Just because you’re not organising a venue, don’t think you don’t need to stamp down a definite date and time for your party. Telling your guests to show up any time after dinner on Saturday evening is definitely a recipe for disaster.
House parties tend to go on a bit longer than a normal night on the town because there’re no bouncers to gruffly usher you out the doors at closing time, so planning a house party for a week night is probably a bad move for those who have work or university the next morning. When it comes to timing, no one’s going to show up on the time you tell them.
Pick a time that’s intentionally a little too early, and people will roll up around an hour later than you told them to arrive.
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When it comes to a guest list, there’s no real reason to send out formal invites for a house party. Consider putting together an event on Facebook, but if you go down this route make sure you make the event private so only the people you want to invite can come. If you’re not technologically minded, a group text message to your future attendees will do.
It might be tempting to just do a ring round, but you’ll end up having to text people anyway to remind them. Life gets in the way, even when it comes to attending the amazing house party you’re putting together. Contact people to tell them about the party about two weeks in advance, then around three or four days before double check their RSVPs.
Once again, the relaxed nature of a house party can sprout some dangers here – you’ll get people asking if their friends can come along, and whilst there’s no real issue in this, keep a check on who’s bringing extra people along with them in case your numbers spiral past what you were expecting.
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When it comes to planning your house party entertainment, it’s an easy option to just plug someone’s iPod in and let the music take care of itself. There’s nothing wrong with doing this in and of itself, but if you want something a little bit more upmarket, or if you want your musical choice to set a tone for the evening, a great option is to bring in a jazz or swing singer. Since the party’s being held in your house, chances are you won’t have the room to facilitate a big live band. Jazz and swing singers tend to come alone with an amp, so you can have live music without stacking all your furniture against the wall.
If you do go down the iPod disco route and still want something special for your guests, it’s not hard to find great entertainment options that are perfect for a house party setting. A magician capable of close-up magic is going to go down a storm, and hiring a cocktail artist means your guests get their drinks with a little bit of panache.
If you want to get everyone up and involved, a brilliant activity to encourage your guests to really engage with each other is a fun casino night. These come in a variety of sizes and packages can be customised to suit the amount of people you’re bringing. There’s even a DIY option that’s perfect for house parties, and renting it means you don’t have to clear out a room to fit the tables in. Guests can take turns playing dealer, which is guaranteed to really get everyone involved.
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The most important thing to remember when you’re planning a house party is that you don’t need to run yourself ragged to make it a good night.
Hiring in entertainment means you’re not under pressure to keep your guests happy, and can kick back and enjoy the party yourself. Your friends are there because they want to have a relaxing good time at your house, so make sure you’re giving them (and yourself) the kind of night you’d expect from a house party.
As long as you provide something like a fun casino, cocktail artist, musician or magician to keep everyone entertained you’re sure to have a good night – just try not to think about all the glasses you’ll have to clear up tomorrow.
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