It always happens. The festive season consumes you with all the shopping and planning involved for Christmas, and next thing you know it’s New Year’s Eve. Even though you know it’s just 6 days apart, New Year’s Eve has the tendency to just creep up. Fortunately, there are many ways to prepare yourself well before the post Christmas mania.
Whether you plan to do something extravagant or something small and simple, it’s always nice to have a little celebration that wraps up your year with your loved ones. To help get the ball rolling, here are some tips for planning a successful New Year’s Eve this December.
Food
Nothing brings people closer together than food! With bellies full and roaring in glee, your New Year’s Eve get together will be a complete success.
The trick behind planning food is that you have to be aware of how many people you expect (and then some for the unexpected guest or two). You should also keep in mind that New Year’s Eve celebrations typically last until the early hours of the morning, so always make sure there’s enough food to last you past midnight.
Bring out food at regular intervals so that no one is left hungry or without food to soak up all of that alcohol. Simple snacks such as cheese, tapas, pizza bites, and other finger foods will stretch a long way as people tend to be more fidgety than ready to sit down and have a big meal when waiting for the New Year to come.
After around 9pm or so, it’s time to serve up more substantial canapés to ensure everyone’s still happy, not hungry. Things like burger sliders, a mini taco stand or a quick and easy pasta dish that just needs to be heated up will work wonders. Make sure everything is prepared in advance to avoid having you slaving over the kitchen while the guests are having fun.
Post-midnight food should be food for those who probably had a little too much to drink and want to linger around. These tummies tend to crave pizzas, meat pies and sausage rolls, which can quickly be put in the oven and served with some dip.
Drinks
New Year’s Eve is a time to get a little creative with your drinks menu for the night. If you’re hosting the party, it’s time to explore the different types of cocktails or mocktails you’d like to serve. Top off your creations with some cute cocktail fruit decorations to truly impress.
It is acceptable to ask for a BYO and with the lads most likely drinking beer for the night, make sure you have plenty of ice, eskies and stubbies at hand.
Music
It isn’t a celebration without a good playlist happening in the background. Put together your favourite tracks that will ring with the crowd and get their boogie on.
You could even involve the guests by encouraging them to contribute to a collaborative playlist on platforms such as Spotify.
Decorations
Deck your pad with lots of glitz and glamour. Decorations don’t have to be costly with simple solutions such as party hats, string lights, streamers and balloons for everyone to play with.
You can even throw in some fancy props such as tiaras, fake moustaches, bow ties, wacky glasses and more in a dress-up bowl for cute, quirky photo opportunities.
The final countdown
If you don’t have a good view to enjoy some fireworks, turn on the TV to get involved with the city countdowns. Be sure to have plenty of sparklers, party poppers and glasses of champagnes to celebrate with when the countdown hits midnight.
Head to the Grand View Hotel
If you’d like to put your feet up instead of working hard to ensure a great New Year’s Eve, why not leave it to the professionals?
Join us at the Grand View Hotel for the ultimate NYE celebration. With everything taken care of for you, there’s nothing you have to worry about so sit back, relax and have a good time.
Live music from Shandell will keep you entertained, while fresh, quality fare from our bistro fills your table throughout the night. Think locally caught seafood, amazing company, exceptional customer service and a spectacular waterfront view. Oh, and don’t forget the wide range of local and imported beverages, cocktails and an extensive selection of tap beers.
