Hosting is more than just calling a group of people and asking them to come over. That is called hanging out with friends at home. But what if you want to take that to a whole other level? Hosting can be a hassle, especially if you don’t have too much help and if you live in a small or medium-sized apartment. The planning, preparation, and clean-up can be a nightmare if it’s not properly thought through; but it all starts with a theme.
Don’t forget that you need to understand what it is you are planning before you actually start. Take it from me. I have pulled off buffet style dinner parties for over 25 people and featuring more than 10 items on a buffet-style countertop in a tiny, one-bedroom apartment. And they were all beyond fantastic. In a medium-sized apartment, I feel very comfortable hosting for more than 50 people if I’m making a lot of food.
Below are 9 no-fail themes for a successful event, all taking place in your home-sweet-home, split into Classic, Seasonal, Casual, and LOUD.
Classic
1. 5-Course Dinner. This works best if you’re having less than 10 people over unless you have hired help who will be serving the food. You do want to spend some time enjoying dinner with your guests. Choose an appetizer and serve it while you chat over drinks before dinner, then move to the dining table where you will serve your soup, salad, then main course. After finishing the main course, lead your guests back to your living room for more drinks (hot or cold) and serve dessert 10-20 minutes later. If you’re not serving all the food in the middle of the table and would rather serve plates that are ready, make sure you pay attention to detail. In this case, you should keep all the food warm in the kitchen and serve it into plates as you bring it out. Don’t overfill your plates. Remember, there are five courses to be eaten.
2. Buffet Style Dinner Party. This works best for large crowds, and my favorite thing about it is that it can be paired well with any of the seasonal and loud themes. Casseroles are a must have for this theme since they can be prepared ahead of time and stuck in the oven shortly before dinnertime. Make some large bowls of salad (cole slaw, potato, and chicken salads are always crowd-pleasers), a couple of appetizers, and an assortment of main dishes and sides. Always remember that some people don’t like certain things, so variety is a must. Add a couple of desserts that can be kept in the fridge and place them on a table or counter after everyone is almost done eating. You can add this to a loud theme. Start with some music, mingling with drinks, and appetizers as people continue to arrive (all your guests will not suddenly appear at your door at the exact time of your event). While this happens, you can be finalizing any last minute steps with the food. Next, announce that dinner is served and focus on that, then turn up your music and have a blast!
3. Tea Party. This may sound like your grandmother and her friends’ favorite theme, but you have the wrong idea. Tea parties don’t have to include little china teacups and your favorite dolls. You don’t even have to call them tea parties because mine sometimes don’t even include tea! Let’s call them kissable tea parties. These don’t include a lot of food and can revolve around very few items, but you should arrange for plenty of seating and many surfaces where you can place an assortment of hot and cold beverages, some light appetizers or pastries, some cakes, and anything else that you can make in bite-size portions.
4. Cocktail Party. Much like tea parties, cocktail parties don’t require too much work in the kitchen and everything can be prepared and placed in an accessible place for guests to serve themselves. Unlike tea parties, cocktail parties will include a lot more savory items, louder music, and more people hanging out on their feet. You won’t need as much seating, but you will need some space to display your food and drinks along with some napkins and cups or glasses.
Seasonal
5. Holiday Party. Writing this in January, my favorite holiday season has just ended; and I’ve had my fair share of hosting. Holiday parties can have anywhere from 10 guests to as many as you can fit in your house. Decide what it is you are doing. Are you hosting to  get together with loved ones for a family-style evening, or are you turning this holiday into a ce-le-bration? This depends largely on your guest list. In all cases, holiday parties call for comfort food, theme music, holiday decorations and colors, and party favors. You can make your party favors yourself, just as I do, with assorted candy, a creative handmade scroll, tulle and ribbons for wrapping, a handmade holiday-themed card, and maybe even a little souvenir you want to add, like a pin. You can go as big or little as you want with your party favors, but having something your guests can take home at the end of the evening is always a nice touch.
6. Spring or Summer Daytime Party. When the sun comes back, everyone likes to spend more time outside. These parties work best if you have some sort of outdoor area in your house. If not, you can always go for summer nights. This theme generally works well with the BBQ theme. Go for a late lunch hour - about 3 - 4 hours before sunset, create a fun summer playlist, setup a summer assortment of dishes, and keep out a variety of salads. Keep your drinks cool and your ice a-plenty for an event like this. Sangrias, mimosas and any cocktails with fresh juices are must-haves and don’t forget to keep a stock of water bottles in the fridge or setup a dispenser in an accessible spot.
7. Surprise Party. This one is a bit more tricky, especially if you’re planning it for someone you live with. All your dishes should be quick to make and prepare. Make your guest-list at least 2 weeks ahead of time and contact everyone. Tell them the exact time to be there and don’t forget to stock up on drinks, prepare your decorations, and choose someone to stall the guest of honor until it’s go-time. Don’t forget to make sure that your GOH has the party time on their schedule in some disguised way. Have a friend arrange a meet with them or ask them to be available at the time with some excuse you make up.
Loud and Casual
8. Karaoke Night. If you can set up your sound system and TV for karaoke and if you have a microphone, karaoke night can be a ton of fun. It can be easy to pull off since most karaoke versions of popular songs are now available on Youtube. Prepare a lot of finger foods and drinks and sing the night away.
9. House Party. Make a lot of finger foods, appetizers, and dips then turn the music up and party. This kind of party does not require a lot of complicated cooking, just simple finger foods, chips, crackers, dips, and lots of drinks. Make sure you put a lot of time into your playlist since this type of party revolves around it.
10. Costume Party. This can include finger foods or a dinner buffet. You can pair the costume theme with any other theme to give your party a little more color.
11. BBQ Party. Great choice in the summer, be it night or day. For a bbq, you will need a grill and an outdoor area. It can be anywhere from a simple balcony to a rooftop or garden. Make some sides like mashed potatoes, sweet corn, and garlic bread. Keep your salads out, your sides hot, and your grill blazing for a fun afternoon in the sun. Make sure you have a variety of things to grill to cater to different tastes. This theme works well with other themes like house parties and summer and spring daytime parties.
Happy Hosting,