Our Editors Share the Small Touches That Make a Party All Their Own

We've thrown a few parties in our day, and are here to share our favorite tips for making them special.

Parties can be equal parts fun and stress when you first start planning them. You want the event to be memorable, but not because you were sweating and stressed all night, or forgot to get enough ice. The team at Food & Wine has thrown hundreds of parties of all kinds, and we’ve learned from those experiences. Here are our best tips for making your next bash easy on you, and especially fun for your guests.

Make a plan

“It may seem obvious, but prepping everything possible in advance means that you won’t spend your evening tossing pans in the oven to warm up, cutting up veggies for the crudité platter, or mixing up drinks. It allows you to be fully present with your guests and overall makes for a much more enjoyable experience.” — Sean Flynn, senior editorial director

“After I finalize a menu, I go through the recipes and identify what things can be prepped in advance, whether it’s chopping vegetables, toasting crostini, baking sweets, making a dip, or mixing a spice rub. Then I create a schedule for what I can do in the days before the party, and what can be made the morning of the party. The schedule for the afternoon comes down to what I can do by the hour. I try to always leave an hour free, in case something takes longer than expected, or I just want a minute or two to relax before my friends arrive.” — Chandra Ram, associate editorial director, food

“Unless you are an intimate group where you are 100% certain that all parties are acquainted, don't discount the appeal of name tags. One of the great anxieties of parties is forgetting the name of someone who seems to know you from before, so at least eliminate that from the mix and let your guests find other things they can berate themselves about late in the night when they replay every possible faux pas in their heads. (Just me?)” — Kat Kinsman, executive features editor

Prepare your space

“At the beginning of the party, disperse as many cameras as you have around the room and encourage people to pass them around and take photos. Cheap disposable cameras are a must, but if you have a digital camera or an easy-to-figure-out film camera, add those to the mix too. You'll end up with a full photo album's worth of photos, taken from all different perspectives. After the party, you can share the photo album with the group. It's a small, but thoughtful addition that will help you and your guests remember the party forever.” — Amelia Schwartz, associate editor

“Create a music playlist that includes songs that bring back good memories with your guests. There’s nothing like an impromptu dance moment or sing-a-long when your favorite song from college comes on.” — C.R.

“Having a tiny apartment, my entertaining tips are about using every space you can. Use your shower curtain rod as a coat rack by putting hangers directly on the rod. Fill your bathtub with ice and use it for beer and wine. And always tell your friends to bring ice. You can never have enough ice.” — Lucy Simon, assistant editor

“If you have the surfaces to do so, set up your bar and food options in multiple stations. This helps avoid a bottleneck and gives people reason to move around the space.” — K.K.

“Clear out your sink, and set up a container of soapy water where all the used cutlery can go. Put a few forks in there from the start so people understand what to do. It makes it easier to have a stack of plates and a container of cutlery at the end of the night, rather than everything balanced precariously.” — C.R.

Let guests get involved

Plenty of people feel most comfortable at a party when they have a task to do, so let them. It might be an ice run, guiding people to where they can put their coats, even doing dishes, but anything that lets you be present and hospitable is a win for everyone.” — K.K.

“For the holiday party I hosted last year, I prepared ‘nearly there French 75s’ in advance, meaning I combined gin and lemon juice (also yuzu juice) in bottles. I let guests top theirs off with their sparkling wine of choice — sparkling Chenin Blanc, Cava, or rosé Champagne. It made my life a bit easier, but also let everyone customize their drink a little.” — Oset Babür-Winter, senior drinks editor

“Keep a few easy tasks for the end, so if you aren’t ready when the first people arrive, you can ask them to fill water glasses, put out napkins, or light candles. This way, it’s not awkward and you aren’t trying to make conversation while finishing a sauce.” — C.R. 

Pick no-stress food to serve

“When setting up your cheese board, use a fork, not a knife, to break crumbly cheeses like gorgonzola, aged gouda, and aged Cheddar into craggy, bite-sized pieces.” — Karen Shumizu, executive editor

“Even if you are feeling ambitious about your menu, remember that you’re allowed one — and only one — complicated or involved dish. Everything else should be a no-brainer, ideally something that can be prepared in advance. When in doubt, never underestimate the value of a dish that can be served at room temperature.” — C.R.

“Lean on appetizers that can be made in advance and served at room temperature, like this Caramelized Five-Onion Dip from Justin Chapple, to keep dirty dishes and stress at a minimum the day of the party.” — Paige Grandjean, food editor 

“My number one dinner party tip is to not spend too much time working on dessert. Instead, tell someone to bring a gallon of ice cream, then just make an easy topping while you have guests help with clearing plates. This could be hot fudge or homemade caramel sauce (either of which take about 15 minutes to whip up), or you could simply slice strawberries and crush some Biscoff cookies. Have an espresso machine or a moka pot? Make affogatos! This allows you to spend the day before your dinner party focusing on other prep instead of laboring over a pie or cake, and ice cream with something on top will always feel fancy.” — Merlyn Miller, social media editor

And don’t forget …

“The best possible thing you can do for your guests is to be as calm as you possibly can. You could have the most exquisitely executed cake, tablescape, Wellington, whatever; if you're running around nervously, they'll pick up your cues. Only Martha Stewart is Martha Stewart, and even she has an army of assistants.”  — K.K.

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