How to Host a Winning Party

Everyone loves a great party, whether you're there as a guest or a host, but there's an extra bit of satisfaction when you've planned a party that everyone loves. But planning a winning party is a lot more complicated than simply calling your friends and grabbing a keg. You may love to have your friends and family over for parties, but if you're not Martha Stewart, how do you put together a smashing shindig?

In the throes of planning an event, it's easy to lose sight of the simple things that you can do to make the party excellent. Here are just a few:

1. Know your guests. Having your staid family over? If high tea is more their style than hightops, keep Metallica off the stereo-no matter how much you love it. On the other hand, if your friends are more beer and chips than caviar and champagne, don't force sophistication on them just for show. Plan a party that is in sync with the people who will be attending. A party isn't about the host or hostess, but about all the people there-make your guests feel comfortable (whatever that means to them) and your party will go a lost smoother.

And while we're discussing knowing your guests, keep in mind any special circumstances that might affect your guests having a good time. Sometimes a simple solution can make a guest feel happy. If a friend has a dietary restriction, it's not necessary to limit all the guests to what s/he can eat, but have something for them, as well. If you have two friends who don't get along, put them at opposite ends of the table during a sit-down dinner, or steer them to different rooms during a more informal gatherings. If a friend who's coming only knows a few other people, make an effort to introduce them around and get conversation started with others.

Of course, there's no way to please everyone on your guest list, but have an idea of what you can do to make the party a pleasant experience for all of them.

2. Pay attention to the details. Details make the party, whether it's hand-lettered place cards or a nice bow around a sprig of mistletoe. Pay attention to the details of a party and you'll find ways to make it memorable. At a gathering I went to recently, for example, the hostess put out appetizers in different areas of the party so that the table wasn't crowded all the time and no matter where you were, you were close to some type of food. Taking an extra few moments to think of details like that will make the party run more smoothly and be more memorable.

3. Be flexible. When it's an event you've spent lots of time planning, it's easy to have the perfect image of how the evening will go in your mind. But be flexible. Some of the most fun I've had at parties have been when we've deviated from my plans. If you've planned a cookie-decorating party and no one feels like cookies, put them in baggies and send them home instead of sticking to the theme. At one party I hosted a few years back, a group of friends suggested running to a local pub halfway through the party. The entire party relocated to the pub, which ended up being the most interesting part of the evening. If you're flexible and follow the mood of the crowd, everyone will have a more fun time than if you try to force people to stick to activities you've planned.

4. Keep a sense of humor. This can be the hardest thing to do when you've spent so much effort and time (and sometimes money) on a party, but keep a sense of humor about what is happening around you. Spill on your carpet? Your guests will look to you to find out how to react. If you laugh and make a joke (even as you're silently cursing to heaven and back), the mood of the party stays jovial. Most likely, the disasters that seem to rain down during parties will seem a lot better after a little time has passed. Keeping a sense of humor ensures that your guests remember the party and the great time, not how upset you got when the cake was burned.

No party is perfect, but every party can be successful if you remember that the object is to have fun and interact with people you like. Keeping a sense of humor, being flexible, paying attention to details, and knowing your guests will help you plan a winning party that will make you and your guests happy.