If it were up to me, I would send a paper invitation every time! But, in this day and age evite does work too and it is way cheaper. I just have to get over myself. I do have a "paper fetish" and my Mom def. handed that down to me. So while we are on the topic of invitations - Invite clearly. Include necessary information for your guests in the invitation. Is the party a casual get-together or more formal? What about the attire? Maybe a guest would benefit by knowing ahead of time who else will be there (most of the time people will ask this if they want to know) and you might mention when and if they need RSVP. Back to the whole, asking who will be there thing? All my friends get along with one another, so this question would only be asked (in my opinion) if someone was trying to determine if they were going to attend or not. Right (not going to lie) most of the time gets under my skin. But whatevs....
Here are some more great tips I got from Ms. Emily Post herself!
Plan well. Preparing your guest list carefully is key to a successful party. Then do as much as you can ahead of time. (Lower the stress level by serving food and refreshments you know will work.) Get everything ready well before your guests arrive, so you'll feel relaxed from the very beginning. Love this and so very true! How many times have you been over at someones house and they are stressed out? I def. don't feel like hanging around.
Remain calm. Giving a party can be enjoyable, especially if you approach it with simplicity. Get help if necessary, and don't let your guests think you're huffing and puffing. They'll feel far more comfortable if they don't have to wonder whether they're causing you any trouble.
Keep your guests feeling welcome. Make sure guests are warmly greeted, then made to feel welcome throughout the party. Look after each guest as much as you can. If you notice that a guest has an empty glass or if there's one person standing alone, remedy the situation as quickly and cheerfully as possible. Hostess with the Mostess baby - something I thrive for!
Be flexible and gracious. Your soufflé falls. Or one friend arrives with an unexpected guest. The ruined dessert? Have a fallback. The uninvited guest? As discourteous as it is for someone to spring a surprise on you, be gracious. No polite host would ever send an uninvited guest packing.
Be appreciative. Thank people for coming as you bid them good-bye. And don't forget to thank anyone who brought you a gift. AND WRITE A THANK YOU NOTE - OK, I added the last part!
Other things that you def. want to think about when planning:
- Inside or outside party? We have a pool and fire pit - so people are always inside and outside at our parties - make sure you have seating in both places.
- Hot or cold weather? Have a place for people to put their things. I once read on a website to clear out your coat closet and allow your guests to hang their coats in that closet - pretty sweet if you ask me. Our coat closet is right by the front door, this would work well at our house.
- What ages will be there? Have a plan of action for all ages. Non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages are a must if you are serving drinks.
- Smokers? Make sure you have ash trays outside for the smokers in your life - otherwise you may be picking up cig butts the next day.
- Timing - this matters big time for what you plan on or don't plan on feeding people. You can not plan a party in the middle of a meal and not feed your guests a meal or HEAVY snacks. I like to start evening parties at 8pm, most people will come after dinner. I provide snacks, but not a full dinner of course. And people will not expect a full meal either. I am a huge fan of chips and dips. I like to try different types of fun dips from Central Market.
- Music - I always, ALWAYS have music at my parties. How lame and awkward is it when you go to a party and it is dead silent? AWFUL! You have to have some type of background music. I create a play list that has all different types of music to please all crowds and not a lot of cuss words either. This will offend people or stick out no matter what environment you are in.
- Have options for entertainment - examples: Wii, sports game on TV, board games, Catch Phrase is always my go-to game.... so many other options. For kids - crafts, children's movies...
I really love having parties, but don't want to wear people out on always being invited over, so we pick and choose the events we plan wisely. We want people to show up and enjoy our parties! The more the merrier....