If the thought of planning and hosting a cocktail party
frightens you, be assured that you are not alone. For many
“would-be” entertainers, the hassle and expense many associate
with hosting cocktail parties, is enough to make them eighty-six
the whole idea. There are a few guidelines that can be followed
that will make your event memorable, affordable, and most
importantly, stress-free!

Perhaps, the most important decision you will make in regards to
your cocktail party is who to invite! The trick is to invite a
wide array of guests. This means inviting guests in different
age ranges, occupations and styles of life. This will induce
many interesting conversations within your mix of guests.

After you have chosen an eclectic group, mail the invitations to
them 2-3 weeks before the soirée. This would also be an
excellent opportunity to cut costs by limiting the number of
cocktails offered. By including a space on the R.S.V.P card for
the guests to fill in their favorite concoction, you can tally
the responses and choose 2, no more than 3 of the most popular
cocktails. Some Home Entertaining experts suggest that you
assign a base spirit for the guests to bring; that is not
recommended by the experts at Unique Entertaining. Your guests
are to be treated like royalty and asking them to bring a spirit
to a party you have invited them to would be in bad taste. You
can also decrease costs by having a 3 drink maximum for each
guest and determine the amount of spirits needed based on that
calculation. This will also assist you in monitoring the alcohol
intake of your guests. While planning the beverages to be
served, remember to stock up on water, coffee and tea for those
guests who are in attendance for the party and not the
cocktails.

Most of your guests will be partaking of the cocktails, so, it
is vital that you have refreshments to line their bellies.
Finger foods and fruit/cheese trays are excellent and easy
choices. The finger foods can be transformed into dainty and
elegant foods by cutting the crusts off and arranging them in an
artistic manner. You can decide on the menu and shop for the
appropriate items the week before to have less to do as the
party nears. Place a couple of trays of food around your
mingling area with tons of candles and watch your living room
become a virtual cocktail lounge!