How to Throw a Memorable House Party

House parties can be a lot of fun. And besides, who isn’t craving a little party after all the stress and isolation we’ve been experiencing over the last year? It isn’t just enough to throw a house party though. It needs to be memorable. So what do you need to do to throw a memorable house party?

Welcome Your Guests

The first real impression your guests are going to have of your party is when they arrive and walk in your door. There are lots of different things you can do to impact the impression they have. One of them is to welcome them as they arrive. Of course, that doesn’t mean you have to be by the door the entire time, but it doesn’t hurt to keep an eye on it and make your way over as people show up.

Offer Drinks

Drinks are pretty much a party must-have. People go to parties to meet people, talk, and have a good time in general. That can be made easier by having a drink in your hands that can be used to keep your hands occupied if you don’t know what to do with them. It can also provide you with a ready-made excuse if you need to break away from the group you’re in. You can always establish the party as a BYOB sort of event, but it still never hurts to have some of your own on hand. Feel free to mix up a fun slushy punch or have a cooler full of drinks. You could even offer both if you wanted. Don’t forget to have some ice water and non-alcoholic beverages available as well. Any designated drivers will be very appreciative.

Prepare Appetizers

Food is another must-have element for a house party, especially if you’re going to have booze. You don’t have to offer a full-on meal, but you should at least have some appetizers and snacky things for your guests to munch on. If you’re an expert chef, you can prepare the appetizers yourself. Do yourself a favor and choose ones that are easy to put together and can be frozen ahead of time so you don’t have to do everything the day of your party. Alternatively, you can buy appetizers to offer your guests. Knotted toothpicks can help present your appetizers in an eye-catching way. They also have an added benefit of encouraging people to only touch the food they intend to take for themselves.

Set the Atmosphere With Music

So you have the food figured out. Now you need to start setting the mood. Music is arguably one of the best tools you have for that. Make sure you have a good sound system. You’re going to want some actual speakers here, not just a little Bluetooth one. If you have any friends who are DJs, consider asking them if they are available to work their magic on your party. Otherwise, take some time in the days before your event to put together awesome party songs into a playlist you can have going. You’re going to want to make sure that the playlist is pretty long. If it’s too short, you’ll end up blowing through it too fast and end up repeating the same songs.

Choose a Theme

House parties can go so many different ways. They can be a thinly veiled excuse to get friends together for a good time, or you can choose something a little more specific to celebrate with a theme. There are a ton of fun house party themes you can choose from. Which ones work best for you will depend on what you’re in the mood for, what your guests like, and what you think you can pull together best.

Set the Mood with Lighting

Music is important, but it’s far from the only thing you can use to set the mood for your house party. The lighting at your party will also go a long way towards creating an awesome party atmosphere. Parties are generally most comfortable when the lights are turned down low. If you want, you can even get different lighting options specifically for your house parties. Colored lights are always a fun touch. Make sure you plan out where you’re going to put the lighting. You’ll need to have access to enough outlets. It’s also a good idea to decide what lights will be inside versus outside.

Introduce Your Guests

As the host, part of your job is to help make your guests feel comfortable. That’s a lot easier to do when your guests know a few people. It can help if you make sure that everyone on your guest list knows at least one other person aside from you. Beyond that, take some time to introduce your guests to others you’ve invited. Take it a step further and get a conversation going about a mutually interesting subject.

Have Party Games Ready

Sometimes you need a way to break the ice. Other times you need something to keep the energy going and the fun times rolling. Party games can be just what you need. There are a ton of fun party games you can play. Have a few different options ready that people can choose from to entertain themselves with if the fancy strikes. It’s totally fine to have multiple games running at one time. The more people that are engaged in playing games, the more people you can reasonably assume are currently entertained by the evening’s activities.

Making your house party a night to remember (or not, depending on how much people drink) can be done if you’re willing to put in the work. Do it often enough and you’ll earn a reputation for having awesome parties. Just do your neighbors, your guests, and yourself a favor and let your neighbors know you’re planning a party so they aren’t caught unawares. Better yet, invite them! Who knows? That could be all it takes to lower your chances of the police showing up to shut your party down.

Read this next: Top Tips for Families Thinking of Hosting a Party at Their Home