It’s that time of the year again and it’s your turn to take on, quite literally, the Party of the Year. Gone are the days of wild student nights with broken teeth, indecent exposure over drinking games and vague memories the following morning. It’s time to define the decade with an event to impress.
Now, I could tell you to produce enough nibbles to fill a person from head to toe, to create a music playlist, adding at least five songs that each individual would like and to hit the Christmas special offers to make sure that midnight does not go without a bit of bubbly. You already know all of this. If you want to really ace the New Year’s Eve party it’ll take that extra step to embellish an evening with the Scriptoeris stamp. So here are a few ideas to make your party stand out from the rest.
They say the way you spend New Year’s Eve can define the way you pass the coming year, so know your limits. The last thing you want to do is enter into 2014 with no spending money. Scale your party to your budget. If you want to be ambitious with your party, simplicity and class are key ingredients to any magnificent event.
Get creative
There’s nothing more fun and no better way to keep costs low than getting your hands dirty. New Year’s Eve is a night to be spent with close friends so once the family stuff is out of the way, enjoy spoiling your friends by baking and creating treats, edible or otherwise.
If you decide to run with a theme, trawl through magazines and re-watch your favourite films to find that perfect element to tie everything together. In my opinion, nothing is better, at New Year’s, than looking back on what you’ve got up to over the past twelve months. You can attach memories to everything you prepare. It how many ideas you have of what to cook by taking this approach – especially if you’ve jetted off somewhere with your friends this year. Tortellini on cocktail sticks to dip in tomato sauce and mini-pizzas for that trip to Rome, a big vat of paella that people can help themselves to if you went Valencia, miniature hamburgers for New York, Brownies for Chicago…
Getting creative can mean cupcakes, of course, but try and take that creativity a step further. Think about making memory walls; cut hundreds of strips of card and get marker pens out to write out the ridiculous quotes from your friends said during 2013. Lean a bit of hard board (spray painting it beforehand makes it look really great) against the wall and get sticking! If you’ve got a large guest list and want to keep them busy, leave a pile of markers, paper strips and glue sticks then enjoy laughing at the ridiculous things your friends thought necessary to add to your board under the influence of alcohol. Also, don’t be surprised to see these strips of paper where you least expect them weeks later! You can do the same with photos, New Year’s resolutions or whatever you feel like to add that really personal touch to your party.
Be Prepared
Most people say it takes a day to get ready for a party. I say it takes longer, especially if you want it to stand out from the years of champagne fuelled annual events that you usually attend, have it all ready on 29th. Get your outfit sorted before Christmas. Don’t forget to check it still fits! You will then be able to actually enjoy your own party because prep on the day involves popping things in and out of the oven. Then, soak in the bath and pamper yourself before a night of endless chin-wagging and dancing.
Remember, no one is too old for a party game
Maybe beer pong doesn’t exactly go with the classy vibe you are going for. However, going back to the silly games you played with your family in years gone by never disappoints. If you sense the high heels are taking their toll and the dance floor is less well populated, wap out the top hat for celebrity challenge or get people talking about “Most likely to…” over the next year. You could even make things a little interesting by bringing out the poker chips or team up over trivial pursuit.