If you enjoy planning and preparing for elegant parties with elegant floral arrangements, gourmet food, elaborate décor that makes your guests feel like they have just arrived at a five star hotel, you are a formal host. If you feel more comfortable preparing a barbeque feast for your guests’ comfortable sitting amongst your friends in your backyard, you are a casual host. If you are neither, you may be somewhere in between. If you feel comfortable either way, consider yourself lucky.
Regardless of what kind of event you are planning, make sure you know exactly how much time and effort you are willing to put into the process. What kind of party you throw has a lot to do with how much money you can afford to spend. As a rule of thumb, casual affairs usually cost significantly less than formal affairs.
A good example of a formal party is a wedding. If you feel comfortable organizing such an event, so be it. If you felt uncomfortable by the constraints of such a formal event, you probably want to stick with the more casual route.
If you felt more comfortable at a casual party, try to remember why? What were the things that made you feel good at the party? Was it the food? Was it the location? Was it the guests you have met, or the games you have played? Whatever it is that makes you feel good, be sure to include in your plans.
It is possible you have equally enjoyed both the formal and casual party. You may be able to find both experiences fun.
If you would like to host a formal party, make sure you set your budget early. Your budget is going to have a lot to do with how many guests you can invite and what kind of food and drinks you will serve. Even if you have small budget you could still have a formal party, but you need to invite less guests. For example a party of four-to-six people would be a great small party. Just because you have less people at your party it doesn’t mean you will have less fun. The number of guests you have at your party has nothing to do with how much fun you have.
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