How to Plan a Night Party

Night parties should have a focused and fun theme that everyone will like.

Night parties are fun way for adults who are busy during the day with work, school, family and other obligations to spend time together. The theme of your night party depends on what your personal interests are and those of the guests you're inviting to the party. Before planning the party, it would be a good idea to get together with your friends and relatives and get suggestions from them on what kind of night party they may be interested in. You can also get ideas for night parties by reading magazines such as Woman's Day, Marie Claire, and Better Homes and Gardens.

Instructions

1. Come up with a fun theme for the party. If you're inviting some high school classmates over for a party to commemorate the sixteenth anniversary of your graduation, create a 1990s-themed party. Purchase some old DVDs of 1990s programs such as 90210, Melrose Place and Friends for guests to watch. Ask your guests to dress up in popular '90s fashions, such as clothes with neon colors, flannel shirts, layered outfits, military boots and skinny jeans. Finally, play 1990s artists such as Nirvana, Tupac Shakur, Pearl Jam and De La Soul.

2. Create fun activities. For example, if you're having an election night-themed party, develop some trivia games that are intellectually challenging but still fun for guests. If you have a global theme for the party, hold a cooking contest where each guest has to cook a meal that represents a country you assign to them.

3. Develop a delicious menu that will appeal to all guests. If your guests all like Indian cooking, read food magazines such as Bon Appetit, Gourmet, Cooking Light, Food Network Magazine and Real Simple, and seek out Indian-inspired recipes. Then select five of those recipes and test them a few weeks before the party so you'll have an idea of how to cook them.

4. Delegate planning duties to friends or relatives to save time and money. If your older sister is skilled in decorating homes, tell her what the party theme is as well as what kind of decorations she should get for the party. If you're not the best cook but your three friends can cook all kinds of cuisines, tell them what your menu will be and ask them to come up with dinner and dessert ideas that pertain to this theme (e.g. Parisian-style bistro meals or Oktoberfest-inspired German foods.)

5. Include fun party favors for guests. For example, if your guests will be playing a four-round trivia game that tests how well couples know each other, purchase some medium-sized colored gift bags and fill them with items, such as books about maintaining relationships, some chocolate candy and one or two romantic CDs. Then give these gift bags to the couples who receive the most points in the game.

References

• Woman's Day: Throw an Ice Cream Social
• Woman's Day: Throw an Academy Awards Party

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• Bon Appetit
• Real Simple
• Food Network Magazine
• Cooking Light