I've decided to throw a New Year's Eve party, but don't have a lot of time to plan. Any tips to make sure I put together a great party in a short amount of time?
Jessica B. emailed us at expert@sweetspot.ca, and Melissa Haggerty of Spectacular, Spectacular, answered;
No Martha/Rachel/Nigella labour-intensive tips here! For your last-minute shindig, my suggestions are all about keeping it simple, getting other people to do the work and taking all the credit yourself! New Year's Eve is all about the three D's: drink, dine and dance.
Drink: My mother always said the secret to a great party was to greet people at the door with a drink and to keep ‘em coming (literally). Take their coats, hand them a drink and watch people’s inhibitions and awkward silences disappear like magic. Since time is tight, keep the drinks simple; nothing says New Year's like champagne or sparkling wine. As I get older, I appreciate the good stuff more and more, but if your budget won’t allow for that (or your guests won’t appreciate going to that expense), add a little elderberry liqueur to the bubbles and top it off with a frozen grape. The grapes look festive, keep the champagne cold and, once they’ve soaked in the alcohol, taste delicious!
Dine: My advice is to get yourself to a Pusateri’s or McEwan right away and to CHEAT! (Toronto tip: Summerhill Market is my favourite place for great premade foods, cheeses and nibbles, Montreal: Patisserie de Gascogne, Vancouver: Meinhardts, Calgary: Meez Fast Home Cuisine). The key is to shop where the food is “homemade"; your guests will never know you didn’t slave for hours. If you’re on more of a budget, any of Loblaw’s Dim Sum-ish hors d’oeuvres are great and particularly good for absorbing alcohol later in the evening.
Dance: Music! The tunes you choose are essential for the vibe and groove of your party. The radio function on iTunes is a great (and free!) resource. Open up iTunes, click the Radio on, then Electronica in the radio screen and you’re in. My favourite (commercial-free) stations are: for cocktail hour, Groove Session and then when things start to swing a little more, switch to Music One or Gaydar from the UK. Hook up your speakers, turn the volume up and dance the night away.
Follow these three D's and you may end up with a night full of even more D's: delight, decadence and maybe even a little debauchery!
Happy New Year everybody!
Based in Toronto, Melissa Haggerty is the Principal Wedding & Party Planner at one of the country's most creative and sought-after Event Planning firms. See examples of their award-winning work at: www.SpectacularSpectacular.ca
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