One of our favourite Indian holidays, Holi, is right around the corner. Besides being a reminder of all things vibrant, colorful, and lively, Holi is also the most amazing excuse to host a party at your house with your near and dear ones. It may be a short holiday compared to others but you can make it worth the while. How? Let us guide you with a few tips on how to throw the most amazing Holi party for your friends and family, right in your den. You only need a concrete plan, some funds, and the right guest list to get started on planning the epic Holi party. If organized and executed correctly, your ideas, when they take shape, can yield to a party that your friends could never have imagined.
We admit it’s not an easy ball game to organize a full-scale party at your house, but with the right tips, you can execute and give life to every idea that you thought of.
1. Finding the Venue
Now, before you get to the fun part of planning a party, you must deal with the boring bit. There are a few questions you need to ask yourself before you go ahead press ‘send’ on the invites. Questions such as:
- Is your house big enough to accommodate the number of people you have in mind?
- If it does not, is shifting furniture to make more space an option?
- Is having a backyard party feasible and in your budget?
- If not the backyard, how safe is the rooftop for a party?
And, when you have found an answer to these questions, you not only need to consider the vibe of the party that you are aiming for but also consider the aesthetics of the venue. Will it be easy to connect all your electric devices at the rooftop of the backyard? If not, you need to fix an appointment with an electrician who can show you how to go about it. What we are saying through these examples is that each and every aspect, prospect, possibility, and the impossibility of your chosen venue should be considered and thought about before you go ahead and fix on something.
2. Holy Themed Invites
Now that you have dealt with the (initial) boring part, it’s time we get to the more fun part. Yes, we are talking about invites. Firstly, having a decided and fixed guest list is very important before printing or making the invites. It not only makes your budget clear but also helps you plan the party better. Be it big or small, your party is after all in your creative supervision.
After having a finished guest list, decide on which one you want for an invite – a handmade one or a printed one? If it is the former, what design will it be? How much of the budget is it going to take? If you decide on a printed invite, you need to have it sent to the invitees within the time so that they can save the date. It is also important that your Holi party invite imbibes the spirit of Holi in general and the party in particular. Sure you can scour Pinterest for ideas, but don’t go for something that doesn’t channel the Holi party vibe. It can make for a memorabilia of a great party if designed impeccably.
3. Budget
So you have your venue and your guest list fixed. That’s not the end of the planning, it’s merely the beginning. The next big thing is the budget of the party. You can have s grand a party as you like and spend a fortune on it. Or, you may be on a tight budget but still want to enjoy Holi with great food, drinks, and of course the company of your loved ones. No matter which one it is, you will inevitably need a budget to be able to prioritize and get the ball rolling. After you have decided on the digits and the amount you’re willing to dash out from your bank account, it is important that you compartmentalize it into various categories, like:
- Decorations
- Invites
- Food
- Beverages
- Electricity
- Helpers, Chefs (if any), waiters (if any)
- Post-Party cleaning help
The list may go on and on and that would just make things more complicated and difficult to plan. Instead, put your money in different categories so that you know what to do, how much to do, and where to do.
4. Holi Special Decorations
What is a Holi party without decorations, right? We associate with Holi with lots of vibrant colours, shimmer, and glitter and so on. Do you want that to be the theme and colour scheme of your party? or do you want to step out of the box and try something new? Are you planning a theme Holi party? Irrespective of which kind you have in mind, it is very important that the way you decorate the venue of your party exudes the vibe of your party. If you want a simple color-theme Holi party, you can simply stock up on streamers of different colors, color-coordinated crockery, a costume theme, and so on and so forth. This is where your creativity comes to test.
How much can you do within your budget?
If you know the people on your guest list well, how much can you please with the decorations at the first glance?
Think of different ways in which you can use the stuff that you may have lying around in the house and, with a bit of help, turn that into a creative DIY party prop. And in present times, where Instagram stories and posts rule the internet, you may want to make sure that your decorations make for a pretty background for all the memorable pictures. We are talking, shimmer, colors, and lots of shine!
5. Holi Special Food
What is a proper Holi party without some lip-smacking food, right? Since people mostly remember parties for the chicken tandoories and reshmi paneers, we suggest that you keep a major chunk of the budget money aside for food and beverages. Any compromise there would wreak havoc on the fun factor of your party. Imagine having a great venue, decorations, and music but not enough delicious food and exciting drinks to fuel the guests up! So, here are a few things to consider when it comes to food and beverages:
- Do you want a caterer service to take the responsibility of providing the food and beverages? Or, are you willing to take it on your shoulders?
- If it is the former, how much more/less is that going to cost you from your budget for the party?
- If you want to take it on yourself to cook up a storm, how much and what can you afford that is most delicious and fulfilling?
6. Beverages for Holi Party
As for drinks, you may want to keep the option for alcoholic drinks open since it is, after all, a Holi party, and what is a Holi party without some bhaang, right? However, if that costs you a little too much, you can easily add in “BYOB” in the invites so that you can concentrate on the food while the beverages are handled by the guests themselves. This is an even better idea if all the invitees are your close friends and/or family.
7. The Fun Factor
Last, but not the least, in making sure that everything is going right, that your guests feel comfortable, they have enough food and drinks, you might forget to have fun yourself at your own meticulously planned party. We say that once you get the ball rolling, the most convenient and easy way of making sure that your guests are having fun is to be a happy and relaxed host/hostess.
8. Holi Special Music
Get the playlist ready from before so that you have back-to-back killer songs bringing the energy high. Bollywood and Hollywood music, preferably in mixtapes, can get the crowd grooving and set in the party mood. No matter what, a Holi party can never be brought to life without a great playlist ready. Ideally, a bit of variety in the playlist will make sure that every guest has his/her favourite song/artist play at least once, if not more. These are small ways of ensuring that your guest feels at home, and comfortable in your party.
9. Holi Games
It is always a great idea to have a few games planned that everyone in the party can enjoy. This way, your guests can feel more comfortable, enjoy themselves, and you can be there to witness a great party taking place that you yourself planned with your own creative prowess. You can choose from a variety of fun group games usually played at such parties. They are engaging, keep the party going for long, and are definitely a great way to add in an extra bit of fun to the party.
10. Holi Theme Return Gifts
House parties are usually small, sweet, and private. When your guest list comprises only your near and dear ones, you can pay more attention to their hospitality and welcome them more warmly. We suggest that you keep a portion of your budget for a return gift for your guests who attended the party and made it a success.
A Holi-theme return gift with personalized or hand-written message would mean that you truly appreciate their coming to the party and would make for a great piece of memorabilia. Some great ideas would be a DIY photo frame with lots of colourful papers and messages written on them, with a picture of you and the respective guest. Cute ideas like these go a long way in ensuring that your parties remain crowded by your near and dear ones.
Lastly, pat yourself on the back, raise a toast, and shake a leg to the music with your guests for you will be no less than a party-planner at the end of it.
Be it a Holi party or a Diwali party, a birthday party or a corporate one, it is never easy to make sure that everything is going perfectly. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go about the happy pain of planning one. With the above-mentioned tips, you can give the professional party planners a run for their money and organize a party that no one would have imagined.
