How to Throw an Amazing New Year’s Eve Party!
I love throwing parties any time of the year and I love to throw a party with a theme. And what better theme than the New Year! Let’s face it New Year’s Eve is the ultimate celebration and it’s all about music, singing, dancing and having a good time! If you’re hosting a New Year’s Eve party this year here are a few tips to make sure that your party is amazing and fun!
- Think about your guest list!
Think about your guest list carefully and who you are going to invite! New Year’s Eve is meant to be a celebration of the past year and the year to come. You want to surround yourself with your family and friends and people who you know will be fun at the party. We all have that one guest, who let’s be honest is a bit miserable and a downer. And usually we can’t seem to find a way to not invite them. If that’s the case find a way to keep them busy – give them some important task so that they are occupied and not bringing everyone else down!
- Decorate to set that New Year’s mood!
Pick a colour scheme for your party. Think black and white, gold, silver and glitter! Head to your local Party store like Party City to stock up on a banner, some glittery party hats and tiaras, horns, noise makers and a disco ball. Spread your party decorations across your coffee table, dining table and at your front entrance. Since this is about counting down to midnight, find some clocks and display those throughout your space too! Another really easy and inexpensive way to decorate is to use small disco balls throughout your space and even create a centerpiece or two by filling vases with them. I’ve been able to find these at the local Dollarama for a great price and when you put these in a nice clear cylinder or square vase no one can tell!
- Keep the menu simple!
Don’t plan a menu that has you stuck in the kitchen the entire party and missing out on all the fun! Simple appetizer buffets are the way to go for New Year’s Eve. My rule of thumb for a NYE cocktail party is to factor about 12-15 pieces per person. Create a great cheese and charcuterie platter, pull together a veggies and dip tray and pick up some frozen appetizers from the grocery store that you can easily prepare. And pick 1-2 signature appetizers that you might want to make. Check out this pin on How to Create the Perfect Holiday Cheeseboard that I found on Pinterest, and take a look at my recent post for some ideas on Easy Holiday Appetizers. Look for shortcuts to make it easy too! If you have a great caterer in your area order a few different appetizer platters to compliment everything else. Or order some takeout and just plate it to look like your own. I always have plenty of white platters on hand to plate things and even take-out can look great! When you pull all that together with 1-2 of your own signature appetizers it won’t take a lot of time and will taste and look amazing! For dessert you can create an easy candy bar by filling a few jars and vases with black and white candy. Another easy idea is to buy some basic cupcakes from the grocery store but place them in glitter cupcake wrappers and top them with NYE cupcake toppers that you can buy. You can buy both on Etsy as printable files that you can easily print at home, cut out and pull together (love Etsy)! Or even easier you can buy them on Amazon – next day delivery with Amazon prime!
- Stock the bar
Ok so I said it’s all about the music, singing and dancing, well I’m not going to lie the martinis and bubbly don’t hurt either! Let’s be honest, the bar is a focal point for most New Year’s Eve parties so you definitely don’t want run out of drinks or ice! Make sure to stock your bar with the bar essentials including liquor, mixers, garnishes and ice of course! I always worry about having enough and what types of liquor to have on hand. A general rule of thumb is that your guests will each have about 1 drink per hour of the party. If you know how many guests are coming figuring out how much you need becomes pretty easy. What types to stock really becomes more a matter of preference and what your guests typically like. Also think about serving 1-2 signature cocktails drinks, maybe even ones that you can prepare in advance. For New Year’s Eve I recommend a Chocolate Raspberry Martini, Champagne Blackberry Sparkler and French Martini. And remember to stock up on lots of bubbly to ring in the New Year!
- Plan for fun!
Think about easy ways to make sure everyone has a good time! Make sure you have enough seating and mingling areas, a space for dancing and definitely music! Get your playlist together and have it ready to go and on when your guests arrive. Think about renting or picking up a karaoke machine which is always fun. Also you can easily set up a Photo Booth area for your party. All you need is an easy tinsel backdrop and some fun NYE photo props that you can pick up at the party store or even on Amazon (yay for Amazon Prime!) and you’re set! Everyone knows how to take a NYE selfie!
I hope I’ve given you some tips to help you throw an awesome New Year’s Eve party! And remember the most important part of the party is having fun with your friends and family.
Happy New Year! Have lots of fun and see you in 2019!
