mail to the invitees. Whatever method of inviting guests you prefer; make sure it ties into your theme.

4. Purchase decorations according to your theme. For example if you are having a summer luau purchase floral plates and table cloths as well as colorful straws and leis to set the scene and even the mood.

5. Purchase beer, wine, margarita mix, vodka, rum and select a couple of different varieties of non-alcoholic beverages to mix such as coke or Pepsi, sprite and a few varieties of fruit juices. Also make sure to have plenty of ice.

6. Purchase food that relates to your theme. However, food should be low maintenance only. If it can be eaten with your fingers or tooth picks, it is appropriate for a cocktail party.

7. Purchases inexpensive plastic glasses or cups.

8. Make sure you have music to listen to. Have a few cds available and make sure to maintain the music in the background.

9. If there is ice that needs to be broken, have games available in order to raise comfort levels of your guests.

Tips & Warnings

• Allow for adequate time to prepare

• Have fun