1. Location, location, location.
You’re the host of the party, so most importantly, you're going to need a location. Ideally, anywhere you can have a good time — whether it be your great-aunt's lake house, a random field in your town or, my personal favorite, your mother's basement.
2. Who am I inviting?
First and foremost, you invite your usual squad, you might even go so far as to invite that boy that sat behind you in math senior year. I mean, it is a party, right? From there, you’ll decide if you want to personally invite people or if you’re gonna take the other word of-mouth route. If you do the latter, may the odds be ever in your favor.
3. What kind of party even is this?
Is there an occasion? If it falls near a holiday, maybe you’ll consider turning it into a theme party like Fourth of July, St. Patty’s Day, Christmas, etc. And who doesn't like theme parties?
4. What kind of music am I playing?
The answer, my friend, should be everything. Download a free trial of Spotify Premium if you need to, but make sure your bases are covered when it comes to pleasing the people with music at the party. (Yes, that even includes playing a few country songs).
5. What are we drinking/eating?
Yeah sure everyone loves that party host who's the supplier, but don't feel obligated. At times, BYOB (bring your own booze) and BYOF (bring your own food) will be as good as it's gonna get. For my hungry friends — a nice Domino’s order at 1:30 a.m. is definitely in the cards.
6. Should I be worried about safety?
Make sure you tell your party guests to carpool or take public transportation! And you need to stay on top of designated drivers. DRINKING AND DRIVING IS NOT COOL!
7. What happens if your arch enemy shows up?
Chances are, if you are in a town and you throw a party, your former peers are gonna be thirsty for a good time, especially now that everyone is home from school and bored. Basically, your options are 1. Hire your neighbor as security or 2. Suck it up, and slap on your happy face.
8. How do I keep people occupied?
You’ll need three basic items: A table, some cups and some ping-pong balls. That combination could keep 20-somethings occupied for hours — without a doubt.
