Planning a Stress Free New Years Eve Party

If you are in the process of planning a New Years Eve party, you likely want to make the event as stress free as possible. While there is always some stress involved in planning any event, there are a number of steps you can take in reducing the amount of stress involved while you are planning your New Years Eve party. This article will focus on providing tips for keeping the stress level to a minimum when planning a New Years Eve party. There may still be a few areas which cause concern or stress but if you follow these tips, the event will likely be more enjoyable for you and the guests.

Consider making the dress for the event casual instead of formal to create a more stress free environment. This simple stress can be very effective for reducing the stress level. First of all, if the affair is casual, the host will have to spend less time getting dressed for the party. This is important because the host often becomes quite stressed out on the day of the party because she is trying to take care of last minute details while she is also worried about getting dressed for the party. It also helps to reduce the stress level because guests expect more elegant food for a formal party than they do for a casual party so there is less stress to prepare and serve an elaborate meal at the party.

Regardless of the type of food you decide to serve, preparing the food for a New Years Eve party can be a significant cause of stress. Hiring a caterer is the most efficient way to minimize this stress. When hiring a caterer the host may have a great deal of work during the planning phases in selecting a caterer, tasting the food and selecting dishes for the menu, but once this is  done the host only has to worry about coordinating the delivery and service of the food. This leaves the hostess free to focus on other elements of the party and prevents her from spending a great deal of time in the kitchen on the evening of the party.

While hiring a caterer is an excellent idea, it can be rather expensive. Fortunately there are also a number of inexpensive options for minimize the stress associated with preparing the food for a New Years Eve party. One fun way to do this is to make the party a potluck event. Having guests bring dishes such as side dishes, salads, appetizers, desserts and even main dishes or drinks greatly reduces the amount of work for the host. In this scenario the host only has to worry about providing one or two items and coordinating the other guests to ensure they do not all bring similar items. 

Another inexpensive option which can help to reduce the amount of stress typically associated with preparing the food for a New Years Eve party is to serve only appetizers, desserts and cocktails at the party. This is significantly less expensive as appetizers are traditionally much less expensive than main course items. It is also acceptable to do this because most New Years Eve parties do not start until 8:00-9:00 at night. It is acceptable to assume most guests will have had dinner earlier in the evening but as a courtesy to the guests it is worthwhile to indicate on the invitations that only appetizers and desserts will be served. 

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