Cocktail parties are great for entertaining friends and/or business associates. They're also perfect for receptions or open houses for both business and personal reasons. It can be as simple or extravagant as you want it to be.The great thing about cocktail parties is that no one expects a full sit-down menu. Simple food will suffice.
Planning a cocktail party requires just a few basics:
- A theme – which will make it easier to plan your drinks and food (i.e. Hawaiian theme serve tropical drinks and food; or a Las Vegas theme where you would serve martinis and hors d'oeuvres.)
- Will it be held inside our out?
- What is your budget?
- Full bar or limited drink choices? To save money, put together a drink menu so you don’t have to buy so many different bottles. You can also have several different punches or an open bar where you give your guests drink tickets, good for one free drink per ticket and they buy any more themselves.
- Plan on parking, and have a valet service or someone to park the cars
- Food can range anywhere from caviar for the crème-de-la-crème, to those who like to sample different homemade creations. If you don't want to deal with food at all, call a caterer.
- Knowledge of how to much to buy for – which means you will need to know how many people are planning on attending (A good buying guide reference is HERE)
- Set a time limit – 2-3 hours is typical
- Should your guests bring anything?
- Is this invitation only? Send them out 2-3 weeks in advance
- Socialize with your guests, which means you should let someone else do the serving and bartending – ask friends or family, hire servers (teens who could use a little extra money). Make sure if you hire a bartender that you provide a tip jar for guests to contribute to.
- Make sure to have adequate amounts of napkins, glasses and plates.
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