Hosting a party: how to avoid common mistakes

Throwing a party can be a little hectic or stressful—but most difficult situations are caused by the following five mistakes. Here's how to avoid them and make the party more positive for everyone involved.

The quickest way to ruin a party is to have police arrive, and one of the worst aftereffects of throwing a party is having angry neighbours afterwards. Fortunately, this can often be avoided by alerting those who live nearby of the impending gathering. Also consider extending an invite if it won't seem awkward. Even if your neighbour doesn't come, they'll feel good about the invite and will have officially been alerted of the approaching festivities.

Imagine walking into a room where you only know a few people and being left on your own. This is how some party guests may feel if they don't know everyone at the gathering. Unless everyone at a party knows each other, make sure to introduce your guests to each other. Even an announcement when a guest arrives, including their name and how you know each other, is enough to get the ball rolling on potential conversations.

In a perfect world, all party guests would RSVP properly. Unfortunately, this isn't a perfect world. Unexpected party guests are a fact of life, and if you're not prepared, you could easily run out of food or drinks. Plan for at least two additional guests; if those guests don't materialise, you'll just have a few leftovers.

Most people expect there to be alcohol at a party; while it's not a requirement, it helps take the edge off when conversing with new people. Make sure, though, that you aren't enjoying the alcohol quite as much as everyone else. As the host, it's your job to run a smooth party. If you have one too many, this can become difficult. Enjoy your drinks at a moderate pace and follow each up with some water.

Just because some people are fine with standing around the island in the kitchen doesn't mean everyone is comfortable. Make sure there's adequate seating for 80 percent or more of your guests. This is especially important when parties are outside, since furniture is usually inside the home. If you're having an indoor party with ten people, recognise that one couch simply isn't enough.