Toast the new year with the perfect party. Photo: Supplied With 2016 on its way out, it’s time to welcome a new year.
Here are my tips on how to celebrate with family and friends and throw a brilliant party to farewell the year.
Night moves
In the southern hemisphere, we have the luxury of celebrating New Year’s Eve in summer. Fingers crossed the weather will be warm so you can open the doors and plan a night of fun under the stars in an outdoor space.
Fairy lights and candles are all that is needed to light up a long table on the deck or in the garden.
Keep the decorations simple and choose a theme. If you have a pool, host a pool party and fill it up with inflatable flamingoes, pineapples and watermelons.
Sunnylife (below) has a gorgeous summer range available that can also extend to the table with fruity drink holders, candles, coasters and serving platters for a tropical theme.
Another option is to let the stars be your inspiration and create a glitter theme with glasses frosted with glitter, sparklers, gold and silver lengths of curled ribbon, streamers and sparkle-covered party poppers and noisemakers.
Set up a photo booth
Include fun props and a Polaroid camera for guests to capture and keep the last moments of the year with friends.
Printable party games
Go online – there are many to choose from! A good one will get guests swapping stories and having a laugh over questions like “what was your most embarrassing/happiest/proudest moment of the year?” Give out prizes for the best and funniest stories.
Here’s cheers!
No New Year’s Eve party would be complete without great music and lots of drinks. Pick a cocktail that was popular in 2016 to be served before midnight and ring in the New Year with champagne and the latest cocktail for 2017.
Have a playlist organised for the night and appoint one guest as DJ so that songs don’t start getting turned off midway through – the ultimate party killer!
The menu
New Year’s Eve celebrations start early and finish late, so it’s important to have plenty of food available.
An ideal menu includes two seatings. Choose a buffet for the first round and follow it up with a midnight feast that includes share plates and sweet treats. Don’t forget the fortune cookies to get a glimpse into your new year.
Social media love
Create a hashtag for your guests to use on their social media posts and never miss any of the fun pics later.