4. Finger Foods

When you clear away the main food, don’t forget to bring out some snacks. Alcohol can often make people hungry, and hungry people aren’t usually very sociable. Depending on the type of party, you could simply prepare chips and dips, or make some more impressive items such as parmesan tomatoes. Italian delis are a great place to grab some hor d’oeuvres.

5. Champagne

Champagne never goes out of fashion, and it gives any party a sophisticated edge, so it’s a definite must have. If your budget can’t quite stretch to this, try serving Prosecco instead, which tastes almost the same but is much cheaper.

6. Full Bar?

Having a full bar is always suggested for parties, but not only can it get really expensive to have every type of drink available, but you also need to know how to mix the drinks. I’ve found that this usually leads to much more stress then I need, so instead, I serve up a special ‘favorite’ cocktail, and have wine and beer available.