Party like it's 1999

Happy Holidays Everyone!

I hope you are having a fantastic holiday season so far. With the end of the year fastly approaching I thought it appropriate to do a post on New Year's Eve parties! Personally, my family has a New Year's Eve tradition of getting together with some family friends of ours and having a rather low key affair. We all make some food and bring it to share. Football is on the TV. (mainly for the guys) A game of old fashion charades is always a possibility. And LOTS and LOTS of fireworks in the driveway and/or street. (We are talking at least an hour's worth.) But mainly, it's just about being together with good friends to start a new year.

But having an all out bash is a great way to start the new year off with a bang! The most obvious place to start is deciding how big you want your party to be and whom to invite. If you want to invite everyone you know (PLUS their guests) make sure you will have the space, food, and champagne to accommodate all of them. You might want to add an extra 15-20 people to your your guest count (for large parties) for last minute additions. You want to make sure your invitations are sent out far before the big night. The simple reason being that most of the partiers make their New Year's Eve plans well in advance. The invitations can stand apart on their own, but it would be well to relate them with your dominant party theme. (If you have one) Like, for a party with a clock-theme you can send out invitations shaped like clocks in round boxes bearing the name of the invitee and an image of a clock on top.

Next, I have the three D's. Decorations, Dancing, and Dinner.

Decorations

Fantastic decorations go a long way to create the right ambiance and make your party a memorable one. Good decor is a prime requirement for any party, and a New Year's Eve party is no different. For New Year's Eve parties, I like to encourage theming them. It's always great fun and gives your guests a chance to be creative.When decorating for your party, think of your theme and stick to it. While it is nice and completely appropriate to simply string up a few random balloons and throw out some confetti on the table, it is a little more festive to maintain a constant fun theme around the area you will be hosting the party in. It can also be adorned with New Year's greetings, banners, and streamers. Light up the outdoors and indoors of your house to add that extra sparkle to the celebrations.

                                      Dancing

Parties without music tend to be somewhat dull. Great music can set the tone of the evening and and keep the energy up! Never forget to arrange for a good sound system. Playing music will make no difference if no one can hear it. Make sure to choose an amazing playlist prior to the party. Remember that the musical selections should depend not only on your taste but the general taste and age of your guests. It is a good idea to try and get a friend to DJ for you, or you can always hire a professional if you are ready to spend the extra bucks to truly make it a "Rockin' New Year's Eve." If you are having you party at your house make sure you create a space as a designated dance floor. Having great dance music with nowhere for people to dance can really hinder the party atmosphere.

Dinner

While a sit-down dinner would be truly elegant, for a party like this when guests will be mingling all night long, whip up an array of finger foods and appetizers or get it catered.  Instead of putting all the food on one table, station them at different spots around the room and be sure they stay filled. For the midnight toast, do not forget to have chilled champagne and cider (for guests who do not drink alcohol) available. In addition, have different beverages, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic available for your guests.
*A great host who is serving alcohol at a party will be sure that all guests have a way to get home that evening. Be sure to have room available at your home for any guests who may need to spend the night. Make sure that there are designated drivers for all guests, so that everybody can get home safely. Also, many taxi services offer free transportation in New Year's Eve, so be sure to call around.

This should give you a little guidance on how to make your New Year's Eve party a total success. In the mean time, I wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy, and safe new year!