Throwing your first house party is kind of a lot of pressure. If the conversation is awkward, the food is cold, or the music is boring, people might not show up to the next one! Follow these tips to throw a house party everyone will enjoy.
Be Thoughtful about the Guest List
A lot of people show up to a house party hoping to meet that “special someone,” which makes your party a great chance to introduce your high school friends to your work friends or that bartender you’ve been crushing on. Nobody wants to go to a party that’s only with their coworkers, right?
When it comes to planning the guest list, you want to thread the needle between inviting people that know everyone and people that don’t know anyone. If you invite too many people whose only common friend is you, then you’ll be stuck introducing people all night and worrying about how awkward everyone must feel.
Let Your Neighbors Know
It’s a good idea to put your neighbors on notice if you’re planning on having loud music late into the evening. You don’t want the grump from down the hall calling the cops because your friend who thinks nothing is a “big deal” parked over the curb in front of the fire hydrant.
Think of this as a great opportunity to meet that precious old lady next door or the cute guy on the first floor. You can even invite them to the party!
Lock Your Roommates’ Doors
Once people start drinking, all bets are off. Don’t expect that your instruction to stay out of your home office while your friends were sober will be remembered once they’re a few drinks in. If there’s anywhere you don’t want people hanging out, getting friendly, or puking, lock the doors. It will save you some grumpy roommates and some icky cleaning up in the middle of the night.
Prep People-Pleasing Booze and Food
People come to a party ready to munch some serious snacks. But nobody wants to be holed up around the dinner table when they’re trying to mingle! Whip up some bite-sized snacks that your friends can fill up with while also staying social. And pro tip: your vegan and vegetarian friends need more than just a veggie tray!
When it comes to drinks, setting out a few six-packs just seems lazy. Grab a mix of beer, wine (red and white, preferably!), and some mixed drinks. To be extra thoughtful, make a house mocktail for your non-drinking friends too!
Set the Mood with a Perfect Playlist
Your house party isn’t prom, but when it comes to the music, you do kind of need a theme. Make a playlist (or find one online!) of upbeat hits that your friends will enjoy. You don’t want to just put your Spotify history on shuffle and let ACDC play after Taylor Swift. Be intentional, but don’t stress about it too much—just stick to the same general era and genre.
Plan Games You’d Actually Like To Play
Most of us can only small talk for so long. Make sure your friends who are more introverted have something stimulating to do once the chatter starts to die down, or you’ll have people leaving your party before it’s even gotten started.
Think about what your friends are into, and provide a mix of different options. Keeping a deck of cards handy is always a good idea; for some groups, drinking games or board games are more their vibe. Whatever you do, don’t turn on the TV. It’s impossible to really carry a conversation while the TV is on, and while your friends might stay, they won’t enjoy doing the same thing at your “party” that they could be doing at home.
Are you ready to act as matchmaker, bartender, DJ, and hostess of the best house party ever? These 6 tips will have you throwing a party your friends will never forget.
