How to put together a good party

Whether you’re releasing a full-length album, a single or an EP, and whether you’ve got physical copies or going digital all the way, an album launch party works wonders for getting your fans (and potential fans) all excited about the new stuff. The nuts and bolts of holding a CD launch party aren’t so different from planning a standard show. Behind the scenes, a lot of the work is the same. It is what happens during the event that sets things apart.

Consider the Budget

Launch parties have the potential to take a bigger bite out of your bank account than other shows. Why? Because, ideally, you won’t be charging at the door at your launch party. Some people do, mind you, but your best bet is to treat this as a launch party — emphasis on party — rather than a traditional show.

You likely don’t charge your friends when you have a get-together at your place, so don’t charge your fans to come to your album party. Plus, it’s simply easier to get them through the door at a free event. You want to create an atmosphere where everyone is buzzing about your new music, and helping your fans have a good night on the cheap goes a long way to improving the mood.

However, that means you could be looking at some bigger expenses. The specifics depend on your circumstances, but you might have to pay a venue hire fee and/or bar minimum, plus posters, any advertising you do, any free merch you plan to give away, etc. Start out with a realistic idea of what you can spend, keeping in mind that this launch party shouldn’t leave you with no cash left over to further promote your new release.

Locate Your Schtick

The coolest thing about a launch party is that you can have a lot of fun doing something unique at your show. What is going to make this night special? Give your fans something to talk about. You’re limited only by your imagination (and the law and venue policies) here.

Musicians have done everything from giving away baked goods to raffling off private concerts and everything in between for their launch parties. Maybe you want a signature drink, a costume contest, a dance-off, a trivia contest — anything that you think will be fun for you and your fans, go for it.

It will draw people through the door, give the press something to write about and be the foundation for many a “we saw this great band called so-and-so once, and at the show they. ” – that’s the kind of word of mouth that moves some product!

Find Your Venue

Finding the right venue for your launch party is a matter of weighing up the size, cost, and accommodation.

Size: How many people do you think you can pull in for the party (keep in mind that free shows can bring in more people than paying shows)?

Cost: Since you’re probably not charging at the door to help cover your costs, what venue will give you a decent hire fee/bar minimum that you think you can meet without going too out of pocket?

Accommodation: Remember your schtick? Which venue can/will accommodate it?

For instance, if your schtick involves grub and the venue in question doubles as a restaurant, they may balk at your idea. If you’re hoping to pull off anything too out of the box during your party, be sure to consult the venue while making your booking to make sure they don’t put the kibosh on your plans on the night of the show.

Put Together a Good Bill

Your launch party is definitely all about you and your new music, but putting together a good bill for the night can only up the party atmosphere. It’s your special night, so you’re the headliner, but pick a few other good acts in your area to draw in some people.

As a bonus, some of their fans who might not be familiar with your music will come out for the free show and stick around to discover your sounds. Stick a DJ in between sets and have them hang around after your set if you’ve got time before the venue closes for a little post-set dance party.

Note that if you’re having a hard time nailing down a venue, putting your bill together before you start booking could make it easier. It is especially true if you don’t have a long track record of shows to point to. A strong bill can give the venue confidence that you’re going to have a good turnout.

Promote Your Little Heart Out

The basics of promoting your launch party are the same as promoting any other kind of show – the trick is that you want to play up that fact that you’re launching a new release and use the special things you’ve got in store for the party as a press angle. In other words, your launch party that also includes band name charades, a costume contest, and a raffle to win a house concert with the band gives the press a lot more to sink their teeth into than ye olde standard “we’re playing a show on Tuesday.”

Never promoted a show before? Check out some solid tips for first-time promoters. Knowing the ins and out of booking live concerts can also help you make heads or tails of the whole process, from booking to promotion.

Get the Goods

You should have your new music on sale and available for fans at the show, even if you’re selling download codes/coupons/what have you. T-shirts and such are great, too – you can sell a lot of this stuff when the mood is good at your gig, and since you’re not charging at the door, this is your chance to make some money to cover your costs. Also, be sure you have everything you need for any special events you’re holding – raffle tickets, prizes, etc.

Deliver the Goods

Don’t get so wrapped up in the other parts of the planning that you let your set take a backseat. The bells and whistles will get them through the door, but a good set will keep them buying tickets for the next shows. Here are some more helpful tips:

Published: Nov 2, 2018 · Modified: Nov 19, 2019 by Cathy Trochelman · 9 Comments

Ever wondered how to put together your own perfect cheese board? It’s actually quite easy!

Learn how to assemble a cheese board from start to finish with these simple step by step instructions.

Perfect for holidays, ladies nights, or everyday entertaining, charcuterie boards are a fun, versatile, delicious addition to any gathering!

Is it just me. or is there something about a good charcuterie board? It’s the perfect appetizer for any occasion!

Not only are they beautiful to look at. and delicious to eat. (who doesn’t love all things cheese?). but they’re also incredibly fun to put together.

And best of all, they have something for everyone. From different types of cheese to sweet and savory snacks to crackers and cured meats, the best cheese boards leave no one behind.

Of course, having access to quality cheese board ingredients is key. Which is why I’m SO excited about the new Murray’s Cheese Shop open at Metro Market. I recently had the opportunity to visit the shop and learn all about the delicious cheeses, meats, and other products they carry.

And let’s just say. my visit inspired me to create this cheese board to share with all of you! With the holidays fast approaching, it’s the perfect time to brush up on our cheese board ideas and refresh our charcuterie skills.

Ready to get started?

How to assemble a charcuterie board:

1. Start with the board. Cheese boards are typically assembled on a slate or wooden tray, which may be square, rectangular, or round. But if you don’t already own one, don’t feel like you need to go out and buy one. You can also use a plate, a cutting board, or even a baking sheet. Any flat surface will work.
2. Select the cheeses. Try to include a variety of flavors and textures by selecting cheeses from different families (see below).
3. Add some charcuterie. aka cured meats. Prosciutto, salami, sopressata, chorizo, or mortadella are all good options.
4. Add some savory. Think olives, pickles, roasted peppers, artichokes, tapenades, almonds, cashews, or spicy mustards.
5. Add some sweet. Think seasonal and dried fruits, candied nuts, preserves, honey, chutney, or even chocolate.
6. Offer a variety of breads. Sliced baguette, bread sticks, and a variety of crackers in different shapes, sizes, and flavors.
7. Finish it off with some garnishes. This is a great way to give your cheese board a seasonal touch. Use edible flowers, fresh herbs, or additional fruits to give your board the look and feel you want.

What are the best cheeses to include?

A good rule of thumb is to include cheeses from a variety of different families. Some basic families include:

• Aged: Aged Cheddar, Gruyere, Gouda.
• Soft: Brie, Camembert, Goat.
• Firm: Manchego, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Edam.
• Blue: Gorgonzola, Roquefort, Stilton.

Tips for making the ultimate cheese board:

1. Offer a variety of savory and sweet ingredients. The truth is everyone likes their cheese a little different. Some like it savory, some like it sweet, and some like a combination of both. The best cheese boards have something for everyone.
2. Offer a variety of textures. Because eating is such a sensory experience, a variety of textures makes any cheeese board more interesting. Consider ingredients with various textures such as creamy, crunchy, crumbly, gooey, and crisp.
3. Use cheese markers to label cheese so everyone knows what they’re getting.
4. Bring cheeses to room temperature before serving in order to bring out their true flavor.
5. Don’t forget the knives, spoons, toothpicks, etc.

What I included on this cheese board:

CHEESE: Roth Kase Raw Private Reserve, Sartori Merlot Bellavitano, Wisconsin 5-Year Cheddar, St. Mark’s Bloomy Rind, Bri Du Pommier, Bayley Hazen Blue

MEATS: Murray’s Prosciutto di Parma, Murray’s Genoa Salami

FRESH FRUITS: Snapdragon apple slices, red grapes

DRIED FRUITS: Mariani Dried Apricots, Cherry Bay Orchards Dried Montmorency Cherries

NUTS: Blue Diamond Honey Roasted Almonds, Fisher Roasted Cashews, Roundy’s Pecan Halves

SAVORY: Murray’s Garlic Stuffed Olives, Trois Petits Cochons Cornichons

DIPS: Private Selection Whole Grain Garlic Mustard, Local Hive Honey, Divina Fig Spread

BREADS: Alessi Breadsticks, Private Selection Peppercorn & Poppy Water Crisps, Back to Nature Multigrain Flax Seeded Flatbread

This post is all about throwing a graduation party.

This summer, my friend and I planned and threw a combined graduation party that was so much fun.

BUT, it was so stressful. I stressed out about everything. I wanted the best decorations, food, music, etc. Basically, I wanted it to be the “IT” party.

That may have been a little too hopeful, but we (and I think the guests;) did have so much fun which is a success in my book.

This post shows you how to throw the best graduation party .

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Graduation Party :

Photo Boards:

Every party has a photo board of sorts and I knew that I wanted ours to be BIG. My friend and I both take a ton of pictures and we wanted to make sure we were able to display a majority of our photos for our party.

We didn’t want to just glue it to a poster board, so instead, we came up with an inexpensive way of displaying them.

We made these by putting two large pallet boards together. I believe our boards were 8 feet tall. I got mine from my boyfriend’s dad’s company, but pallets are everywhere so call a local company and see if they have any that you can either have or buy. I then got a dark stain and put it on the board. The wood on this pallet was not very good quality so I was worried it was going to seep the stain up, but it ended up working out really well.

The sign with my name was purchased at Home Depot and then I painted it on. It was the cheapest smooth wood they had (I am sure it wasn’t over $10) and I just had them cut it to the size I needed it to be. BTW, save the leftovers of the woodcut!! You can use it for another project.

To get the lettering so perfect, I put it in Photoshop with the font I wanted and correct size of the wood, then printed it on normal printing paper. I then laid transfer paper I got off of Amazon and copied it onto the wood. That way I knew exactly where to paint.

We ended up just putting a cute piece of washi tape at the top of the picture then nailing the washi tape into the wood. This way we didn’t ruin the picture with holes and we made sure it didn’t fall off.

*There are more photos of this at the bottom of this post!*

Photo Booth Board:

We wanted a place that people could go to with props and take cute pictures. After searching online for hours for something that we could just purchase and put up, we ended up just making it because we couldn’t find anything!

My friend actually made this (she’s an amazing artist) but I will tell you how she did it.

She got two large wood boards from Home Depot and painted them black. She then traced (with a pencil, I would have needed to use a stencil but she was able to do it with her hands) the outer edge, words, and drawings and then painted them in white.

After it was dry, we put them together and leaned them up against the house.

Other Graduation Party Decorations:

To add some cute extra touches, we had signs that were at the end of both the streets that our party was on. I’m sure everyone would have been able to find the party even if these weren’t there, but it was a little something to add to the “cuteness”.

These were super easy to make and really affordable. I got a wood from Home Depot that was thick enough to stand up without bending and had them cut it in two equal parts (I believe I did 3.5 feet x 2 feet…not positive though!). I then traced what I wanted it to say and painted it on.

Once dry, I got these door hinges and super glued them to both of the wood pieces . I left them laying down overnight before putting it up just to make sure the glue was dry.

On the day of the party, I blew up some balloons and attached it to the sign just to make sure that no one missed it.

One of the great things about graduation parties is all the money you receive ;).

If you don’t have a designated place for the cards or gifts to go, guests don’t know where to put it and it could get lost.

To make sure this didn’t happen, we had a table specifically for cards and gifts. To make this sign, I just used leftover wood from the signs (above) and got smaller hinges to put them together. Basically the same exact process as above, just on a much smaller scale.

I got my card hat from Amazon and it was the perfect place for cards to go!

On the eating tables, we wanted something to go in the center so they weren’t as plain. The GRAD letters came from Amazon (I couldn’t find the exact ones but these are similar) and were really inexpensive.

The wood blocks were from Amazon and my dad quickly used a saw so that there was an insert going halfway through the block.

In the insert I put pictures of my friend and me growing up.

Disclaimer- These were cute but make sure you tape down the woodblock! Ours were not taped down and the wind kept blowing them away.

Snapchat Filter:

I would definitely recommend having a Snapchat filter! They are super inexpensive and it’s really fun to see pictures your guests posted after the party!

I made our filter in Photoshop BUT there are way easier ways to do it. Canva has great templates to use if you just search “Snap chat filters” and you can customize them to how you want it. I am sure if you just did a google search on it, you would easily be able to find a ton of websites that offer free templates.

Other Random Pictures:

Your high school graduation party only happens once, so make sure to enjoy it!

I know it can be stressful planning such a big party, but it will be over really quick and believe me…it pays off (thank you friends and family ;).

Hopefully, these pictures sparked some ideas for your own graduation party.

It’s not a party without music. Whether you’re hosting a kegger, an upscale cocktail affair, or a chill holiday party, you’re going to need some tunes. These playlist building tips will make sure your shindig is a fun, memorable event.

Don’t Plan On Using Shuffle and Make Sure Your Playlist Will Last

Before you just start tossing your favorite songs in a Spotify playlist , there are a few things you should consider. Jessica Suarez , playlist editor at Google Play, suggests you build your playlist from the ground up with songs you think will play well one after the other. That means skipping the shuffle feature and planning the entire flow of your playlist, mixtape style.

Suarez also recommends you aim to have at least three hours of music. Aiming for that sweet spot makes your playlist long enough that it won’t end too soon, but also keeps it short enough that you’ll likely hear most of the songs on it. You don’t want to have to repeat the playlist, or have your guests miss out on some great tracks that got lost in hour five or six.

11 More Awesome Spotify Tips and Tricks You’re Probably Not Using

Even if you listen to Spotify every day, there are tons of features you may not know about. Whether

Tailor the Playlist to Your Guests and Setting

Because you’re crafting your playlist from scratch, you have control over the vibe, tempo, theme, and all the ebbs and flows that come with it. Keri Noble , a singer-songwriter turned radio DJ, says you should think about the group you’re playing for , the time of day, the volume, and even the intended outcome. What’s the goal of your playlist? Are you trying to create a chill, relaxing atmosphere where people can talk? Add some jazz, downtempo electronica, or acoustic classics to play at low volume. Are you trying to throw a non-boring office christmas party? Sprinkle in holiday tunes among the chart toppers. Or are you trying to nudge your gathering into a full-on dance party? Work your way up to tracks with high BPMs and Top 40 hits while you crank up the sound.

When you consider your guests, though, Boston-based DJ Ryan Brown recommends you think of the group’s overall makeup . The goal is to play music that everyone will enjoy. If you have guests of all ages, mix some oldies in with the current stuff. Classics play well for older crowds and kids alike. And Brown suggests that remixes of older songs can be a great way to bridge the musical gap between different age groups. The spirit of the original track remains intact, but the more contemporary elements can make it more appealing to those who don’t know it.

Song BPM Finds the BPM of Your Music With Just an Artist and Title

Finding your music’s bpm (or beats per minute) is a great way to build playlists that work…

Make Sure You Have a Good Mix of Styles

Variety is the spice of life, and your playlist should have a little spice in it. According to DJ Leigh Lezark , a wide variety of slow songs, fast songs, classics, pop hits, and other musical styles will keep people interested. Make sure you space things out too. Don’t play nine hip-hop jams in a row before switching to country. Mix things up and keep people surprised.

And don’t be afraid to get a little cheesy and mix in some old Top 40 crowd-pleasers. Lezark notes that artists like Whitney Houston, Britney Spears, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Beyonce, and the Spice Girls almost always liven up a crowd. They may not be your favorite songs, but it will feel good to see everyone having a great time. When in doubt, add more classic crowd-pleasers .

The Awkward Dork’s Guide to Karaoke

If you’ve never sung karaoke, it might seem like a nightmare. You’re standing in front of a bunch…

Don’t Be Afraid to Play Some of Your Favorite Tunes

Of course, it is still your party and your playlist. So Lezark says you shouldn’t be afraid to mix in a few of your favorite songs into the playlist. If you have some songs that you think other people will like based on their tastes, play them along with the pop hits.

But remember, your playlist shouldn’t be an education in “good music” for your guests. As Rory Woodbridge , Curator and EMEA Streaming Lead for Google Play Music, explains, don’t go forcing your musical tastes down people’s throats . You might consider yourself a musical connoisseur, but your guests don’t care, unless they all have the same musical taste that you do. They want to enjoy themselves, so try and stay objective and diverse with your picks.

You have thrown a killer party, everyone had a blast but now… it is time to face the morning, and after-wedding hangovers are a real thing.

As the wedding couple, a hangover kit is an awesome way to give back to all the friends and family members who came to celebrate your big day (or bachelor/ette party) with you. You want them to remember your wedding and how good it was even the day after!

You can pack the kit in a fabric bag with a custom stamp, a ‘take-away’ box or a basket, you name it!

To help you a bit, at the Wedbox headquarter we have put together a list of essential items you should include in your hangover kits for your guests to rise from the dead.

Let’s have a look at it!

1) Mission: restore hydration

At a wedding the drink options are almost endless so, to bring back all those liquids and sugar levels to normal, we suggest you include at least one of these options:

• A big bottle of water
• A packaged combination of your personal hangover cure (e.g. black tea with honey and lemon)
• A prepared banana milkshake with honey (gentle to the tummy and helps restore sugar levels)
• A bottle of coconut water or other isotonic drink

2) Mission: feeling better

Waking up hangover and sore isn’t anybody’s cup of tea. To help your guests feel better and refreshed we suggest your kit includes:

• A pair of comfortable slippers or flip-flops to walk around
• Dental floss and mouthwash
• Eye drops
• A few sachets of effervescent ibuprofen for headache
• Some ginger and peppermint tea to help with nausea and digestion

Retrieved from

3) Mission: looking better

Now that you have taken care of the physical symptoms, it is time to make your guests look a bit more alive. These are our suggestions:

• Make sure to include a pack of wet wipes for face and body to remove any leftover makeup
• A soft sponge because the foamier the shower, the cleaner your guest will feel
• A pair of sunglasses never hurt a hangover face
• A cooling stick like this one from Tony Moly or this one by Milk Makeup will help with headaches and puffy eyes (guys will love it, too)
• Lipbalm. Lipbalm. Lipbalm.
• A refreshing spray like this rosemary toner from Lush
• A hydrating face mask like this prickly pear one from Apivita

4) Mission: no surprises!

They say that being prepared is half the victory, and we believe so too! Treat your guests with items they will probably need… although they won’t want to admit it.

• A power bank so they can upload the photos and videos from their phones to your Wedbox gallery as soon as possible!
• A bunch of hair elastics or a hair clip
• A couple of ‘barf bags’ for unexpected episodes
• A nail file
• Blister band-aids

5) Mission: lift mood

To finish the hangover kit, put the cherry on top with a hand-written thank-you note and some vouchers or recommendations of close-by restaurants where to have a succulent breakfast.

You may also want to remind your friends that foods rich in fiber and protein like oatmeal, eggs or yogurt are gentle to an upset stomach and will keep it full for a longer time.

The term “potluck party” has an old-fashioned ring to it. We picture ladies in their Sunday bonnets and June Cleaver dresses, teetering in high heels while carrying a large dish covered in a checkered cloth. But in reality, potluck parties are an ideal form of entertainment for the contemporary host or hostess who would like to gather with friends but is too busy running between the office and the soccer fields to host a formal party. Whenever the impulse to host casual get-together strikes, you can call up your friends, neighbors or family, tell them you’re organizing a potluck, and ask them to bring along one dish to share with the rest of the group.

Organizing Your Potluck Party

Although the term “potluck” suggests a random assortment of dishes, it’s likely to turn out better when the host does a little bit of organizing. If you don’t want to risk the chance that all of your guests will bring only desserts, begin by assigning your guests a specific course to bring along. Next, ask each guest to commit to a general category of food even if they’re not prepared to tell you the exact recipe. After all, as much as we love brownies, five plates of brownies wouldn’t give much variety to your potluck and there would be a lot of leftovers!

When you’re the host, remember to dig out extra serving platters, baskets, and utensils before your guests arrive. Not everyone brings food ready to be served. You don’t want to be distracted from your guests because you’re pulling things out of your attic or cabinets.

Don’t forget that someone needs to be responsible for beverages. The host can supply them, or ask everyone to bring something they would like to drink with their dish.

As host, you can choose what your contribution will be. If enough people are coming, providing the location for the party and the dinnerware can be enough. Sometimes the host will stock the bar with alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks including juices, water, and soft drinks. Often the host will provide the main course such as a turkey, hamburgers on the grill, or an egg casserole (depending on the time of the party) and ask guests to bring side dishes and desserts. It’s really up to you based on the size of your guest list.

Food Suggestions

Whether you’re hosting the potluck or are simply invited to attend one, here are suggestions for the kind of dishes that work best.

It’s done. The farm party of the year is DONE.

Maxi and his band of merry men (and maidens) had a really, truly super awesomey day (except that one kid… there is always one.. who told me constantly that he was bored. I hated that kid.)

The trouble with ‘doing’ kids’ parties is that kids have to come to them. I like kids well enough (I certainly like my own), but they’re all just so… needy. The bits of half-eaten food that are plonked in your hand. The constant requests to hold things. The ‘where are my?’s and ‘where can I?’s and ‘I don’t eat that’s. The ‘I’m bored’ kid.

Stop pestering me I’m BUSY boring you all, I wanted to shout.

Anyway, needless to say, I won’t be adding ‘kids’ party entertainer’ to my list of career prospects any time soon.

But, boy, this was a totally fantastically fun farm party to put together and, yes, host. Sorry for the ultra-lengthy post, but we all had the best possible time. Except that one kid.

The piggies were the all-important welcome at the front gate…

We even got dressed up. Seemingly as cows…

We played games. Lots of really fun games and one or two utter flops.

After all that game playing, a cold drink of milk was in order. Hello milk maid! (Nice ‘fresh’ face there, huh? Who has time for make-up on party day!?)

By this stage the kids were begging (begging) for food. Oh the food. Such fun to put it all together. I got loads of ideas from Pinterest (check my board for the ‘inspiration’ for a lot of the stuff you see here).

Carrots in Dirt – thanks to Easter there was no shortage of carrot cookie-cutters around. The ‘dirt’ is crushed up Arnotts Choc Ripple biscuits.

Haystacks – this one is from over the ditch at GreatFun4Kids (hi Simoney!). A plain lamington sponge, dipped in caramel (easy to make using condensed milk!) and then rolled in toasted coconut.

Pigs in Mud – chocolate mousse in little shot glasses with a lolly pig. We found the pig lollies at Harris Farm, but you can get the Coles Percy Pigs as well.

Fresh Eggs – these were a hit. I covered some egg cartons and then sandwiched two marshmallows together with icing. The ‘cheap’ marshmallows work best as they are the right sort of shape. I made enough of these so that Maxi could take a few boxes into school the next day to share with his classmates.

Chicken Feed – mini-pretzels and caramel popcorn.

Cake Pops – yes, I went there. I got it oh-so-right this time except… except. I was supposed to make ‘watermelon’ cake pops. So inside they are strawberry cake with little choc chips. I didn’t plan ahead to think how I was going to colour the chocolate so despite many attempts, I didn’t get it right. So I kept the chocolate white, painted on a face and called them Scarecrows. Never again. This time I mean it. I’m moving onto Whoopies.

We think most people will agree that there are advantages to knowing your neighbors. What if you’re baking and run short on sugar? Where will you turn to borrow a cup if you don’t befriend a neighbor?

Kidding aside, it’s beneficial for the safety of our homes and children that neighbors look out for one another. It’s helpful if neighbors can spot a stranger on the street, and especially if one is lurking near your home. Children need to know where they can turn in an emergency and the difference between a friendly neighbor and a stranger. A concerned community helps to create a sense of well being and safety for all.

With the hectic lifestyle most of us lead, it’s much harder to get to know our neighbors than it used to be. Between rushing to our jobs, racing to drop the kids at daycare, running off with them to soccer practice, or catching up on weekend errands, people seem to spend very little time around their home. As we work from home throughout the day, all we see are minivans pulling in and out of driveways, but no living people out on the street.

That’s why many communities organize block parties. Block parties provide the opportunity for neighbors to socialize at least once a year, and even if you don’t become best friends, it becomes a little easier to identify a neighbor from another passerby.

Here are some basic guidelines for organizing a block party. The specific legalities will vary by township or city ordinances.

Betsie Van der Meer / Getty Images

For some girls, turning 16 is anticipated almost as much as a wedding day, while others find it just as special as any other birthday. For parents, planning a sweet 16 party can range from exciting to overwhelming. Whether you’re throwing a big bash or hosting a smaller affair, try these tips for a smooth planning process and successful party.

Budget

Tell your teen how much you’re willing to spend, and involve her in divvying up where it goes. Like any party, the sweet 16 can bruise the bank account if there aren’t boundaries. Including your daughter in the party’s budget discussions will help her understand why you can say yes to some requests and have to say no to others.

Guest List

The size of your guest list will likely be affected by your budget. In most cases, the more people your daughter invites, the more the party will cost. Some families save up to host a big bash, inviting 100 or more boys and girls.

Consider your daughter’s desires, though. She might be happiest getting together with a close group of friends for a concert or a day at the spa.

Date and Location

Choosing a date and venue can be a challenge depending on where her birthday lands on the calendar. If it happens to fall around Christmas or during other busy times of the year, you’ll need to plan accordingly.

Be sure to book the location well ahead of time so you’re not competing with office holiday parties or graduation events. Consider sending out “save-the-date” cards or e-mail messages if you’re worried about guests being overbooked.

Depending on where you live, there should be a variety of possible venues available. If you’re stuck or everything is booked, consider your backyard or ask around for ideas from family, friends, and co-workers. Some venues to consider include:

• Barns
• Community centers and halls
• Dance clubs
• Hotel ballrooms
• Public parks
• Restaurants
• Sports facilities
• Your backyard

Theme

Your daughter may think she’s too old for a party theme, but it can be fun and more grown-up than the princess parties she’s enjoyed in the past. These are some fun ideas for teen party themes if you want to go this route:

• City lights (picture a Paris or New York City theme)
• Hollywood or rock star
• Luau
• Masquerade
• Mardi Gras
• Pretty in Pink
• Zombie

The theme can also be a chance to highlight a teen’s interests. For instance, if she rides horses, you can go with an equestrian theme. If she loves to read, base the theme on her favorite novel. You can even go with a favorite color, song, movie, or sport to personalize the party.

Vendors

Since some sweet 16 parties are as elaborate as weddings, consider attending a bridal fair. This is a great opportunity to compare prices among caterers, disc jockeys, and other service providers.

You can save even more money by tapping into the talent that already surrounds you. A friend could help you prepare food ahead of time and offer storage space in her freezer. The birthday girl might want to download her music playlist instead of hiring a DJ. You can even take a class together and learn how to bake and decorate a fancy cake.

If you’re going to DIY pieces of the party, have fun with it and make it part of the experience!

Invite Your Guests

Proper etiquette is to send out invitations three to five weeks in advance. This allows your guests plenty of time to save the date.

For sweet 16 parties, some like to follow the tradition of hand-delivering the invites. The birthday girl could do it herself or enlist the help of friends, such as a cheer squad that does a chant outside each guest’s house.

Choose foods that are easy to eat standing up. Guests likely will be milling about rather than sitting down for a formal meal.

One popular idea for sweet 16 parties is to have a grand dessert buffet, complete with themed tablescapes and a variety of sweet treats. The cake can serve as the centerpiece for the dessert table. You can make the cakes multi-tiered, but in bright colors rather than white to distinguish them from wedding cakes. Yet, a smaller cake can be just as sweet!

Cupcakes are another popular choice and are often decorated as elegantly as a wedding cake.

Itinerary

Write a rough timeline for the party so everyone knows the general plan. Consider things like:

• When will the music begin?
• When will the food be served?
• What time do you cut the cake?
• Perhaps most importantly, what time will the party end?

Discuss Expectations

You probably still see your daughter as a little girl, but sweet 16 parties are traditionally “coming-of-age” parties. Hitting this milestone can make her feel pretty grown up all of a sudden.

Unfortunately, some teenagers interpret that as a license to experiment with alcohol or other controlled substances. Make it clear to your daughter that illegal activity won’t be tolerated at—and will put an end to—her party. It’s also a good time to bring up your overall expectations for being a responsible young adult, even beyond the party.

What good ideas have you used or seen to get the party together at the beginning of a campaign? There’s the tried and true having them meet each other as wagon guards, or in a tavern that’s attacked. What have you used or seen to get the party together and get things moving in a fun, fast, and effective way?

1 Answer 1

At the time of this writing, my campaign has been running for over a year so I’ve seen some success with the method that I used to start things up. I had all of my party members come up with a reason that they wanted to go exploring to a certain new land in my campaign setting. Then, during the first session, the action started during a boat voyage (they were all on the same boat) and a crisis occurred requiring adventurers to leap into action to save the day. The party succeeded, so the authorities in charge of the voyage gave them some recognition in a ceremony and then went to that group when they needed help with additional tasks that required daring adventurers. My players were quite happy with this setup and mentioned to me that they preferred it over our standard “So you all notice that there are other adventurers in a tavern. Now go adventure.” type opening. Since this was when 5e first came out, my party was quite pleased to jump straight into the action and start using the new rules.

To generalize this a little bit, you could get all of your players to come up with a reason to be at the place that the campaign will start, then during the first session introduce some crisis that they are the most qualified to solve, then have the people that witnessed their heroics treat them as a group and offer to pay them or provide services to them if they do some additional quests.

The crisis doesn’t have to necessarily be combat. You could, for example, have everyone watching or participating in a circus and have a large fire break out. The party could attempt to save as many people as possible and assist with putting out some of the flames using skill challenges to determine success and failure while keeping things challenging, urgent, and exciting without ever having to make an attack roll.

If you’ve volunteered to put together a retirement party for a coworker or relative, you’re probably anxious to make it a great party, but if you don’t want to spend a fortune on it, you may feel like you have to compromise on the quality.

With some creative thinking, you can come up with lots of little ways to make the retirement party special and inexpensive (but not cheap!). And chances are good that taking this kind of creative approach will mean you end up with a more personal, unique party.

Take a Different Approach to Decorations

When planning a party, decorations tend to take up a large portion of the budget. If you are able to make your own decorations or reuse other things as decorations, you will be able to slash your party budget significantly. If crafting isn’t your forte, PartyCheap.com has many retirement party decorations at discount prices.

One idea is to come up with a theme for the retirement party. Once you’ve settled on a theme, go through your own things and ask others to bring items relevant to the theme that you can use as decorations. Ideas might include:

• Golf/Retirement Hobbies: Use hobby-related items that you, the retiree, or friends already have that are related to the hobby. For example, a golf-themed party could feature golf bags and golf clubs repurposed as decorations. Cut small triangles from white construction or computer paper and tape or glue them to toothpicks. Decorate cupcakes with green icing and add a flag toothpick to each one.
• Office Supply/Work-Related: Consider the retiree’s profession and their tools of the trade. Ask other coworkers to lend you items that could work as decorations. For example, coworkers of a retiring doctor might be willing to lend you stethoscopes or anatomy models.
• Use Photos and Other Mementos: If you can get access to photos of the retiree, on- or off-the-job, make copies of them to place at tables, on the walls, etc. Or make a slideshow to project on a loop throughout the party. Guests will enjoy looking at the photos, but will also enjoy not having to sit through a whole slideshow! Be sure to have the slideshow ready on a USB to give to the retiree.

Once you’ve settled on a theme, try to make whatever decorations you can on your own. If you are crafty, you can make lots of nice decorations just using some construction paper. For example, you could cut out little people shapes from blue or black paper to represent work suits. Add details in other colors: a white front for the shirt, a little black tie, etc.

If you are going to buy any decorations or have any made, be sure to check for sales or coupons. For example, use eSigns coupon codes to print up banners and party signs.

When Planning Gifts, Choose Thoughtful Over Expensive

The best gifts are usually those that mean something special to the recipient. When thinking about giving a gift to the retiree, think about what they loved about their profession and what their favorite parts of the job were. Plan gifts that will remind the retiree of what they loved about work (but don’t be afraid to throw in some jokes about the things they’ll be happy to leave!)

• Mementos for Managers: If the retiree was a people person and was well-liked by their employees and coworkers, ask guests for work photos and family members or friends for other photos and make a photo album. Then ask employees and coworkers to fill it up with warm messages and good memories.
• Ask Guests to Contribute: If it makes sense to give the retiree something expensive, make it a shared gift from many of the guests. For example, it’s popular to give retirees inscribed watches. If the retiree has expressed an interest in that kind of gift, distribute the cost. It will be even more of a special gift when it comes from the whole office.

Ask Guests for Help Planning Entertainment

Depending on the preferences of the retiree, it might be appropriate to organize a roast or speeches. Be sure to ask the retiree and guests beforehand so they have time to prepare! Other ideas for entertainment might include:

• Plan a Quiz or “Game Show”: Ask contestants questions about the retiree, their career, their workplace, their industry, etc. Make sure some of the questions are serious (“How many different hospitals has Mary worked at in her career?”) and some are fun or silly (“Mary frequently ate the same thing for lunch. What was her typical order?”).
• Purchase a Pre-made Game: There are a lot of retirement party games and kits available on Amazon, many for very reasonable prices.
• Have a Potluck: Ask guests to bring a dish to share with them. To reduce the cost further, host the party outside of a meal time, so that snacks and appetizers are more than sufficient.

Just as with saving money on a wedding, the best way to save when planning a retirement party is to distribute the effort, so make sure you are keeping other guests, the retiree, and their family and friends involved in the planning effort. This will make things easier and cheaper for you, and will add to the fun as when a party is low-stress, planning one can be a fun thing to do among friends. It’s also a great way to make sure the retiree ends up with the exact type of party they would like.

Whether you’re planning a birthday celebration, boozy brunch, or your parents’ anniversary dinner.

A party without music would be like Boston without the Red Sox: soulless and not a place you really want to be. But you can’t just put on any premade Spotify playlist and call it a day. No, the soundtrack to your shindig is just as important as the people you invite and food you serve.

It can be hard, however, to know which songs will fit the vibe of your specific party. Which is why we reached out to a professional. Boston-based DJ Ryan Brown, who hosts parties at local restaurants like State Park, Alden & Harlow, Island Creek Oyster Bar, and Row 34, shared his tips for building a party playlist, whether you’re throwing a raucous bash or a subdued get-together. (He even made a dinner party playlist just for you, readers.)

Here, his four keys to building the perfect playlist:

1. Think about your specific audience

It’s important to keep in mind the overall makeup of your guests. If you have a group people of different ages, the key is to play things that everyone’s going to identify with. Mix up your top 40s hits with songs from the 60s, 70s, and 80s, Brown suggested. Remixes can also be super helpful during a mixed-age gathering, he said.

“There’s just so much out there in terms of reworks and remixes, particularly within the Motown era,’’ he said. “There are really great remixes that keep the spirit of the original track but add some more contemporary elements to it. You’ll have a 25-year-old old and 55-year-year old both coming up to you, being like, ‘What is this, I need this.’ It’s a massive win.’’

Brown also said it’s important to not just play music that only you want to hear. If you are, say, Christina Aguilera’s biggest fan, that’s great. But you can’t just put on Stripped and call it a day.

“You have to think about it from a broader perspective,’’ Brown said. “Think about specific songs that might affect guests emotionally on an individual basis. Say you’re coming to my party, and I know that you really like The Talking Heads, and I know your favorite song is ‘This Must Be The Place,’ so that’s going on the playlist, and that’s my wink and nod to you.’’

2. Ask for help

Speaking of your guests, Brown said it’s important to remember that you don’t have to build the playlist all by yourself. Reaching out to those who are coming the party beforehand is a great way to make people feel included and to ensure that everyone has songs on the playlist that they’re really into. It’ll also help you shake up your normal listening patterns.

3. Be a tastemaker

You don’t have to play songs that everyone will know and love. Brown said that making your own party playlist can be a chance to broaden your guests’ musical horizons. You might end up introducing someone to their new favorite song, and it also builds connections.

“That person will associate that memory with being at your house party or dinner party and hearing that song,’’ he said. “They’ll be like, ‘I heard that with you first, remember?’’’

This works particularly well for a romantic dinner: If you’re trying to woo someone, playing them a song they haven’t heard will make them think of you whenever they hear it next. He said artists like The XX, Ray Lamontagne, Ryan Adams, and Common are particularly good additions to a date night soundtrack. But Brown’s ultimate artist to play for a one-on-one is Miles Davis: “You could just put on Kind of Blue, the whole album, and call it a day.’’

4. Don’t be afraid to mix it up

A lot of people hear “party’’ and think they have to choose songs that are upbeat to keep the energy up, but Brown said that isn’t the case.

“[The playlist] can ebb and flow, and it doesn’t have to go from slow to fast,’’ he said. “You can kind of think of it as rolling hills with more upbeat parts that dip and come back.’’

However, Brown said that one party situation where this doesn’t hold as true, however, is brunch. Brown said he prefers a real party vibe for a weekend day gathering to keep everyone from getting sleepy. He suggested a mix of old and new hip—alternate playing The Weeknd, Drake, and Fetty Wap with The Notorious B.I.G., Tupac, Dr. Dre, and A Tribe Called Quest, for example. He also said loud rock is also great in this situation: Led Zeppelin is a personal favorite.

Ready to start playlist building? Brown has already done some heavy lifting for you—he’s created his ultimate dinner party playlist on Spotify. Listen here.

Shawna is a registered nurse raising a family in the beautiful desert of Arizona.

Get to know your neighbors at a block party.

Remember when everyone knew their neighbors? Kids played hopscotch on the sidewalk and rode bikes every evening while parents sat on the front porch conversing with friends and sipping iced tea. It was normal to knock on your neighbor’s door and ask to borrow a cup of sugar. Neighborhoods today seem to have lost that sense of community. Families huddle inside their houses, afraid to learn who lives next door. If you want your community to adopt a spirit of change, take action! Start a tradition in your neighborhood by planning a block party. Neighborhood block parties are a fun way to meet neighbors, build friendships, and develop a sense of belonging and security among residents.

Planning

The first step in planning a block party is to choose a date and location. Get together with a few neighbor friends and find out what date works best for everyone. This way you’re guaranteed to have at least a few families in attendance. Most block parties are held in the afternoon to evening. Don’t plan the event for a holiday weekend, since most people will already have other commitments. Also, take weather into consideration. If you live in an area where it often rains in the evening, plan a lunchtime get together. Depending on where you live, spring and fall are ideal months for outdoor block parties. Plan the party far enough in advance so people can put it on their calendars and you have enough time to organize it all. If there are other people willing to help with the planning, welcome them with open arms.

Just because you don’t have a “block” doesn’t mean you can’t have a block party. A block party is really just a gathering of neighbors. If you live in an apartment complex, town home complex, or high rise condo, a block party is still a great way to meet and fellowship with your neighbors. Plan to have the event at a local park or in the parking lot of your building.

Choose a location that will accommodate a large number of people. You will have chairs, grills, coolers, tables, and more, so make sure to find a space that is large enough. When I organized a block party for my street last spring, I made sure to choose a site that would be shaded during our afternoon party. After choosing a grassy common area in our neighborhood, I kept track of when the sprinklers came on to make sure we didn’t schedule the party just in time for a shower.

Also, find a setting where kids will have lots of room to play. If your community has a park with a playground, plan to have the event there. The kids will be able to play while the adults are socializing close by. Having the party in a cul-de-sac is also a nice option. Make sure the location is accessible to all people invited, and don’t block off driveways or traffic on through streets. If you plan on putting up any barricades in the street, you might need a permit from the city, depending on where you live.

Cost

The cost of a block party varies. Block parties can be thrown with no cost at all if everyone pitches in. An elaborate party with caterers, musicians, inflatable water slides, and helium balloons will be pretty pricey. If you plan on throwing a larger-than-life bash, make sure there is a money source. If you live in a community with a Homeowner’s Association, there may be a dollar amount earmarked for this type of event each year.

Also check with the city. In the town where I live, there is a block party trailer that can be used for free by any resident planning a neighborhood party. The trailer is filled with chairs, tables, sports equipment, an outdoor PA system, canopies, and more. It also comes with a $75 giftcard for a local grocery store to help with the cost of food. All of this is free through the city if you plan ahead and reserve the trailer in advance.

If HOA or city assistance is not available, survey the neighborhood and ask if each household would be willing to chip in $10 towards the party. As the planner, make sure money is available before hiring entertainment and purchasing supplies. Without proper planning, you could end up footing the bill in the end. That being said, there are easy ways to keep costs down and still have a great time. I’m all about saving money, so the rest of this article will focus on planning an inexpensive but fabulous block party.

Invitations

First decide who will be invited. In small neighborhoods, every resident should be included. However, if you live in a neighborhood like mine, there are over three hundred houses. Such a large number of people could get expensive and overwhelming. The first time I planned a block party, I invited only people living on our particular street. The turnout was small, but we still had a great time. Next time I will invite families from four or five streets surrounding ours, in hopes that the turn out will be better. It can be difficult to decide where to draw the lines for invitations. No one wants to feel left out, so do your best to include as many neighbors as possible.

Make an attractive flyer and deliver one to each home on your block about one month in advance. I like to make colorful flyers that are eyecatching and fun. Print the flyers on your home computer. Include the date, time, and location of the party, a contact person for RSVPs, and a list of things to bring. What should people bring? For our community’s recent block party, I suggested bringing the following: lawn chairs or a blanket to sit on, drinks, plates and utensils, meat to grill, and a side dish or dessert to share. Make sure this is incorporated into your flyer.

Sample Flyer

Pertinent information about the block party is included in this flyer, such as date, time, location, RSVP contact, and what to bring.

How to Organize a Battle of Bands Competition

One of the best showcases for new talent is the cabaret act. Whether you are planning to strut your stuff in front of industry executives and area audiences, or are just looking for a way to keep up your chops while earning a few bucks, you can plan the perfect cabaret act by following these tips.

Make a list of your musical likes and dislikes. Make another list of your vocal strengths and weaknesses. Write a list of your favorite songs or songs that communicate something that you feel strongly about. Using your lists, prioritize the elements that you most want to incorporate into your act.

Once you have an idea of what you wish to communicate and the type of music that suits your voice best, get specific. Plan a 1-hour show on paper. Your material should be fresh and unique, not songs that are over-performed or boring standbys. Instead, look for original or obsolete material that communicates what you are about or tells a story. Listen to old record albums, or visit the music section of your library to research songs from different eras which can be updated or interpreted in an original way by you and your band.

Start seeking venues so that you have an idea of the seating capacity of each one and what available dates they may have coming up in the future. Don’t book a venue yet, but make notes about the ones you visit. Decide if you will pay outright for the room or give a predetermined percentage of your cover charges to the room in lieu of rental.

Figure out a realistic budget for the venue, arrangements, musicians, lighting and sound person, mailings, performance clothing, sheet music and any other expenses you are likely to encounter. It could be helpful to speak to someone that has done a cabaret act recently to get a breakdown of her expenses.

Find your musicians. If you are on a strict budget, you may opt to keep it simple—a good pianist can accompany a cabaret act as effectively as a small band, if the arrangements are good. You may wish to hire an arranger to make sure that your musical selections are presented in a fresh way. Look in the classified sections of your local newspapers, or find online musician sites where available musicians post notices. Another way to find good musicians is to frequent clubs where they play. Speak to other singers for recommendations, or ask bar managers and studio engineers if they know of musicians looking for work. You may have to negotiate a payment schedule based on future earnings, but some musicians want to be paid up front for rehearsals. Have them sign a contract that states explicitly the dates they will be available for rehearsals and performance, as well as the terms of payment.

Choose your venue, and present a portion of your act to the cabaret’s booking agent, if required.

Create a mailing list with the names of everyone you know, everyone you know knows, anyone you have every worked with in any capacity, the names on other people’s mailing lists if you can access them and the mailing list names from any performance organizations that you belong to, such as MAC (Manhattan Association of Cabaret). If you are planning to invite industry executives, write a personal greeting on the card you send, and make sure they know you are looking forward to seeing them and are really expecting them to be there. Because they attend a lot of showcases, you want to make sure to give them plenty of advance notice about your showcase, and even send a reminder a week or two before the actual performance date (see Resources below).

Make sure you have enough easy-to-read copies of each piece of your sheet music or charts for everyone in the band, as well as yourself. Make sure any changes or musical notations are clearly marked, and discuss them before your musicians begin to play. This will save time and money in rehearsal.

If the club does not provide sound and light technicians, be sure to line those up well in advance of your performance, and make sure they are free to attend at least one of your rehearsals together.

Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse! If you can’t afford to pay your musicians for more than one or two rehearsals, tape the first one and use the playback while you rehearse.

Choose what you are going to wear and a couple of backup outfits, just in case your feelings change on the evening of your performance.

Be sure to have mailing lists or cards on each table in the room during the performance so that your audience can be notified about when you will be performing again. Ask for email addresses, phone numbers and home addresses in addition to names.

If you have a CD, T-shirts or any other items to promote during the act, have someone set up a table outside the door, and make sure the audience is aware that they are for sale. Include a mailing list request inside the CD case, as well, in case your audience member purchases a CD as a gift for a friend.

Be sure to follow up with any industry executives that attend your cabaret act. Thank them for being there, and let them know that you would like feedback, if possible, to help you improve your future performances. If you have a CD, T-shirts or any other items to promote during the act, have someone set up a table outside the door, and make sure the audience is aware that they are for sale. Include a mailing list request inside the CD case, as well, in case your audience member purchases a CD as a gift for a friend.

You know that friend of yours who can whip up dinner for 20 without breaking a sweat? Well, for me, that’s Kristin Donnelly, TODAY Food contributor and the author of the new cookbook “Modern Potluck: Beautiful Food to Share.” Here, she shares her top tips for throwing a perfect potluck party, plus two fabulous potluck recipes for Peach-Blueberry Slab Pie and Spice-Roasted Carrots with Lentils. Take it away Kristin!

1. Control your inner control freak

Dinner parties are the time you can mastermind every dish and style the look of your table. But when you’re hosting a potluck, relax. Sure, you can suggest that someone bring a certain type of dish, but if your friend is dying to bring her famous (infamous?) macaroni salad, just let her bring it (or gently suggest the Spice-Roasted Carrots with Lentils).

To make sure the party doesn’t have six platters of deviled eggs (unless you’re having a deviled egg potluck, which is a brilliant idea, thanks!), you might want to create a sign-up sheet (setting up a spreadsheet on Google Drive that everyone can access works well). Again, there’s no need to be overly controlling—just create a list of categories, such as Dips & Hors d’Oeuvres; Salads and Vegetables; Main Dishes; Desserts; Other, and let your guests fill in from there.

Peach-Blueberry Slab Pie with Sweet Almond Crust

2. Keep your guests in the loop about dietary restrictions

If you know that some people at the party can’t eat certain foods, it’s nice to tell the other guests so they can consider this as they choose their dishes. Make it clear that their dishes do not need to be gluten-free or vegan (unless it is an absolute must).

3. Pick a theme, or don’t

If you host potlucks regularly, choosing a theme can be a fun way of mixing it up. But it’s also unnecessary and perhaps even unadvisable for those larger potlucks with lots of unknown guests. If you do want to go the theme route, here are some ideas.

• Global street food: You can ask people to bring a dish that is inspired by one they discovered on their travels or from a place they want to go.
• Your grandmother’s favorite recipe, your way: Ask people to bring the original recipe to display alongside their updates.
• Book club: Bring people together around a certain cookbook, or if you’re reading fiction, ask guests to make recipes inspired by the book.
• Seasonal parties: In the summer, ask people to make dishes that use things from the garden or lots of herbs. In winter, throw a soup party and assign half to bring soups and the other half to bring accompaniments, like bread and desserts.
• Wine-pairing potluck: Tell everyone to make a dish and bring a wine that pairs well with it.
• Swap parties: In addition to a dish, ask guests to bring gently used clothes, kitchen items, books, or even excess garden produce to swap.
• Stand the heat: If your group is a lot of spicy food lovers, have them make dishes that use different kinds of chiles. Then, serve ice cream and sorbet for dessert.
• Local pride: Ask your guests to create dishes using one of their favorite local ingredients or food products.

4. Think about the flow and label the food

For a small potluck, putting most of the food on the same table is fine and makes sense. But for a larger one, it’s usually easier to divide the food among different tables and different spaces. For example, you could put all the vegetarian food in one place or divide the dishes on tables designated for hot and cold food, or starters and main dishes. If there will be several hot dishes, put down trivets so they have easy spots to land. Have blank tags and pens ready so you or your guests can write down the name of the dish and include any necessary information, like “contains nuts!” or “spicy!” or “gluten-free!” For even more fun, line your tables with butcher paper and encourage people to describe their dishes right alongside, on the paper.

When creating a party platter or party tray—such as veggie trays, fruit trays, cheese trays, and charcuterie boards—the options are endless. Don’t be overwhelmed. Use these party platter ideas to get you started. Customize each tray as you like for guests’ flavor preferences and the foods you find on sale when you make your grocery trip.

vegetable platter

When is the last time you went to a party or potluck that didn’t serve a veggie tray? Hard to remember, isn’t it? It’s a standard party appetizer for good reason: Veggie trays are easy to make and can be pulled together on the cheap with our pointers.

Veggie Tray Tips

It’s not a veggie tray without a dip for dunking. We used a Buttermilk Dressing on this party tray.

Save money: Buy veggies whole and cut them up yourself. If time is a bigger concern, buy precut, but pay more.

Think seasonal: Choose produce by season and in an array of colors. Fruits and veggies not only look better and taste better in season, but also are more affordable.

Size-wise: Cut produce to a size that’s easy to eat but still large enough to scoop up dips.

Repurpose leftovers: Chop up leftover veggie tray ingredients to toss into a stir-fry, casserole, omelet, or soup.

Snack math: Plan on 4–5 dippers per guest and 2–3 tablespoons dip per guest. For 12 guests, plan 48 pieces (4–6 cups dippers) and 24 tablespoons (1½ cups) dip.

How to Make a Cheese Tray

Nothing tops cheese and crackers as a party starter, and the options are as endless as the variety of cheeses and crackers. Put together a stunning cheese plate with something for everyone using these tips.

Cheese Tray Tips

Save money: Stronger cheeses like blue cheese and goat cheese stretch far since guests tend to take less per serving. Mild cheddar and Swiss are affordable crowd-pleasers.

Add interest: Roll goat cheese logs in chopped fresh herbs, nuts, or spices for extra flavor and texture.

Have variety: Serve cheeses with a variety of textures, flavors, and milk sources.

Mix and match: Buy a few types of crackers, or look for boxes that come with an assortment of flavors.

Temperature smart: Most cheese tastes best at room temperature, so arrange the tray and set it out about 30 minutes before serving.

Repurpose leftovers: Cheese is fantastic as is, but you can use leftovers from your cheese tray to top salads, sandwiches, soups, pastas, roasted veggies, casseroles, and more.

Snack math: Plan on 3–4 ounces cheese, 4–5 crackers, and 1 tablespoon spread per guest. For 12 guests, plan on 2–2½ pounds of cheese, one box of crackers, and ¾ cup or 1 jar of spread.

How to Make a Fruit Tray

If you want to put together a party platter with virtually no fuss, a fruit tray is the way to go. Many fruits are already in bite-size form, so they require little prep.

Fruit Tray Tips

Don’t forget a dip for fruit dunkers. We made our tray with a Marshmallow Dip.

Choose variety: Pick fruits of varying flavors, textures, and colors for the most interesting fruit tray.

Keep it fresh: Even in season, berries and cherries can be pricey. Purchase berries just before serving since their life span isn’t very long once picked.

Get ahead: Most fruit can be washed, peeled, and sliced up to 24 hours before serving. Store fruit in separate containers in the fridge until party time. Cut up apples, pears, and bananas at the last minute to avoid discoloring as they stand.

Size-wise: Cut up fruit into manageable pieces for easy dipping and eating.

Repurpose leftovers: Blend fruit leftovers into smoothies, add to salads, top ice cream, or garnish cookies and cakes.

Snack math: Plan on ½ to 1 cup fruit, 2–3 tablespoons dip, and 1 cookie per guest. For 12 guests, plan 6–8 cups fruit, 24 tablespoons (1½ cups) dip, and 12 cookies.

How to Make a Charcuterie Tray

Charcuterie boards and trays are trendy in restaurants and as a party appetizer idea. Charcuterie is a French term for cured or cooked meats. Curing is the process of preserving meat with salt and sometimes other ingredients to add flavor. It could also involve smoking, depending on the product.

Charcuterie Tray Tips

Our charcuterie board includes caramelized onions and a purchased olive tapenade, but you can make both at home:

Watch cost: Charcuterie can get expensive. Cut cured meats into small, thin pieces so guests take fewer pieces. Check for sales in the meat case to save money. Adding bread, dried fruit, pickles, and nuts to the tray also helps make the food last longer.

Repurpose leftovers: Cured meats make great sandwiches or toppings for pizza or salad.

Snack math: Plan on 3–4 slices (1 ounce) meat, 2 tablespoons dip, and 2–3 crackers per guest. For 12 guests, plan on 12–16 ounces meat, 24 tablespoons (1½ cups) dip, and 24–36 crackers.

Warner Bros/Courtesy of Neal Peters Collection

Your guy’s bachelor party is coming up, and truth be told, you’re starting to wig out a bit. What if there are strippers? What if he drinks way too much and does something stupid? What if he gets stranded on the top of a hotel building Hangover style (okay, that one’s not exactly likely, but still!)? You’ve heard way too many horror stories, but alas—you can rest your pretty little minds, brides, because we’ve put together the ultimate bachelor party survival guide for engaged girls.

Have a Discussion Before He Leaves

Every bride and groom is different in terms of what they’re looking for out of their bachelor/bachelorette party and how they expect their significant other to behave, explains sex educator and concierge for My Secret Soiree, Kait Scalisi. “Some couples may not even be worried about it! However, it is important for both partners to get on the same page. This conversation can either happen over the course of a few talks or one big talk, again, depending on how important the night and its details are to the couple.” Some things that are vital to discuss, according to Scalisi, are:

• Expectations for the evening, including what each person is hoping to get out of the night and their hard and soft limits for the other person (e.g. “absolutely don’t do x” versus “I’d prefer you didn’t do x”).
• Whether contact during the night is okay.
• Whether they want to discuss the night with each other or “put it in the vault.”
• Scheduling.
• Budget.
• Any fears, anxieties, worries, etc.

“The goal of the conversation shouldn’t necessarily be 100 agreement, but rather respect for each other’s opinions and finding a middle ground that honors and respects both partners’ feelings and limits,” says Scalisi.

Don’t Bombard Him With Texts While He’s There

“While it’s okay to send him a text telling him that you hope he’s having a great time with his friends, you don’t want him to feel like you don’t trust him,” warns Joanne Barken, founder of The Bach, an online platform for planning bachelorette parties. Instead, let him know you’re thinking of him and win some major points with his friends by surprising the entire bachelor group with a bottle of champagne or liquor at the hotel or club, she suggests. You can easily coordinate this with his best man beforehand to ensure all goes smoothly.

Plan Your Bachelorette Party for the Same Time as His

If the scheduling works, it’s not a bad idea to have the bachelor and bachelorette parties during the same weekend. “That way you know you will be entertained and having a great time with your best friends rather than stuck at home envisioning a scene from The Hangover,” says Barken.

Don’t Cross-Examine Him When He Comes Home

Of course, you’ve got a ton of questions running through your mind, but the last thing you want to do is interrogate your man the moment he walks through the door. “Chances are, he’s going to be tired, hungover and really happy to see you,” points out Barken. If you feel like you can’t fall asleep at night unless a few questions are answered though, she recommends waiting to bring them up until after he’s had some rest. “You’re about to be married, so if something is bothering you, he should be able to talk openly to you about the issue,” she says.

Follow this step by step guide to help make your Get Together great!

First Steps:

Decide when and where

First step, choose the day and time that would work best for you. This year the Great Get Together will take place from 19 – 21 June. If those dates don’t work for you, don’t worry! We’d love for you to celebrate on a different day.

Your community party can take place anywhere: in the road, a back garden, park, allotment, school or community centre. If you’re having a street party, you might need to arrange for your road to be closed, so here’s a handy guide on doing so — make sure you get your closure application in early!

Invite your friends and neighbours

Do you want your community event to just be for neighbours or local residents? Or for anyone living in the local area? You could invite everyone within a certain postcode, all users of a particular bus stop, or a group linked by a cause such as a sports club or worship group. However you choose to invite your guests, we can make sure you have all the resources you’ll need to help you promote your event.

Try to personally invite as many people as you can too, and ask them to spread the word. By doing this you’ll likely find people who want to get involved with the organising too! Perhaps it’s face painting, sound equipment or baking a cake — you never know what hidden talents lie lurking, and many hands make light work!

Next Steps:

Plan the food

Keep it simple. A bring-your-own picnic is a good option as it requires little preparation in advance, or you could ask everyone to bring one dish to share.

Get Local Support

Don’t be afraid to get out and about to see what people can offer for your get together. Local cafes, shops and businesses may be able to lend you things such as tables and chairs, donate food and drink or even donate prizes for a raffle. You’ll be amazed at how generous local people are if you just ask!

Top Tips:

• Don’t forget to let your local media know what fun you’re up to so they can help spread the word too.
• Try to make sure that your entertainment, games and activities are suitable for all.
• If you have music, make sure it’s varied, not too loud and doesn’t go on too late!
• Have plenty of bins and recycling stations around to make your clean up easier and more effective.

Final Steps:

Share your Great Get Together

We are so grateful that you’re throwing a Great Get Together and celebrating what is set to be an amazing weekend. Don’t forget to share your pictures and stories – we’d love to see them. We’re at @great_together on Twitter, More in Common on Facebook and @greatgettogether on Instagram. You can also email them to us at [email protected]

Enjoy!

Get to know your neighbours, catch up with old friends, enjoy your get together and have fun!

You have plenty of time to organise your get together and we hope you have a blast planning it too! If you do have any questions, check out our FAQs page.

The Great Get Together was an initiative founded in 2017 by the family and friends of Jo Cox in partnership with more than 100 organisations. Since then we’ve heard from all quarters that the Great Get Together shouldn’t be a one-off, so it’s now a project of The Jo Cox Foundation (registered charity number 117083).

Get this party STAAAARRRRTTTTEEEEEDDDD!

It’s Friday, you’ve got a big party this weekend, but no playlist to get the place rocking and your neighbours complaining. So what do you do? DON’T JUST PLUG IN YOUR PHONE AND HIT SHUFFLE.

We’ve had a chat with the expert: namely Rory Woodbridge, Curator and EMEA Streaming Lead for Google Play Music, who spends his days piecing together the best playlists the internet has to offer. So, how exactly do you create the perfect house party playlist? Well, by following these helpful hints.

1. HAVE A FULLY FORMED IDEA BEFORE JUMPING IN

As you’ve probably experienced first hand, creating a playlist can often mean excitedly adding five or so big tunes then quickly running short of ideas and cramming it with disjointed, sub-par filler. Bad.

According to Rory, the cardinal rule of playlist curation is to have a fully formed idea of the sound you’re looking to achieve and the atmosphere you’re looking to set before adding the first track. You can then use this framework to judge whether each and every song you add is worthy, suitable and likely to keep the party atmosphere going.

2. ADD MUSIC THAT OTHERS WILL LIKE

Yes, it might be your party but it’s there for others to have fun too, so don’t go forcing your musical tastes down peoples’ throats knowing they won’t enjoy it. According to Rory, “You’ve got to stay objective.”

He told us: “Just because you’re a music lover, remember it’s not just about your tastes. There’s a lot of music that people love – like the big mainstream acts – that music snobs sneer at. You might have what you think is a great idea, but it can cause your playlist to crash.”

3. IMAGINE WHICH SONGS MIGHT NOT HIT…

…And kill them off sharpish. If you can already sense which songs are going to cause a bit of a lull and have people clamouring for the “next track” button, they don’t deserve to be there in the first place.

“Imagine the audience, and imagine what’s going to be skippable,” Rory advises. “Everything needs to flow from one track to another.”

4. DON’T CROSS THE STREAMS

“Try and avoid crossing genres and being all over the place,” Rory says. Just because you like those three songs doesn’t mean that they go together. Backing up a bit of Beyoncé with Linkin Park and a bit of Macklemore just isn’t going to work.

Ultimately it will leave party goers confused and unsatisfied and cause massive ebbs and flows to the enjoyment. More importantly though, it will stop people getting into the groove and could lead to their skipping out for an early night.

5. WORK YOUR WAY UP TO THE BIG TRACKS

When piecing your playlist together, deciding where tracks go is as important as which tracks make the cut in the first place. Key to this is not top-loading your playlist.

“They tend to be in an order,” he told us. “If it’s for a house party you have to work your way up to the big stuff.” Why? Well because people will quickly tire if you go too hard too soon, and the mood will dip as the filler fails to keep the tempo going.

6. MAKE SURE YOU CAN BACK UP YOUR DANCE-FLOOR FILLERS

Want people to get all the way through your party playlist before someone’s taken control of your computer or phone and mixed things up? Of course you do. That means being able to back up the big tracks and keep the excitement levels going in the right direction.

“You’ve got to be careful. Say it’s a party for people in their late 20s or early 30s and you play something from that whole punk-rock scene, so a Blink 182 or a Sum 41 track, something fun that triggers a world of nostalgia – you’ve got to follow that up with something similar, otherwise people are going to grab your phone and play something not on the playlist because “Ah, that reminds me of that song”.

“You have to preempt that and work out what certain songs are going to make people want to listen to next.”

7. DON’T TRY TO TEST NEW MUSIC ON PEOPLE

We get it, you’re really into your music – but don’t try force that on people when it’s party time. A house party really isn’t the occasion to push previously unheard tracks on people.

“People don’t want to hear the song you just discovered yesterday that nobody’s heard of,” Rory explains. “That’s for you, so think about your audience. Most of the time people want to hear something they’ve heard before.”

8. USE THE ROBOTS TO HELP YOU OUT

Just because your party’s going to keep rocking for 5 or 6 hours doesn’t mean you’ve got to put as much time into creating your track list. There are plenty of features already built into services like Google Play Music that can help quicken the process up, including handing over control to the machines.

“There is a limit to the music catalogue in someone’s head,” Rory says. “If you get a good idea of how you want to start a playlist, get a core 15 tracks, you can then use the available features that let you make a longer playlists based off this selection of tracks. You’ve got to use the algorithmic tools available to you and be open to embracing the robots.”

And if a house party isn’t about embracing robots, what is?