Party Power! Your opinions
 

As many of you know I am officially turning 30 Saturday and I have been planning my party for a while I came up with "A Crown Royal Affair" because I like Crown and it fits my personality. I am having a patio installed and my whole family is flying in and I am having about 35-40 guests at my house.

My question is what makes a party good to you? Wjat food do you expect to see its starts at 7 but for us that means 9. I need to finalize my menu help!

Is this a sit down meal or a buffet? If the latter, I think that wings are always a winner. They are easy party food. You can always have a crudite platter. What is always fun is having a signature drink for the party.

I tend to be more adventurous in my menus, roasted pears with goat cheese and so on, but those don't always go over well.

I always enjoy a fruit platter and an assortment of desserts (cupcakes / brownies always work well).

Not sure how fully you plan on feeding people so maybe brisket for the meat?

If serving hard liquor, you might want move away from the desserts. :o Although, you will need a Bday cake. :D Make sure you have someone assigned to the alcohol. If not, you'll be hitting H-E-B for more. (Coming from experience) :rolleyes:

Do you have a DJ? A GREAT DJ is Key! You'll find that the food won't be talked about that much. However, let your DJ not do his/her thing, that can make or break a party.

There really are no expectations when it comes to the menu. Since I am allergic to seafood, I just find the foods that don't include shrimp, crabs, crawfish, or oysters. It's your affair and your menu should reflect what you like. Also, you must think about if you want to slave cooking, preparing, keeping items warm (in the stove, chaffing dishes), etc. Or, are you hiring a caterer? I'm more for the latter. ;) :D

Second on the dj- the food is secondary, as long as there's enough of it to go with the drinks it's no thing (my suggestion: wings platters, veggie and fruit and cheese platter, taquitos and mini-quiches, LOTS of chips salsa and guacamole from Costco).

The important thing is the music, that there's enough room at the party for people to dance and you have a room/table for the inevitable dominos/spades clique. I spent last weekend playing kings with my boys and it was WAY more funt han going out, lol.

Thanks!
 

Its in our house and our house is about 2400sq ft so we have room and since I am having a patio put in I am hoping people will feel the tunes. I downloaded 130 songs covering rap, old skool, bounce, crunk r and b, etc. and put them in the order I want them to play in.

My mom is the one tripping about food, I'm like if its free then who cares!

My menu is chicken wings, crawfish pasta, rice dressing, salad, fried fish, veggie tray, fruit tray, meat and cheese tray, spinach dip, chips and salsa. My mom is dead set on me getting ribs!

I do plan on having a table for spades, I guess I need to consider one for dominoes.

Soror AKA2'D I am having a "bartender" to "control" things I spent almost $400 in liquor I can't let my pigment enhanced folks roll through that in a n hour!

This is suuuch a good idea, lol.

No need to repeat what everyone else said...but let me add something. NO children and old people! You said something about your family coming. That's cool, but how about having them come earlier or later on in the party?

I personally find it uncomfortable to get my flirting, drinking, and booty popping on when there's elders and tons of chirren running around.

I was just at a birthday party last weekend, the ages was like 3 to 83, lol. There was lots of alcohol, nasty music, men in wifebeaters, women showing cleavage...and then there were grandmas with their canes and children with jump ropes. It was hella awkward.

No CHILDREN I acyually put that in the invite! The only older person there will be my grandmother but she's cool!

Ipods are cute. BUT, next time, get a DJ. The mixing and scratching and folks who are a bit tipsy getting on the mic...PRICELESS! :D :o

The ipod and their speaker devices don't really project a great sound, IMO. Someone tried it at a party and we had the major screw face going on. :confused: Now, if you have the AMPS, speakers and woofers (like the DJs), that's different. All the songs and poor sound mean nothing.

Make sure you invite your neighbors so they won't call the po-po. :p :D :o

If the food runs out, break out the chips and salsa or make a big crock pot full of queso(cheese, meat, and salsa). :D

besides the food (your menu sounds super!) and lots of "big people juice" ;) as my daughter calls it, DONT FORGET THE CAMERAS!!

my bff had little disposable ones on her tables at her 25th bday/graduation party. the pictures were really relaxed and goofy and fun, and her album of that day looks amazing. combined with the regular digital pics, i think she has close to 250 pics in it.

your "no-kid" rule is wonderful...you may also want some extra blankets in case some of your company overdoes it and cant drive. we always borrow a bunch from my mom, and have a "key bowl/pitcher" monitored by my sister who doesnt drink, and she decides who drives, and who better grab a blanket and find a corner! :)