There are three keys to a successful party: vibing music, sociability and delicious food and drinks. Some party hosts prefer to serve their guests. I’m not one of those hosts. Call me selfish, but I want to have fun, too. So, thanks to some creative self-serve party ideas, we hosts can do less serving and more carousing.

PARTY 101

Music is the heartbeat of a party. For this, I rely on Spotify compilations. I created three music lists for different party vibes: Chill, Childhood and Soul. For chill parties, you can’t go wrong with artists like Cautious Clay, Bahamas and The Lagoons. Sometimes you want classics like Fleetwood Mac, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Led Zeppelin. And no one brings the soul like Stevie Wonder, Al Green and Marvin Gaye.

Sociability is another layer of a successful party. Injecting laughter is the name of the game. One way to break the ice is Cards Against Humanity. A player asks a question from a black card. Everyone else answers with their funniest white card. It can be hilarious, but not the most family friendly. If there are kiddos at the party, Two Truths and a Lie is a fun PG alternative. Additionally, there’s a new game called Throw Throw Burrito. It’s a card game that requires cleverness and agility. It’s like Uno meets Nerf. Clear the breakables for this one.

The most important detail of the party is food and drinks. This is where my hosting style may differ from most. I don’t want to schlep platters of food and cocktails during the party. I prefer to prep a snack bar chock full of savory, salty and sweet quick-grab treats. The beverage bar is simple self-serve options of wine, beer, mojitos and margaritas. Drink dispensers of fruit-infused water is a must, too. 

The key is ensuring everything is quick-grab. That could mean a platter of individually wrapped sandwiches. Brown bag chips are a simple way to keep grubby paws out of a community bowl. Individual cups of pasta salad with small spoons makes for a simple side. As for desserts, nothing says party like real fruit jello shots. If you’re going for decadent, cake pops don’t require plates or forks. Easy-peasy.

8 SELF-SERVE PARTY IDEAS

Discover these recipes and more via Pinterest.

A self-serve party is the perfect recipe for you and your guests. Whip-up your self-serve sips and snacks ahead of time so you can enjoy family and friends. Compile a list of your favorite tunes. Pull out your funniest games. And get the party started!

You might also like How to Increase Closeness When You’re Lonely.

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