Photo by cottonbro from Pexels
2020 has been challenging for most people. Since social distancing has been a mandate in most cities and states for extended periods, so you may be looking forward to having a great time with your friends and loved ones in person. Even when we’ve been to public outings, we’ve had to wear masks and stay at least 6 feet apart, which can limit the way we spend time together. If you’re planning on having a few get-togethers in 2021, there are a few things you can do to make sure your celebration is one that your guests won’t soon forget. Here are a few practical tricks to upgrade your parties in the coming year.
Upgrade Your Drinks
Drink charms make the beverages at your party more visually appealing and gives your cocktails a customized touch. The charms can also serve as a way for guests to mark their drinks and avoid using multiple glasses during the party. This not only decreases the clutter you’ll have to clean up after the celebration but makes everyone feel a little more at ease during the get-together.
You can also make fancy ice cubes for your celebration. Freeze small pieces of fruit or edible flowers in an ice tray with water to make decorative ice cubes. The ice cubes look great in a glass, whether you’re serving water, soft drinks, wine, or cocktails. It’s also a good idea to make the water you serve more appealing by adding lemon or lime wedges or cucumber and citrus slices to the water for added color and flavor.
Create a Bar Station with Seating
Offer your guests all the drinks you’ve prepared for the party at a bar station. Use a small table or shelf for your liquor offerings, fruit garnishes, bitters, and an ice bucket. You can also include a small cooler underneath the station for non-alcoholic drinks like water, juice, or iced tea. To make the bar station stand out more, adorn it with a sash or streamers in your party colors. It’s also a good idea to have a small tray of roasted nuts and mints at your „bar“ that your friends and family can enjoy with their drinks. Depending on the occasion, you may want to create a signature cocktail based on the party theme colors or the reason for the celebration. For instance, if you’re celebrating a loved one’s graduation, try creating a cocktail in the guest of honor’s school colors.
Make your guests feel like they’re at an actual bar by providing seating as well. This is ideal for parties where you’ll be watching a movie or sports game. If you live in the NYC area, you can find chair rentals in NYC to make sure everyone at the party is comfortable.
Serve Filling Appetizers
If you’re only serving finger foods at your party, make sure your guests aren’t still hungry when they leave your event. Instead of simply serving chips and dip, try sliders with beef or turkey patties, or fried ravioli with marinara dipping sauce. If your friends love chips and dips, choose a more filling option like spinach and artichoke dip with pita chips or buffalo chicken dip with mini toast wedges. These foods are still small enough to eat with one hand but are a little more filling than a vegetable and fruit tray. Of course, you can still offer fruit, vegetables, cheese, and crackers in addition to your heartier appetizers.
Make a Dessert Bar
For birthdays or anniversary parties where there is usually a cake for dessert, make your party more interesting by offering a dessert bar instead of a sheet cake. Decorate a table with donuts, cupcakes, chocolate candies, and brownies. Your guests will likely be drawn to the table as soon as they enter the party, and you can place the leftover treats in decorative boxes that your friends and loved ones can take home as party favors.
These tips will ensure that everyone has a great time at your party and remembers the time and effort you put in to make the celebration extra special. Since we haven’t been able to gather as often as we’d like in 2020, 2021 will hopefully be a year filled with enjoyable and entertaining get-togethers that are truly one of a kind