The festive season is upon us. With teej around the corner and Dashain and Tihar following soon after, it’s that time of the year when you find yourself meeting up with family and friends over lunches and dinners. It’s mostly likely that you will want to host a couple of parties yourself. After all, could there really be a better time to indulge in good food and spend quality time with your loved ones than when you are free from meetings and deadlines?

But does the idea of throwing a party or having even a small get-together at home stress you out? You think of the million things you need to do, like prepare the menu, get the house in order, think of festive gifts and what not, and you feel overwhelmed. It happens to the best of party planners so that doesn’t mean you can’t welcome guests. With the information and tricks we’re here to provide you, you can throw a wonderful dinner event that will have your guests raving about your hosting skills. The good thing is it will be a breeze and you will also enjoy and be proud of yourself.

Plan in advance

The key to a successful party is planning, planning, and more planning. So whip out a notebook and write down everything that needs to be done, and include even small details like ‘clean the bathroom’, ‘get flowers and candles’, or ‘change the table runner’. Oftentimes, we tend to stress out over small things or forget them, leading to last minute hassles. Plan the guest list, appetizers and main course menu, and decor. Having everything written down will remove the mental clutter and make tasks much easier to manage. You can also create a to-do list on your phone and tick off items as you complete them. Also, planning in advance doesn’t have to mean planning a week before the party. You can start gathering things like decor items and gifts sometimes even a month in advance. Currently, there are many fairs and exhibitions being held around town in preparation for teej. Visit a couple to see what all you can pick up that you can use as party favors later on. Stocking up on things like these can help lessen the preparation load later on.

Pick a theme

If you thought having a theme was only for children’s birthday parties, think again. We, at ApEx, believe every party should have a theme. Not only does it seem like you have put a lot of thought and effort into hosting, it’s also easier to plan around a theme. You don’t have to decide everything like decor and food individually. Say you are throwing an outdoor barbecue party, then you don’t have to worry about indoor decor. All you need are some string lights and maybe a cool bar station setup. Similarly, if your theme is 90s throwback then the right music, a selection of candies that you used to have during your school days (and yes, there are widely available these days), and decor using balloons, banners, and ribbons could pretty much sort it out. Sometimes, a color or type of cuisine could decide your theme too. A cocktail soirée is a great low-effort theme, especially if you host an outdoor one during the day time. You only have to prepare some meat and cheese platters and let the drinks take over.

Let the decor take over

Apart from the food, the most important aspect of any party is how welcome and comfortable you make the guests feel. And this can only be done through the right decor. We recommend investing in sustainable decor items that you can use again and again and not on balloons and streamers that have to be tossed after a single use, though this can be used if you are throwing themed parties that need them. But if not, invest in large flower vases, candle holders, and lights that can be used to make your space seem more festive. For Dashain and Tihar, we couldn’t recommend floating candles enough. Place these in small urns in various corners of your house, along with some rose petals, to give your home a festive feel. Light a diffuser with an aromatic essential oil to keep it smelling fresh. You could also place incense sticks in bathrooms and corridors. Invest in cute tableware and glassware that will make your appetizers and drinks look even better. The devil lies in the details so make sure you get them right.

Set up the food in style 

A buffet style set up is the most common way of serving food at most parties. And while these are practical and perhaps even irreplaceable, there’s really no excuse for a boring buffet. To ensure your party is the talk of the town, the food has to stand out in terms of preparation and presentation. We aren’t just talking about fancy ceramic wares and cutlery here though pretty napkins in vibrant colors and interesting patterns instead of regular, boring white ones definitely won’t hurt. Label your food using small photo holders and write down what’s in it. Make sure you mention the possible allergens if any. Decorate the buffet area with random arrangements of different flowers on small vases, fun food quotes written on chalkboards (this one is one of our favorites) and even cookbooks that your menu has been inspired from. You can also print out photos of your previous parties or take recent fun ones from your guest’s Instagram accounts and hang these on a piece of rope with pegs along the buffet area. Get creative with what you have around the house. You can use little knick knacks from your travels to decorate the area as well.