14 Top Tips To Make A House Party Amazing

Lighting

Whatever you do, don’t leave overhead lights on, the brightness will kill the atmosphere before the party has started! Equally, make it too dark and you’ll have wine spills everywhere as everyone bumps into one another. Seriously though, lighting plays such an important part in a party, so consider hiring some LED uplighters and add the mood lighting to really transform any room into a party venue… The trick is to think about how to create theatre within your home!

Decorations

Along with good lighting effects, some well-chosen decorations will establish the theme of your party and will go a long way towards transforming the room(s) you’re using into a great party space. Resist the temptation to hire props, unless you go all out to hire the good stuff. Cheesy-low price props will look unconvincing and won’t impress your guests, so don’t bother – the ones on Amazon are rubbish and will only end up in landfill and Greta Thunberg won’t thank you for that. Be clever about how you spend your budget! For example, if you’re throwing a Festival-themed party, a few festival flags and wooden bar unit will look so much better than a few plastic props. And don’t forget that your guests can also contribute to the atmosphere– ask them to dress to fit your theme and see the party come alive! If you are stuck for theme ideas you need to read this

Move furniture around (or remove it completely)

You may even need to remove some furniture to open up the party space. For instance, don’t leave sofas and chairs near dancing areas or speakers – it’s not the right place for anyone wanting to chat and you’d surely rather they were dancing to the music. Want our pro tip? Consider a removal company to remove the furniture for the weekend to ensure safety and create space!

A DJ saved your life

A decent DJ knows what music to play to get your guests dancing all night long, and they’ll be able to quickly adapt their playlist as they observe how your guests respond to particular genres. Trust them to take your preferred style of music and curate a fun set without deviating too far from your intended music policy! If you want to sack off the DJ idea and control the playlist yourself then consider these options for your playlist

Book a PRO photographer

How often do you and your friends all get together in a big group? Not often right… So why pass up the opportunity to get some decent pics of you and your guests all glammed up, looking and feeling like a million dollars.

I hate to break it to you, an iPhone doesn’t cut it these days, you’re no David Bailey are you… Also, your niece Lottie, who has recently taken up a photography course, isn’t right. Give her a tequila and leave the photography to the experts.

Candid shots are best and any good photographers job is to be discreet and fade into the background unnoticed and photograph really special moments as they happen (and we know quite a few photographers if you need recommendations!)

(MEN: If you need help looking a million dollars, read our article on Saville Row Tailors )

Serve bowl food - A Buffet is so 1998

A formal meal will slow the pace of the party. A buffet can get messy and quickly look unattractive once people have dived in – not to mention it is 2025 guys, buffets were acceptable in 1998 not 2025. Bowl food is the perfect way to satisfy appetites and is designed to enable guests to eat whilst standing – and without making a mess. Worried about small portions? Why not upgrade and go for the substantial bowl food option?

Stock up on drinks

It’s always better to have some leftovers rather than running out halfway through the party. Ensure there is plenty of choice – beers, wine, fizz, cocktails, spirits and mixers, soft drinks and ICE – to keep everyone happy. No host needs a midnight trip to 24 hour Tesco for an emergency booze run.

Plan a midnight snack

Your guests will get peckish and a late night snack is a great way of soaking up the alcohol – Pizzas, bacon sandwiches or cheese on toast tend to go down well. It’s also a way of signalling that the party is coming to an end. Eating will actually make your guests feel tired and more likely to prepare to leave, which will make things easier for you when Gavin refuses to go home

Cloakrooms

Turn one room into a cloakroom, complete with a coat rack or rail and hangers – so that guests can leave their coats and bags while they enjoy the party.

Prepare the bathroom

Make sure everything is spotlessly clean. Ensure there is plenty of loo rolls, clean towels and a mirror. A fragrant reed diffuser or something similar would be a nice touch, but don’t forget to also discreetly place a spray air freshener by the loo. Candles are nice, but lets reduce the fire risk…

Greet your guests

There is nothing worse than going to a party where the host or hostess is too busy running around to spend time with their guests. Be ready with a big smile to welcome them as they arrive – ensure you spend quality time with them, it’s your house party after all! Another reason a professional party planner like MGN would be a good partner to book.

Warn the neighbours

Give your neighbours advance notice of the house party, apologise for any late night noise in advance and either invite them along or give them a gift such as a box chocolates or a bottle of wine as a way of thanking them for their understanding. With any luck, they’ll plan to go out themselves that night.

Don’t announce your party on Instagram!

Or any other social media for that matter – you only have to refer to Project X to understand why! Save the social networking for after the event, when it’s safe to say what a great party it was – don’t entice gatecrashers with the promise of how great it will be.

If you’d like some help creating a house party to celebrate a special occasion just give us a call! We can take care of everything so that you can enjoy being with your guests.

You can get more help creating successful house parties that wow your guests. Contact our team via the form below, on 01932 22 33 33 or by email at hello@mgnevents.co.uk.