I wanted to give all of you revelers a few inspirational ideas for having a great New Year’s Eve party this year. We’ve had posts before on general party tips (Tips for throwing a party and More party tips) that are still applicable to New Year’s Eve, and here are a few more to round it out. NYE is a very special occasion and a party and a nice way to kick back and relax after a hectic Christmas season.

Try adding on one of these ideas to put your soirée over the top!

• Select a theme: this could be anything from the type of food you serve to how your decorate to how your guests should dress. For example, one year, we chose to do New York foods and celebrate like we were in Times Square. We served pizza, hot dogs, cheese cake and Cosmopolitans. Last year, we did a hillbilly theme and had everyone dressed as hillbillies and we served such gourmet items as SPAM and Frito pie! In the future, I plan on hosting a 1980’s themed party. I will decorate with 80’s memorabilia, everyone will dress in the 80’s style, and we’ll play old music videos on the television. If you want to have a more elegant event, host a 007 night. Tuxes, evening gowns, and martinis (shaken, not stirred!) should rule the evening here. Whatever theme you choose, have fun with it! Reflect the idea in your party invitation, decorations, and food.
• Have something to do: there’s a lot of party time before the ball actually drops in Times Square. To make sure your guests don’t get bored, have a little entertainment. Most years, I like to host a casino themed party. We set up Blackjack, Craps, Bingo and Roulette. We even had a real Slot machine last year. Have your guests “buy in” with $10 and give them a cup full of chips. I use the guests’ party money to buy auction prizes for the end of the evening. People use the money they won to bid on the prizes. We had so much fun one year, we almost missed the ball dropping! To pick an entertainment option, know what your guests like to do. If you have a crowd that enjoys dancing, crank up the tunes and have a dance floor available complete with a rented disco ball. Some groups enjoy playing board games. Have guests bring their favorite and set up plenty of tables and chairs with snacks around the room. Another popular entertainment option right now are the Rock Band games for gaming systems. Try your hand at some vocals and everyone will surely be having a good time laughing at you!
• Be specific: NYE is one of those times when parents of small children might not know whether the kids are welcome or not. Be very specific on your invitation if you are allowing kids or if it is an adults-only evening. Consider hiring a babysitter for the evening to watch all of the children in a separate part of the house. Having a group babysitter might make it a lot easier for the parents to attend your party since it is often difficult to find one on NYE. Also, have an end time designated on the invitation if you want to make sure the party ends soon after midnight. This will let your guests know you aren’t up for partying until the newspaper hits the door.
• Be safe: either offer up your guest rooms, couch, and pieces of your floor to those that have had a little too much or offer to drive them home yourself. Taxi services can be very busy on this night so call a little early for a pick-up. It’s important as the host or hostess to make sure everyone has a safe and happy time at your party!