With the end of the year fast approaching, holiday party planning is in full swing. And with a great deal of attention placed on occasions like Thanksgiving and Christmas, one of the year’s biggest holiday opportunities often winds up as a last-minute affair. So, if you’re hosting a New Year’s Eve party at home, we’re here to help.
New Year’s Eve parties tend to be looser and less formal than other holiday parties, but they can still take a lot of work. Whether small or large, hosting a New Year’s Eve party at home is a fantastic way to have fun after the more formal get-togethers earlier in the season. And once you know how to organize such an event, it can be easy, too. All it takes are few good planning tips, a little preparation, and the right tools.
1. Gather your inspiration
Whether simple or elaborate, hosting a New Year’s Eve party at home starts with picking a theme. Easy themes can include ringing in the new year, but keep in mind that more adventurous themes often result in a more memorable party.
For instance, if you want a lively event, pick a dance-related theme like disco or swing and ask your guests to dress appropriately. Super-casual or small New Year’s Eve party ideas might include a potluck or pajama party. Movie marathons—a popular New Year’s Eve pastime—can come with a Hollywood theme. Deciding on a theme early lets you prepare for it properly.
Power tip: You never know when or where inspiration may strike. If you come across a brilliant idea for a New Year’s Eve theme online, use Evernote to clip and save it with your files. That way, you won’t lose track of any fun ideas.
2. Keep your party budget tight
With a theme selected, the next step when hosting a New Year’s Eve party at home is to assemble a budget for anything you want or need. That can include food, decorations, party favors, and even costumes, depending on what you have in mind. If possible, look for sustainable products rather than cheap plastic alternatives.
Knowing how to host an NYE party means keeping costs in hand. Generally speaking, the tighter you can keep your budget, the better. It helps to make a list beforehand, along with the expected cost for each item. That way, you can prioritize when you need to and keep the budget low.
Power tip: Evernote is a great help in planning a New Year’s Eve party because it lets you centralize all your data. If you notice a sale on certain items for your party, you can create a note on the spot and save it in Evernote so you don’t forget. Everything stays together, allowing you to plan without losing track of any details.
3. Get help with the planning
Hosting a New Year’s Eve party at home can seem like a lot of work, especially if it’s elaborate. Friends and family members are a great way to share the load if they’re amenable to co-hosting. With basic plans in place, you can schedule a meeting for the collective party planners to delegate tasks and prepare for the big night.
You can also plan for check-ins to ensure everyone is accomplishing their duties. Give everyone a way to update the group with any changes or new developments.
Power tip: Tasks in Evernote lets you add deadlines and delegate duties to your friends and family planning a New Year’s Eve party with you. With it, you can keep everyone up to date about how your plans are progressing. You can even integrate it with your Google Calendar to sync important dates with your co-hosts’ schedules. If you need help getting started, Evernote comes with templates that are perfect for hosting your New Year’s Eve party at home.
4. Prepare the games and entertainment
No New Year’s Eve party is complete without some kind of entertainment. The specifics vary widely, from making New Year’s resolutions to playing video games and watching movie marathons. Some people like to dance and socialize. Others might just want a game night while watching the ball drop.
The key to a memorable New Year’s Eve party is knowing what your guests want to do. Your chosen theme and plans will inform the generalities. The games and entertainment you choose will go a long way toward nailing down the specifics.
Power tip: Use Evernote to share ideas with your co-planners. Create a shared notebook where you can store all your party-related materials so, when an inspiring entertainment idea strikes, you can ensure the entire team knows about it. Best of all, your co-hosts can add their own ideas too, so everyone can be involved.
5. Take note of awesome recipes
Food and drinks make a party. When hosting a New Year’s Eve party at home, you should always plan what to eat. If someone in the planning group is a cook, that might mean finding terrific recipes for theme-appropriate dishes. If you have more of a cocktail party in mind, look for finger foods and good-but-easy appetizers to make. Regardless of what you plan to serve, taking note of who will serve can be a huge time-saver.
Power tip: Adding tags to your notes lets you organize all your recipes and receipts and keep them centralized with the rest of your New Year’s Eve plans. That includes noting things like catering deals or restaurants that deliver.
Plan your New Year’s Eve with ease
A great New Year’s Eve party can be the ideal way to send off the year, but it can also take a lot of planning. That’s a particular challenge during the holidays, when New Year’s Eve must compete with other big occasions for your time and resources. Let Evernote help you stay organized and on budget. With it, you can put together a fantastic New Year’s Eve party in your home quickly and easily.
