The Advantages of Hosting Your Own PartyLite Party

When you attend a friend's PartyLite party, you may be offered the chance to host your own party. There are a lot of perks for you being the host, free candles and half price candles. In addition to these great perks, you get to show all of your friends your party planning skills! Remember, there is no cost to you for hosting a party, except for appetizers, drinks and decorations if you'll be having them. You could save money and have everybody bring something, but since you're the host it may be a good idea to prepare the foods yourself.

Decide on a Date and Time

Most PartyLite parties are held on Friday or Saturday nights. My most recent PartyLite party was on a Saturday night. You could have your party any day of the week, although people you invite might not be able to come during the week due to prior plans. Once you decide on a date and time, make sure your consultant is okay with this so she can mark it in her planner.

Start Inviting Guests

Your consultant can provide you with postcard-like invitations for you to mail out to everybody. I would recommend getting them in the mail about 2-3 weeks before your party, so that people have ample time to make plans to attend. I suggest you invite about 20-30 people, because most of them will probably not be able to come. Invite friends, family, co-workers, and neighbors, anybody you can think of. Remember, the more people that come, the more of a possibility that they will order candles. The more candles they order, the more free gifts you get in return! But remember, this party shouldn't be just about getting free candles for yourself; it's a nice way to get everybody together and socialize over food and drinks.

Pass Books Around for Outside Orders

For anybody who cannot attend, ask if they would like to look through the PartyLite catalog and order from there. You can use outside orders towards your total as well. Make sure you collect the orders before your party is held, so that you can give these orders to your consultant.

Getting Others to Book Parties

Before you have your party, ask if any of your guests would want to host a party of their own. Tell them about all of the great perks you receive as a host. The more bookings you get from your party, the more gifts you get. You get a "Fast $50" when someone books a party from your party, meaning you get $50 to spend for only $9.95. February special for hosts is $100 for $9.95.

Get Final Guest Count, Give Count to Consultant

Your Consultant, in the beginning, should have given you a packet full of information on hosting a party. In that packet, there will be a long piece paper with stickers on the front, where you will put your guest's addresses. You give the top 2 copies to your consultant, and you keep the bottom copy. The consultant will then send out reminder cards to everybody on that list, reminding them to attend your party. Make sure she gets this information about a week or so before the party.

Decide on a Theme, if any

For my PartyLite party, I did a Valentine's theme. I may have gone overboard, but as a party planner, I need to make a good impression on everybody! You do not need to have a theme, but it adds a nice special touch to your party. Use your theme throughout your entire party, including your food and drinks if possible. For example, with my Valentine theme, I used all red dishes to serve appetizers in. I made mostly red and pink foods, like pink fruit dip with red strawberries, red raspberries and red apples. I also made brownies with red heart decorations on top, and I had a dish of Valentine M&M's. There were other foods too, but you get the point. If you want to carry out the theme in a drink, you could make a special punch or cocktail to match your color scheme. My red drink of choice was Arbor Mist Cranberry Twist wine, which is like a reddish-pink color, and very delicious! Be creative, there are many theme ideas to choose from. With St. Patrick's Day coming up, you can easily have a "green" party, decorating with simple décor from the dollar store. Use your imagination!

Serve Simple Appetizers and Drinks

I made the mistake and made a little too much food for the amount of guests I had at my party. You do not need to serve a full buffet, just simple finger foods and a dessert, along with drinks is good enough. Just make sure you prepare enough for your guests, if you are having a lot. Some good ideas for appetizers are: cheese and crackers, chips and dip, cut up fruit and/or vegetables with a dip. Dessert ideas should be something you can pick up and eat, like éclairs, brownies or cheesecake bites. Try not to serve anything you would need a fork to eat, whether it is the appetizer or dessert. For drinks, have a few to choose from, like bottled water, soda, and a punch or wine. Remember, the main focus of the party is on the candles, not the food and drink.

Have Fun!

Once your party has begun, have fun and socialize with everybody. My consultant had a great idea of going around the room and having everybody introduce themselves, and how they knew me (the host). It was a nice way to break the ice and get conversations going. The normal party lasts about 2-4 hours, from set up to clean up. As guests leave, make sure you thank them for attending your party. If they ordered anything, let them know their products will come to your house and you will pass them out as soon as they come in.

Choose Gifts and Hostess Specials

Once your consultant adds up your order totals, she will tell you how much you receive in free gifts and half price products. There are so many great hostess specials, take advantage of any that you can. You will not have to order the same night of your party, your consultant will give you a day or two to browse the catalog and choose your gifts.

Overall, PartyLite parties are all about having fun and enjoying the great fragrances and products they have to offer. Enjoy!