INFORMAL PARTY
The
Informal Party can be for any occasion. Decide on what date you are going
to hold your informal party, prepare a guest list, write out your invitations
and send them out at least two weeks before the date you have chosen, this
will give your guests enough time to let you know whether they will be able
to attend.
You will need to provide some food for your guests to munch on during your informal party. Buffets are a good option here and can be prepared in advance and kept chilled till you are ready to serve. The traditional buffet foods such as sausage rolls, vol-u-vants, pineapple/cheese on sticks and chicken drum sticks are fine for informal party’s, but if your really want to impress your guests why not go for something different. Supermarkets have a great choice of oriental, Indian and Mexican snacks that are great for informal party buffets.
A salad bowl makes a colourful centrepiece for your table but can sometimes get left if it only consists of lettuce, cucumber and tomatoes. Adding a little fruit such as seedless grapes, or chunks of apple or pear and walnuts makes a salad more interesting and adds texture. You could also add a vinegarette dressing to give it a bit of a tangy flavour.
If you have invited any vegetarian guests, guests with food allergies or guests whose religious beliefs prevent them from eating certain foods, be sure to prepare something for them. These guests are often overlooked and will be reluctant to attend future informal party’s.
If you have children attending your informal party, provide some games or colouring books to keep them entertained.
Prepare
a shopping list and don’t forget to include paper plates, dishes, plastic
cups, knives, forks, spoons and napkins. Colour coordinate them or choose
a theme. Party supplies have come along way since the day of plain white
paper plates and your guests will be impressed at the thought you have put
into organising your informal party.
Most of your guests will bring a bottle to your informal party, but make sure you have a good selection of drinks including soft drinks that can be used as mixers or if you have children attending.
Music is played at almost all party’s, so consider who your guests are, what sort of music do they listen to, and choose music that covers a wide range of age groups and tastes. Will your guests want to dance? If so, re-arrange furniture to provide enough floor space.