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drinks and hand them to the bar person as they arrived and he would supply the venue, disco and food. It worked really well and everyone used to look forward to the event every year.

Now to the responsible host part of the evening which means food and non-alcoholic refreshments. You could supply juices and soda's but I like to offer a couple of mocktails as well. This is for two reasons, one is that when I'm a designated driver I love mocktails as I feel like I'm not being deprived and I believe that my guests might feel the same. The other is that if you think one of your friends have had enough to drink you can have a quick word to the barman and they can give them a mocktail. Your friend thinks they're having a cocktail and you're giving their liver a small rest!

Food always depends on the type of party you are having, whether it is Mexican themed, color themed or letter themed the food will have to follow the same course. I like to have some nibbles on hand such as peanuts, pretzels or chips. As the evening progresses I like to gradually bring out a variety of different types of finger foods. Letting people eat gradually throughout the evening is always my preference. It is also important to know if anyone has any special dietary needs such as whether they are vegetarian or have a nut or wheat allergy.

Any party would not be complete without some music, again the type of music you play should reflect the type of cocktail party you want. A Hawaiian theme would make me think of the Beach Boys whereas a Rubik's Party would have to be 80s pop music! Make up some mixed discs to play so that everyone will find something to their liking. A friend of mine actually set up their computer to continually run, no music was repeated and it played for hours with everyone dancing for the majority of the evening.

Have fun and enjoy yourself, with the preparation done beforehand (music, crib sheet for barman, food planned) it's time to let your hair down and enjoy yourself.

Learn more about this author, Louanne Cox.
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