When planning for any event there’s always going to be a certain amount of stress and a New Years Eve party is no exception. However there are some ways you can reduce the stress, so I’m going to share some tips with you to help you do that.

The food you’re going to serve at your New Years Eve party is going to be one of your primary concerns, and can be a lot of work if you plan on preparing the food yourself. If your budget will allow it, hire a catering service, as this will lessen your stress level considerably. To use a catering service you will need to spend a little time choosing the right one. First ask your friends or co-workers for recommendations, and if that doesn’t produce any results you can always turn to the yellow pages. Whoever you select you’ll want to sample some of their cooking and once you’ve made your choice you’ll need to go over the menu and delivery schedule with them. Now that you have the food situation handled you’ll be free to turn your focus to other things and you won’t have to worry about the food on the night of the party so you can enjoy yourself more.

If hiring a catering service is not in your budget there are still less expensive ways you can reduce the stress of food preparation. Since the party will start later in the evening you could plan to serve snack type of food such as finger foods, chips, pizza, appetizers, breadsticks, vegetable sticks, pretzels etc. All these foods can be prepared easily and quickly. If you have someone to help set it all out that can help even more.

Another low cost method would be to have a Potluck New Years Eve party, and then you would only need to supply some main dish and coordinate what your guests will bring so everyone doesn’t bring the same thing. It’s always a good idea to mention what type of food will be served on the invitation so guests know what to expect.

You can also reduce your stress level by making the party a casual event so you can enjoy a more relaxed environment. If you go casual you’ll spend less time worrying about what to wear, as you’ll have plenty of other party details to tend to so the less stress you put on yourself the better.

Debbi McDonough
Wrapsody Designs

Having a live band at your New Years Eve party is an excellent choice for entertainment, as they will help keep the guests entertained throughout the evening. There are some things you will need to do in order to find a live band for your party.

If the band is really popular you may have difficulty booking them for your party unless they are booked well in advance as they are likely to book up for possibly a year or more. Now if you know some local bands that are good or bands that are just getting started but are good, then you probably won’t need to book so far in advance. However it would still be best to book them at least 2-3 months in advance just to be sure you can get them.

The other thing you’ll need to consider is your budget, while getting a really popular band may be great, they are likely to be quite expensive so you may have to go with a less expensive band.

When choosing a band you’ll need to consider what style of music they typically play. You must consider what type of music your guests would like and not base it only on your own preferences.

You will want to choose a band that you have heard play before so that you are already familiar with their style and quality of music. If you want a live band but don’t know of any local ones that you’re familiar with then you’ll need to ask around to get recommendations and if possible go hear them play yourself or ask for one of their CD’s before making a decision. If you’re considering more than one band have them all send you a sample of their music so you can evaluate them. Ask some of your friends to listen with you and get their opinions as well so that you have some outside input. Once you’ve decided on a band be sure to carefully look over the contract they want you to sign so there are no nasty surprises later on.

If you’re going to have dancing you also must be sure you have enough floor space so that people can dance comfortably. You should also take into consideration the loudness of the speakers and the space for the band as well.

Debbi McDonough
Wrapsody Designs