Out with the old, in with the new (year's eve party!)
If you’re only going to attend one party a year, make it a New Year’s Eve party! There’s nothing like saying “farewell” to the past 12 months and welcoming a new beginning with open arms beside your favorite folks.
With a POTLUCK™ membership, you can get started with NYE party planning early and keep all the planning details in one convenient place.
NYE Planning Basics
1. Decide on a Party Vibe
2. Keep Food and Drinks Simple
3. Plan Activities Before the Countdown
4. Play Music and TV for the Ball Drop
5. Arrange Safe Transportation
Decide on a Party Vibe
Want to host a low-key gathering? A wild, all-night shindig? A family-friendly event? Think about your own party style and the type of people you want to celebrate NYE with. Other considerations are the size of your space and how cool your neighbors are with party noise.
NYE Party Hack #1: A start time of 8-9pm will let everyone mix and mingle before midnight without having too much downtime to get sleepy.
Keep Food and Drinks Simple
When you’re NYE party planning, make things easy on yourself by keeping the food simple and focusing on appetizers and grab-worthy finger foods. Our no-download-required Potluck app lets you build a list of foods you want to serve so guests can choose what they want to bring.
NYE Party Hack #2: Champagne is the classic NYE drink but there’s more to this holiday than just booze, so have several non-alcoholic options available too.
Plan Activities Before the Countdown
Delicious food and great conversations are the centerpieces of any New Year’s Eve party, but awesome hosts will go one step further with some planned activities. Host a competition for the best-dressed guests, pull out some board games, or play a nice-breaker game where everyone shares a New Year’s resolution.
NYE Party Hack #3: Set up a photo station with wearable props so that everyone can get an epic NYE party pic to post on social media. Potluck’s Moments Pages are a perfect place to share those photos and stories with your group to keep the party going after the fact.
Play Music and TV for the Ball Drop
A fun way to celebrate the year coming to a close is to set up a music playlist with the year’s hottest hits in a variety of genres. You can also cue up a TV with the local network’s NYE broadcast in the background to set the stage for the iconic ball drop in Times Square.
Arrange Safe Transportation
There’s a ton of fun to be had on NYE, but drunk driving is something that every party planner should think about in advance. Use the Potluck app to set up designated drivers or suggest routes for public transportation or ride sharing to make sure everyone you love gets home safe.
NYE Party Checklist
From the decorations to party favors, food, drinks, and entertainment, here are the essentials you’ll need on your New Year’s Eve party checklist.
· Noisemakers
· Fun hats and wearable props
· Confetti
· Balloons
· Decorative lights
· Champagne and non-alcoholic sparkling alternatives
· Champagneflutes
· Finger foods
· Cups, napkins, plates
· Photo booth backdrop
· Music playlist with this year’s top hits
· TV with access to NYE programming