5 Tips for Hosting the Best Cocktail Party!
Hello! Welcome to my 5 tips on hosting a cocktail party – If you’ve landed here – this is the first blog post of my blog! I hope you stick around as I get into the swing of blogging again. About 7 years ago I used to have a food blog which I had so much fun with, but got pregnant shortly after starting it and got SO many food aversions during my first trimester that I just couldn’t keep creating recipes or even look at food much less.
And while there have been so many big changes in my life in the last 7 or so years, something that hasn’t changed is my love to gather people together at home and make fun memories. So, I’m starting this blog as a way to share my tips, ideas, and overall thoughts on hosting adults and children alike!
As someone who has limited time, energy, and resources BUT loves to gather people together to make memories – I think I’ve perfected hosting a stress-free cocktail party!
Without further ado, here are five tips I follow when hosting a cocktail party:
1. Guest List
Have you ever thrown a party with a group of people and some that really just don’t vibe well? I have, and it stresses me out so much because I feel that someone usually has a hard time integrating themselves.
Be intentional with guest lists and try to create guest lists based on people that have things in common (like parents of kids that go to the same school or friends that go to my same gym). I also try and add people that I know are always fun, lively, and chatty!
Because of the size of my house, if I am having an indoor cocktail party, I try to keep the size to around 8-10 people, any more than that it’ll start to feel cramped especially if we are all sitting to play a game.
2. Have a Welcome Cocktail
As soon as my guest comes in, I take their coat and hand them a welcome cocktail! This sets the tone for the party and just starts the fun. In the summertime I love to make this margarita from the defined dish, it always always gets compliments.
The rest of the time, my go-to welcome cocktail is the French 75, I use Ina’s recipe and it is perfect. You can make it ahead of time, serve the mixture in champagne glasses and right before your guests come you top it with chilled champagne. Trust me on this, it is such a good and simple cocktail – especially if you make it ahead.
3. Play a Game!
Playing a game is the perfect ice breaker – at the last cocktail party I hosted I told guests that the first hour was going to be for nibbling and chatting, but that a game would start after the hour passed. My absolute favorite game to play with a group is fishbowl – you can find the instructions here. It’s funny, creative, gets you moving and everyone participates – and you most likely have all you need to play it at your house (bowl, paper, and pens).
My second game that I enjoy is the game of things – I played this so much as a teen and remember the non-stop laughs we had with my friends. This one is fun because you get a prompt like “things you wouldn’t do for a million dollars” and everyone writes a response down on a piece of paper and a reader reads them all aloud – you have to guess who wrote what, which makes it interesting!
4. Plan Ahead with Food
I used to be the type of person that made EVERYTHING from scratch when having people over, and although it was always thoughtful and delicious – the more children I had and saw my time and effort as being limited the more I realized that something has to give. Store bought is fine people! In reality, I focus on a few dishes that I can make from scratch and ahead of time and the rest I buy from Costco or Trader Joes. It saves me so much time, and at the end I’ve realized that people most value the entire experience of the cocktail party and a happy and relaxed host. I’ll be doing a separate blog post on the kinds of foods I make for a cocktail party (stay tuned).
5. Set a Start and End Time
My last tip is solely because I am a mom and while I love to have a good time, my husband and I have three young kids that need to be put to sleep – so we are very intentional in putting a start and end time. The last cocktail party I hosted was on a Sunday from 4-7pm and it was a perfect time. We had cocktails, appetizers, and dessert at the end, chatted, played games, and had the best time. At 7pm, I went over to my friend and neighbors house, whose family was watching the girls and picked the girls up and said bye to my guests. My husband and I were able to put the girls down at a reasonable hour and then be able to pick up the kitchen a bit before calling it quits. Everyone else was also able to get home and put their own kids down and prepare for the week.
This obviously doesn’t apply if you don’t need to have an end time like we do!
Do you have a favorite game to bring out for parties? And I’d love to hear your favorite cocktail party tips! Comment below!
Julie
Hi there! I’m Julie, a proud wife and mom of three incredible girls who keep me on my toes. Since 2018, I’ve embraced the role of stay-at-home mom, and I’m passionate about making the most of every moment with my little ones. Whether it’s planning fun at-home activities, hosting lively parties, or organizing playdates, I love creating memories without breaking the bank. I live in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, where I get to enjoy the charm of suburban life while still being close enough to the excitement of the city. Before becoming a full-time mom, I worked in Washington, D.C., in the policy field. While I’ve transitioned from that world to one filled with toddler tantrums and DIY crafts, my love for organizing, planning, and making things work on a budget has never wavered. Here, I’ll share tips, ideas, and inspiration for making family life not only affordable but fun and memorable. From crafting low-cost party ideas to simple home projects, my goal is to help busy parents like you create lasting moments without the stress. Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you find some ideas you can use in your own home!
