June is party month! Graduations, bridal showers, weddings, first communions, confirmations, and various birthday parties. Of course, hosting these events is a big task.
Invitations must be sent, hosts must decide on the location of the party, food to be served, will there be entertainment, decorations, and many other details. Here are a few tips to help make your party a success:
• When communicating the invitation via evite, phone, or written, be sure to let the guests know if the party is indoors or outdoors.
• Always give the guests an idea of food that will be served such as outdoor buffet, sit-down lunch, appetizers and desserts, or pizza and birthday cake.
• Be sure to discuss the chronology of the party with the guest of honor. Whether it is a birthday party for a preschooler, school-age child, teenager, or adult. They may very well have a specific plan in mind and may get very upset if the party does not follow their idea.
For children, what will be first – games and playtime, or the birthday cake. Will there be music and dancing, and will gifts be opened or not? I’ve seen many children have tantrums at parties, and my own children have told me that “the birthday girl” cried throughout the party.
• To create your own entertainment, you might ask each guest to prepare a toast or share a memory of the guest of honor. This can be a show itself and lots of fun. It goes well at birthday parties, bar mitzvahs, bat mitzvahs, and graduations. Of course, if any guest does not want to participate, that’s fine. At the party, the host can distribute blank index cards and guests write their name on the card if they want to participate in the toast. Cards are collected and one by one, each person takes a turn to speak about the guest of honor.
• At bridal and baby showers, guests can speak of their best advice for success.
• If the party is outdoors, be sure to have a Plan B location if it rains.
• Situate the bar in a location that can accommodate the most guests.
• Don’t wait longer than one hour to serve food.
• Guests love to leave with a “goodie bag.” I mean adults as well as children, so be creative, even if it’s a cellophane bag of candy, or bagel or muffin for the next morning’s breakfast. It’s June, so let the fun begin.
Maureen Molé is the author of Entertaining at Home, a product spokesperson, and lecturer. Follow
her on Instagram #Entertain_at_Home_with_Maureen, or email MaureenMole@optonline.net.