All The Cocktail Party Tips You Need To Host The Best One Ever

Organising a cocktail party for your wedding can be so much fun. Combine it with the Sangeet ceremony or host it as a breather between two major functions to burn off some steam, a cocktail party is an adept way for the gen-next generations way to let their hair down and unwind from all the wedding-related frenzy. Your guests are bound to love and enjoy it.

In fact, everyone now looks forward to the cocktail party as a way to mingle - not just between the bride's and the groom's side, but also amongst mutual friends of the soon to be newlyweds. It is the perfect ceremony which has no agenda of its own, no strict rituals and timeline to follow and is just there to make everyone have a good time and bond with each other.

But what goes into the right mix of having a spectacular cocktail party? Is it the music that is played by the band or the entertainment company or the decor, photo booth props or drinking games? We'll tell you all the things you need, to have a blast at your cocktail party mixer. Follow this list of items and your wedding guests will end up talking about your cocktail party for days or even months to come. Ready? Let's dive right in and figure out the correct dose of how to make your cocktail party an unforgettable hit.

1. Arrange for a big surprise

Your guests will absolutely love this sweet surprise with a dash and spike of alcohol and booze. Come up with something they won’t expect and let the host drop hints throughout the evening until it’s time for everyone to find out the truth.

Having a plain old wine and dine is so totally a thing of the past. When it comes to making your wedding memorable you have to work with your soon to be spouse and come up with something totally unique, creative and what all your wedding guests are bound to enjoy.

You can allow yourself to get as creative as you want with ideas and do something unexpected and fun. It could be a drinking game or an awards ceremony or even a flash mob to keep things upbeat and kicking. Believe us guys, there is no dearth of ideas in this department. Feel free to experiment.

2. Rope in an independent artist

You can arrange for a popular rock band or an expert DJ or even an indie artist you personally love to come and perform in your living room or at a grand venue of your choice wherever you may be planning to throw your cocktail party mixer. This will be exclusively for your guests only and is bound to be a hit because of the unique experience it offers both in terms of entertainment and exclusivity. Do your research well online and offline both – you never know which artist may be open to showing up on your special day and making it all the more special and spectacular!

3. Plan for good food options

You don’t want your guests to feel famished or exhausted amidst all the dancing and singing - do you now? All the dancing and activity will make most of them reach out for appetisers to keep them going through the party and have some more fun.

Make sure that the menu is full of finger foods which can be easily consumed while being on the floor. Not to mention that when everyone's in the mood to dance and party - no one is really looking forward to eating a plateful of Chicken Biryani or Daal Makhni. Snacks are the best way to go about it - no doubts there.

Don’t neglect these as you arrange for cocktails and the main course. You can also surprise your guests with quirky desserts in the end and win brownie points for thinking out of the box and making arrangments for something sweet to end everything on a good note and call it a happy night.

4. Embrace a theme

Who says your venue has to be conventional? Get mad with the décor; ask a wedding planner to something fun for the occasion. You can even play around with a theme and ask the planner to work around the party mood while designing the final look and feel of the place.

Or opt for quirky additions like pop-up stalls or photo-booths. You can even make the place interactive to keep the event from getting dull or predictable. We feel there is something enticing about a themed celebration. How about you? 

5. Involve your loved ones

You should definitely have a section devoted to getting all your closest friends and family members to give toasts during the party. It doesn’t have to be rigid or boring, you can ask them to innovate and charm you. The best speeches can get your guests to win a prize for the effort. You’ll get everyone hooked and be able to avoid the conversation from venturing into boring territory.

Do you feel prepared to host your cocktail party now? Word of advice, keep a stall of care packages at the entrance of your party for everyone to collect. You can call it the 'hangover kit' and have products like party smart, eno sachets, headache medicine and the like in it. Trust us, your guests are going to thank you for being so considerate and kind.

All of these little things will go a long way in keeping only good memories of their time at your wedding.Make sure everyone is involved and has a blast. A couple of Desi games should do the trick. Have you ever tried the Pani-Puri challenge with vodka in it? Try it out with your friends on the cocktail night and wake up to a morning full of a hangover amongst a plethora of other things.

Share your ideas and stories with us in the comments below and tell us how did you celebrate your cocktail party and where!