Think about your guests

The first thing that you need to think about are the guests that are coming and if they have any allergies. You have to be very, very mindful of people's allergies, because the, the worst thing to happen at your party is if somebody has to go to the hospital. So first of all, just get everyone's allergies, make sure that you're prepared for that, so that everybody can have a smooth time there. And there are certain accommodations that you can certainly make for people.

That being said, you don't have to have everybody eat gluten free or dairy free or vegan etc. Just make sure that you're thinking about those people and ways to accommodate them in a way that keeps everybody happy and healthy.

Choosing the first menu item

The next thing that you want to think about is picking one dish to start off with that you're going to build your menu around. So think about the theme of your party, and then go out and find a recipe that is so on brand for that party, that then you can build off from that. That could be a really fun appetizer that could be the entree, that could be the dessert, it just depends on what kind of party you're throwing too, as well. Once you’ve selected your main item, add other foods and drinks that are complementary.

I think it just makes the planning process easier if you have one main dish that you are very, very excited about. The other thing is you want to make sure that you have a mix of items to make sure that people are getting a very good mix and balance of different foods on the table. Especially if somebody doesn't like one item of food, you want to make sure that there are other things that they can eat as well and not go hungry.

Signature Cocktail

You should always have a signature cocktail, in my opinion. I always think that you should have a clever cocktail name to go with it and make sure that on brand with what you're doing. For example, when my fiancé graduated with his MBA, I threw him a graduation party, and I came up with a cocktail that was a Moscow Mule, but I called it the MBA Mule. On top of a cocktail you can bring wine and beer, ciders, that kind of thing. But having one cocktail, I think makes the party really memorable.

Avoiding overwhelm

If you are having a lot of people come to the party and you feel like you're overwhelmed with how much food you have to make to feed everyone, just ask people to bring an appetizer or ask people to bring a dessert. It just takes a lot of the work off of you. So you can focus on the main dishes and you can have other people bring in the appetizers and the desserts and that way, nobody goes hungry. It's a very small ask of your guests to come. And I think everyone kind of understands that if you are having a large party, it's a little too much to take it all on yourself. If you're throwing a party that is way too big, like having 30 plus people, I wouldn't recommend hiring a caterer honestly, it'll just make your life a whole lot easier. If you don't want to go the catering route, then you can pick up something from a restaurant. They have catering menus for most restaurants out there.

Best of luck in the kitchen! You’ve got this.