Tips to take your next special party to the next level

Taryn Davies
Published: January 24, 2018

When you have a special occasion such as a birthday or anniversary to celebrate, it stands to reason that the associated celebration should be special to match.

Whatever you do to make your own next party exceptional, it’s fair to say that much more can be done than simply arranging the table and chairs and serving wine and cheese.

We, therefore, thought that here at leading special events venue Château Bouffémont, we would list some of the best steps you can take to transform a good party into a great one.

Carefully consider how the food is to be served

A party meal is not just another meal. The process of preparing your cuisine for the attendees to your celebration should not be rushed, with care also being taken to serve food at its optimum temperature.

The latter priority may lead you to rent chafing dishes for both the main courses and hors-d'oeuvres, so that you only serve cuisine of just the right temperature and flavour. It’ll help to ensure your guests savour this special occasion for all of the finest reasons.

Devise an overarching theme

You would be mistaken if you thought that themed parties were only of use or interest to children or teenagers. Even if there are only to be adults in attendance, a theme helps to guide every aspect of the planning of your party, ranging from the location and venue to the food and decorations.

Indeed, if you already have a potential venue in mind for your special party, this may guide your choice of theme to some extent. The noble stone-built Château Bouffémont, for example, offers just the right combination of aristocratic charm, an enchanting setting and modern comforts to make it an excellent choice of chateau for special parties based around a romantic or French theme.

Add an element of surprise to your next party TheFuss.co.uk

Play music that perfectly fits in with the desired mood

Special parties are made all the more special when appropriate music is chosen for them. You may have presumed that assembling a playlist for your special party would be a simple case of ‘the more hedonistic, the better’, but this process presents an opportunity to cultivate a mood and style that utterly befit the occasion.

This may mean constructing a playlist emphasising a certain era or subgenre of dance music, or that shows a certain structure – for example, starting with older romantic ballads and progressing to more contemporary and upbeat tunes as the energy of the party intensifies.

Provide an element of surprise

However much you may reveal about your special party in advance of the day, the event can be made even more delightful when you also incorporate one or two aspects that none of your guests could have reasonably expected.

As long as such aspects are a pleasant rather than inconvenient surprises – such as the presence of a table tennis table, photography booth or arts and crafts workshop – they can be an excellent way to add a little interesting idiosyncrasy to your special party and make wonderful memories in the process.

Would you appreciate a little more guidance as to how to hold a party that will be remembered with fondness for many years to come? If so, you may also be interested in InStyle’s 20 party-throwing tips.