Moving into a new apartment is a major life event, and it deserves to be celebrated as such. Once you’re all moved in and your apartment is fully furnished and decorated, you should celebrate the success of your move and start your life in your new apartment in the company of close friends and new neighbors. Here are some tips that will help make the first gathering you have in your new apartment home a success.
Decorating/Preparing Your Space
Part of the point of a housewarming party is for a host to showcase his or her new living quarters. When decorating beforehand, consider highlighting any design or décor elements that you are particularly fond of.
Pictured Here: AMLI on 2nd
If you are concerned about space being an issue given the size of your apartment and the number of guests you hope to entertain, get creative. You can use coffee tables and end tables as serving spaces. You can even break out floor cushions as an alternate, space-saving form of seating. Whatever you decide on, be sure to remove breakables from high traffic areas so that guests are less likely to break things they bump into during periods of congestion.
Food and Drinks
When selecting hors d’oeuvres for your party, it is important to consider the wide range of diets that will be represented among your guests. Vegetarian and even vegan options are almost a must at most large gatherings these days, and it may be wise to have a few gluten-free snacks out at your party as well. On the drink front, choose a variety: alcoholic and non-alcoholic; caffeinated and non-caffeinated; diet and regular. When settling on a volume of food or the scope of your snack selection, factor in the time at which your party is being held. If it is being held in the afternoon or late evening, a small snack selection should suffice. If your party starts at 6 or 7 P.M., however, people may expect a more substantial dish evocative of dinner.
Entertainment
In all likelihood, casual conversation over drinks will prove to be a defining characteristic of your housewarming party. To ensure that no guest leaves your party feeling bored, however, set out some board games or hook up a video console to your new entertainment system for guests to play with at their leisure. You may even want to consider scheduling a get-to-know-one-another game or a karaoke contest to group all guests together a time or two during the evening.
Supply Preparation
Having an ample stock of food and drink is important, but do not forget to have these other supplies on-hand before your apartment warming party begins:
- Cups, plates, cutlery
- Paper towels, toilet paper, napkins, and tissues
- Trash bags
- Party tunage
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