New Year’s Eve is a time many of us approach with excitement each year. The chance to start a fresh chapter and look forward to what the next twelve months will bring us. Often, we gather with friends or family, perhaps with a themed party or maybe with a more chilled vibe, the hootenanny playing in the background, fooling us that Jools Holland is actually doing all that on New Year’s Eve. In many cases though, it’s much the same each year, the guests may change, and the theme may vary, but it’s more or less the same party.
At Events Under Canvas, we know all there is to know about hosting spectacular events, so we thought we’d put together this guide so you can host a spectacular family New Year’s Eve party this year, and every year after!
Pick a New Year’s Eve party setting
If this is going to be a New Year’s Eve party with a difference, you might want to consider a different location to normal or make different use of the one you have. People gathering in a living room, kitchen, hallway or dining room, whilst at times cosy, doesn’t really shout “party!” Instead, move it into the garden. We can already hear people saying, “What? The garden? In winter?” Well, yes!
Opting for luxury marquee hire isn’t the silly idea you may have thought it was. You of course, still have the use of the house if you want as well but think what you can do with an event under canvas!
You could put a band on, decorate to your heart’s content, create a theme that just wouldn’t work indoors and even move the catering outside. With these tipis and tents able to be heated too, you add a little more comfort to the novelty of being outside.
Pick a theme
Now you’ve settled on moving things outside as well as indoors, it would be great to pick a theme to help add a little more character. This could be via both the décor and requesting fancy dress or could simply be one or the other. We’ve seen a host of great events over the years where the guests have fully embraced the host’s theme, and it really gives the party a heightened sense of fun. If younger children are coming along, you could incorporate this theme into some specific activities specially made for them.
Popular themes are superheroes, a letter party (where you have to dress as something starting with a particular letter) a colour party (where everybody has to wear a certain colour) or winter wonderland. Of course, the possibilities are pretty much endless.
Send out invites
If you are extending this party to more than just the family at home, don’t forget the invites. Consider digital invites customised to each guest and posted ones for the younger children. The fact they got an invite in the post is likely to make them feel more like a VIP when they see Mum and Dad didn’t get invited (or so they think!)
Remember to include the time and the venue but also if you require anything from your guests. If you’ve planned fancy dress but not included it on the invite, chances are, you’ll be the only one dressed up.
Perhaps also set up a private Facebook event too, so people can ask questions, post pictures and more.
Provide family-friendly entertainment
Everybody wants to have a good time and utilising your tent, tipi or marquee for a spot of entertainment could be a winning touch. With plenty of space, you could divide the area into sections. Furnished with some tables and chairs, there could be a games area for those who enjoy a little mental stimulation. Perhaps the games could tie in with the theme of the party, or have prizes based on the theme. You could even move the furniture at one point and hoist a pinata.
A little further down you could make the cosy corner and add blankets, pillows, cushions and more. Add a TV, snacks and drinks, and suddenly, you’ve got a perfect space for the kids to get comfy watching their favourite films and shows in between everything else that’s going on.
You could even use one area of the party space for a band or DJ before it becomes home to the kids for the rest of the evening. Should bands and DJs be a little too much, A Spotify playlist will keep the dancefloor active.
Encourage interaction
It could be all too easy for people to stick to one or two areas, but you want them to enjoy a full experience, right? Well, New Year’s Eve parties are a time to celebrate, and you celebrate best when you celebrate together! So, look at how you can bring people together.
- A photo booth is a great way to capture moments but also bring people together, with the additional props provided, you can make some truly amusing pics, and best of all, include everyone in doing so.
- Resolution jars can be a great little icebreaker. Get everyone to write a resolution down and put it in a jar. For added interaction, perhaps everyone could announce theirs before submitting it to the jar for the year!
- Karaoke obviously ties in with the entertainment we mentioned earlier, but having grandma relive her youth or your daughter bring out her inner Taylor Swift will bring smiles and a great feeling of inclusivity, fun and laughter.
Create a drinks menu
You could do this two ways. You could hire a mobile bar, or you could become head bartender yourself and serve from the kitchen. Create mocktails for the kids, or give them the chance to make them, and see if you can create some themed drinks to match the overall vibe of the party. If you are doing them yourself, consider dressing up to fit the role! If hired, perhaps speak to the company in advance to let them know of your need to accommodate both alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails and other drinks.
Cater for all age ranges
It may be all well and good deciding that a Thai banquet is the way forward but if the younger members party (the ones of 1-14 let’s say) are fussy eaters, you’ve wasted a lot of time and money. Perhaps consider setting up a buffet and a “make your own” station so then people only ever choose what they like, with just the occasional foray into the unknown.
It might also be handy to factor in particular dietary requirements and allergies.
Create a countdown area
Further harnessing the togetherness aspect, you could create an area, especially for the countdown. You could do this in or out of the marquee depending on how you want to commemorate the clock hitting midnight.
One idea we like is for the tent or marquee to be decorated with twinkling lights, perhaps some confetti cannons, a balloon drop too (for the kids! and then outdoors, some fireworks or sparklers if space permits and it is safe to do so.
Back inside the tent, the very screen the kids were enjoying the films on can be used to broadcast the live countdown. Then as the clock strikes, your confetti cannons blast, your balloons drop, and your lights sparkle.
If you had a band hired, they could even come in with Auld Lang Syne to add a little more to the end of the evening. If you didn’t, never mind! Your own music playlist should kick in if you’ve got it set up right.
The possibilities for creating a spectacular New Year’s Eve party for the family are pretty much endless. What we’ve mentioned above is just a snapshot of the kind of thing our team can be involved with. What’s more, we can help you accentuate your party area. We not only provide the marquee but we can also provide you with all the event accessories you could think of.
We can also assist you with all your event lighting and furnishing needs to take the workload away from you, and put it purely at our door. Why not contact our team today to find out how we can help you transform your New Year’s Eve party efforts into something memorable?