How To Turn A Party From Nay To Yay

Damian Gordon
South Bureau Chief

    If you’re always talking about how much better you can throw a party, prove it with these tips to help turn your shindig into an event the Great Gatsby himself would be proud of.

    1) Invite Your Guests for Different Times
    We all have that friend, that if you say an event is happening at 3 p.m., they won’t show up till 6 p.m., the next week. Tell your guests to show up at different times, depending on who they are.

    This will have a steady stream of new people arriving, as well as keeping new energy coming into the party.

    2) Invest in Garbage Bags
    The party was great. Everyone left with a smile on their face, except for that guy passed out on your lawn until the sprinklers come on in the morning. Then you remember the mess and turn around to see Hurricane Katrina just passed through your place.

    Putting multiple garbage disposal areas at a party leaves less of a mess afterwards. It’s why theme parks put trash cans every two feet, because many people become lazy at the third foot.

    If you can’t get a lot of trash cans or bags, then strategically place them at hotspots where people will definitely be.

    3) Control Where the Party Is
    Contingent on what kind of gathering is being thrown, the location where everyone will be is crucial. If it’s small and intimate, people roaming around shouldn’t be a problem.

    If it’s big, to the point where it spills outside, hopefully you have enough space to accommodate. Having the party outside could be better for the fact that there’s more breathing room.

    4) Move Breakables Away
    Anything that can be broken into pieces, that aren’t Legos, needs to be moved to another area like your room. Because even if there is no alcohol at your event, it’s safe to bet there will be clumsy people.

    Again, this applies more to the larger events with crowds of people; smaller gatherings tend to give fewer problems in this area.

    5) Know Your Guests
    Let’s start with the smaller parties; inviting the right people can make or break the good vibes. If you’re going to invite Cindy and you know she’ll start something with Sarah and company, maybe let her sit this one out.

    For the bigger open house events, whoever you invited is probably bringing a thousand people with them each. Ever see that guy who causes ladies to clutch their purses closer to themselves on elevators? He’s going to be there too.

    6) Know How Much/What You Have To Spend
    To know who’s going is as simple as just asking everyone to text you who they invited, or put a cap on how many people they can bring. Someone could say they’re coming last week, but it’s good to check one last time before you shop.

    7) BYOS
    Bring Your Own Stuff (thought I was going to say !&?@#! huh?). This means if you know somebody with a better sound system or more chairs, have them bring it!

    This saves money and time you might not have, and letting the guest bring what they want, will only make the party that much better.

    8) Know Your Neighbors
    If you have a good rapport with the neighbors, they will be more inclined to deal with the noise and congested street full of cars. This means the cops are less likely to show up at your door and whatever is going on inside, will stay there.

    9) Food
    When throwing a party where a big part of it is the food, a smart thing to do is to start everything in advance, even a night before depending on what’s being served. No one wants to hear, “give it a couple more minutes,” when you’ve been saying the same thing for hours.

    If you can’t cook, invite a friend that can to come earlier and help out. Everyone will be lining up to compliment you by the night’s end, instead of an angry mob full of E.coli.

    Classics like pizza, chips and dip can never fail. Hamburgers plus hotdogs are inexpensive, while also being delicious.

    10) Play Music Appropriate to the Event
    Unless it’s a funeral, nobody wants to hear your Lana Del Rey when they’re trying to turn up; save that for another day. Play music with fast tempos, great beats, and a mix of popular songs so everyone can sing along.

    11) Be a Great Host
    The most important thing to remember is that it’s the host’s job to make sure the guests are having a great time, but also remember to have some fun too.

    Use these tips to throw the greatest event that people will talk about for ages.