I like all my parties to be elaborate affairs with a lot of emphasis on the theme or colors, a good (or some) amount of decor, fresh flowers, menus planned carefully in advance and party entertainment. But there is one other element, which if present, can make up for the absence of any or most of the above. And that is:

Good Company for the Guests to Enjoy.

Yes, making and finalizing your guest list, especially if the party is an informal affair, plays the most important role in determining its success. If your guests find good company among themselves, chances are that they will overlook any other faults in the party planning process. I was at a party the day before and realized how important this little detail was. The party was a casual get together and I along with DHenjoyed myself thoroughly catching up with friends. And that despite the fact there was very little choice in food for vegetarians like me, who happened to be plenty in number. A stereo playing some soft songs was all we had for entertainment but nobody really cared as guests were busy mingling with each other.

Kids were invited and again, not much was planned in the menu for the young guests. But surprisingly, nobody minded this as well. Kids were happy playing in the lovely front yard of the hosts, running around trees or swinging. Happy kids are the most non-fussy eaters, did you know that? I didn’t and was pleasantly surprised to see my finicky little 2 year old eating without any of the usual fussiness.

All in all, a lovely evening spent with friends in peaceful outdoors. A well-thought of guest-list certainly makes a party click!