Celebrities are well-known for hosting lavish parties at the finest venues. But if you’ve never been to one (which is the case for 99 percent of the population), it’s hard to really find out what’s going on and what they do differently.
The good news is that there are plenty of people on the inside. These socialites have been to bashes hosted by the likes of Sir Elton John and Beyoncé and they understand how the elites do things differently. Here are some of their secrets for throwing the type of party that billionaires would be happy to go to.
Keep The Guest List Short
Celebrities are incredibly fussy about who comes to their parties. They want to feel comfortable in their skin and able to talk to anyone. They don’t like uncontrolled parties with hundreds of people, most of whom are crashing the party without having been invited. Real celebrity events are nothing like the raging bashes depicted in American Pie films.
With that said, parties need a critical mass. That means that they need enough people to create an atmosphere, but not too many to feel out of control. Each guest should feel like you invited them for a reason, not just to make up the numbers.
Ditch Group Texts
While group texts might be a popular way to communicate about regular get-togethers, celebrity event organizers never use that method. It’s too impersonal and lacks exclusivity, something that elite attendees want. Therefore, if you want to recreate a celebrity event, text your guests individually. Address them by name and communicate with them one-on-one beforehand. Ditch generic spam.
Go All Out On Your Theme
Celebrity party organizers take themes incredibly seriously. More than anything else, they want their events to have character so that they are memorable for the celebrities who attend them. Many push the boundaries of pop culture and fashion, trying to do something fundamentally new.
For instance, if you want to take people back to the 1980s, don’t just put Lionel Richie and Whitney Houston on the jukebox. Add arcade game rentals and lava lamps to the venue as well. Give each guest a Rubix cube in their favor bag, and play 80s-themed party games with Ghostbusters and Police Academy references.
Carefully Consider Your Music
Some music is more mood-inducing than others. Therefore, you’ll also want to put considerable time into arranging your playlist. When you’re trying to mimic a billion-dollar event that attracts elites from around the world, you don’t want dead space in your musical lineup. Every song needs to offer guests something and get them pumped. DJs need to avoid boring remixes and play songs that tickle guests’ dopamine receptors. The music should be specifically curated for the party and give it a unique vibe. The playlist shouldn’t be transplanted from somewhere else.
Locate Your Party In A Non-Traditional Location
Celebrities are famous for having parties in weird and wonderful locations. Guests don’t just arrive at Brad Pitt’s house and enjoy the wine in his cellar. Instead, everyone makes an effort to arrive at a strange location, often by helicopter, to do something unusual. Convenience isn’t the primary consideration.
So where could you go? One option is to have a throwback party at your local arcade center, bowling alley, or pool hall. Here, guests can indulge in passions they probably haven’t enjoyed for many years but would love to experience again.
Another option is to pick an exciting social venue, like a rooftop bar or a beach. Again, these locations are unusual but welcomed by most guests.
To give a regular restaurant venue a celebrity vibe, you might want to consider reserving a group table and then asking staff to curtain it off and provide private service. This gives the party an exclusive feel, something that celebrities regularly attempt to achieve.
You could also try creating a party scenario. For example, you might bus everyone to a castle location and then get them to play a game when they first arrive. It could be a murder mystery, ghost story adventure, or just regular orienteering with a valuable prize at the end for the winner.
Get Guests To Help In The Kitchen Instead Of Potluck
Potlucks are generally quite dull and overdone. Because of this, many celebrities would actually prefer to just help out in the kitchen with food preparation. It’s much more interesting than bringing saveloys and cheese cubes on cocktail sticks for the fifteenth time.
Getting everyone to help in the kitchen makes the party feel like a community event. It also means that the quality of the food goes up. You don’t just have one stressed-out host trying to do everything.
Many celebrities also appreciate people giving them jobs instead of always assuming that they want other people to do things for them. It gives them a sense of efficacy and ownership over the event. Try it with your guests, too, and see how they react.
Invite A Social Butterfly
Social butterflies are people who can break the ice, even if you’ve invited a legion of introverts to your party. Celebrities call these “hypemen” and they’re a great addition to your shindig when you’re out of the room. These specialists excel at getting people to talk to each other and making sure that they have a good time, even if they arrive in a dreadful mood.
Give People The Tools They Need To Make Their Own Cocktails
While having someone behind the bar, and preparing cocktails ostentatiously can work, many celebrities prefer to be able to make their own. It gives them something to do, and it means that they can make whatever they want most, instead of having to go off the menu. Plus, it’s just exciting having lime wedges, tequila bottles, multi-colored stirrers, and olives all lined up on a serving table.
Create A Kids Section
Lastly, many celebrity parties have a separate area for kids so that they’re not running around while waitstaff serves champagne flutes on precariously-balanced silver platters. Give them arts and crafts stations and let them entertain themselves.
