How to Throw the Perfect Cocktail Party in Toronto

If you want to have a small get-together during the holiday months, a small cocktail party is a perfect thing to have. Just a quick 3-4 hour party where people just talk for a bit would be great, especially if you are planning on going to or hosting a larger holiday party, like a new years or christmas party. Here, you will find the most important things you will need for a cocktail party.

Choosing a Venue

A cocktail party, while small, is still a very fancy event which requires an equally fancy venue. Toronto event space rentals should have whatever venue you are looking for. This company has multiple spaces available for events like this cocktail party. Why choose their venues over others? That's because Toronto Event Space Rentals’ spaces are very affordable without losing any sort of quality. Some other venue rental services will set you back $400+/hr, but Toronto Event Space Rentals only goes for about $125/hr. But with all the bells and whistles of the more expensive spaces, their venues are an obvious choice for most people.

Sending Invites

Depending on how recent this event will be, your invites can be online or an actual paper invite. If the event is less than a month away, you probably want to make an online invite. This way, you can spend less time making the invites, and just figure out WHO you want to invite. But if you think you can send actual paper invites or you have a lot more time, then go ahead and make those invites. One thing to be aware of is that you want to make the invites about as fancy as the party itself. You don't want to send an invite that is way more (or way less) fancy than the party itself. It might send the wrong message and someones going to come way over/underdressed.

When Should You Hold The Party?

There are many times to hold a cocktail party, but if you think people will be busy around the time of when the party is being thrown, then consider doing it on a weekday. At the end of a weekday could work for a lot of people. Tuesdays and Thursdays are probably your best bet. People would want to have a small party at the beginning of the week to give them some extra energy for the rest of the week. A thursday works because people will want to end their week on a high note, and a small party before a friday is a great way to do that. But much more importantly, they probably won't have much going on during these days.

What Food Should Be at The Party?

Well, you don't want to have too much in terms of filling food. A cocktail party is more of a finger-food kind of event. You want charcuterie and cheese boards, small glasses of champagne or mimosa depending on the time of day. You also want the items on the cheese and charcuterie boards to be easy to prepare; as in, you want to be able to make them the night before. Because you might be busy doing other stuff while you are planning this little event. Last thing you want is to realize too late that you don't have the food you wanted on time. As long as the recipes are easy enough to make the night before while still being delicious, you should be good to go.

The Cocktails in Question

In the last paragraph, you probably saw the recommended drinks, but they aren't the only drink you can serve. If you think that they are appropriate enough, go ahead and serve them. But some drinks will probably fit your part better than champagne for mimosas ever could. You want to think about what you think would be the best. Coming up with your own signature cocktail would probably be the best idea. Just make sure to make a mocktail version too, for all your non-alcoholic friends/family

The Decoration For The Party

Needless to say, your decor should match with the aesthetic you're going for, and it should match with everything else in the room including the tablecloths, chairs and dress code. A theme isn't necessary, but would help tie a lot of things together. The theme should also revolve around the time of year. Christmas is the closest theme in terms of time (at the time of writing this article), but other themes would also work. Valentines for february, thanksgiving for november, halloween for october, etc etc.

Music and Entertainment

Much like the decor, the music should also fit the theme of the party. Christmas music for December, spooky or warm, comforting music for October, love songs for February, you get the point, the music doesn't have to be crazy good timeless classics however. In fact, it's probably best if it isn't. You want the music to add to the atmosphere, not take the attention altogether. You don't want people to start dancing at your fancy party when you just wanted a low-key part for people to just talk for a bit. You could even put on a live jazz or lofi playlist to get that part off of your mind.

Entertainment is the same, you don't want anything to take away from the party itself. The most you would want is a live jazz quartet or live performer. This also just adds to the atmosphere without taking too much attention away from the party. A live band might make people go “oh look! a live band!” they'd be surprised for five minutes, then move on. But you can rest assured, that will be something they remember.

Conclusion

Now you know everything you might need for a great cocktail party. Of course, remember to take your time and plan everything at least a month ahead to leave as little up to fate as possible. Have plan B’s and C’s in case things go wrong. That should be all you need to know, now go have a great party!!!