Whether you have just graduated, have some holiday festivities lined up in the foreseeable future, or just want to celebrate the fact that it's finally Friday night, you are probably thinking about organizing a small gathering. But if you are working with limited space or a tight budget, you'll soon realize that hosting social events in your apartment usually isn't something that you will be able to pull off without breaking a sweat.
On the other hand, the chance to mingle with your friends, have a few drinks, and indulge in lots of laughter sure seems like something worthy of your time and effort. After all, can you think of a better way to spend your night off than by socializing with friends? Why would you pay a steep entrance fee for a show when you can throw a get-together on a budget and enjoy your role as a host?
However, special circumstances dictate special preparation. If you plan to host a social event in your Virginia home during the ongoing pandemic, you must take the necessary precautions. These include making sure there is enough hand sanitizer around; it's little things such as this one that help stop the spread of COVID-19.
Carefully calculate how many people can fit in your place
Can you imagine anyone having a good time in a room that is so crowded with people that there isn't enough air for everybody? As much as you would like to invite fifty people, you can't do it if you live in a small studio apartment. So before sending out invites, make sure you figure out how many people can comfortably fit in so that everyone has a good time.
A common problem many hosts face is having too many people they want to invite and not enough space. In this situation, it's all about being crafty. You could throw a couple of different parties - one for your friends, another for your family, neighbors, etc. All in all, only invite as many people as you will be able to control since nothing will ruin a party faster than the police showing up on your door because you exceeded the noise limit.
Hosting social events in your apartment is easier when you reimagine the space
Even if you live in a small apartment in Virginia, you can still work on making it bigger and more functional. It's all about being creative and resourceful. For example, if you are throwing a housewarming party, you could postpone transporting your piano to your new apartment after the party ends. Pianos are big and bulky, and they take up too much space, so let pros handle the transport after the party is over. If you are planning a holiday-related event where you have invited many people, you should organize the entire apartment accordingly.
Let everyone know that the drinks are in the kitchen, the food is in the dining room, and the fun activities are in the living room. That way, you will ensure your guests circulate, and you will have to put in little effort in keeping everyone well-fed, hydrated, and entertained. As a special note to yourself, make sure to frequently disinfect your surfaces to minimize the chances of infection. You can rest assured that your guests will feel much safer when they see you do it.
Keep it simple when it comes to your decorations
It's completely normal to get swept up by the moment and buy a plethora of balloons and confetti for your party. But when it comes to social events and small get-togethers, less is more in terms of decorations. All you need are some twinkle lights, a good playlist, and a couple of strategically-placed candles to create a great atmosphere.
Too many decorations will turn your living space into a cluttered zone, which will likely ruin all the work you have put in.
Stock up on food and drinks
Everyone knows that it's mandatory to buy enough food and drinks for a social event - these are just two integral components of any party. You think you have purchased enough club sandwiches or prepared a sufficient number of egg rolls, but what will you do if your guests get extra hungry? You can always eat the surplus food by yourself after hosting a social event in your apartment, but you will be in quite a pickle if your guests leave your party hungry.
That won't be so great for your reputation as a host/hostess, will it? So if you want to throw a housewarming party people will want to attend, always buy more food and drinks than you think will be necessary.
Have board games and parlor games ready
When hosting any type of social event in your apartment, what you really want is for everyone to have fun. In the best-case scenario, your guests would all get along and indulge in non-stop chit-chat. But if and when the conversation starts to wane at some point, you will want to have a few tricks up your sleeve so that you avoid boredom.
Whether you are hosting an enjoyable Valentine's Day party for your single friends or are just aiming at a fun Saturday night, you can always adjust the games to the purpose behind your party. One parlor game that seems to be an all-time favorite for various parties is Charades. But you don't have to stick to that - you can Google fun games and see what comes up.
Don't complicate things
The key to hosting a pleasant party in your apartment is to keep it simple. There's no need to complicate matters so much that you end up regretting ever throwing a party. So if you don't have enough time to prepare the food yourself, order it. If you don't have the time to mail the invites, send a text message. And if you don't have enough time or energy to scrub your entire apartment from top to bottom, let it be. The goal is to eliminate doing everything that might cause stress, which will prevent you from having fun yourself.
Besides, by keeping it simple, you won't have to spend a lot of money on that one night, which will undoubtedly make hosting a social event in your apartment much easier. If you feel ready to plan another party at the end of the night, you have definitely reached your goal. Now go and have a good night's rest, and you will be ready for round two.