Going out to watch the big game can get expensive, and the anticipation of the premiere of your favorite show can feel lonely with an empty house.
But don’t fret! With these tips on how to host the best viewing party, you’ll be cheering on your favorite team or your favorite show with friends and family in tow.
Get a head count
The best way to be successful at something is to prepare for it, right? So make sure you’ve got a solid headcount for your watch party and then send out the invitations. Sure, social media platforms like Facebook have made invites more accessible and convenient, but a written and snail-mailed invitation just takes it to another level. Just make sure you give yourself plenty of time to send them out.
Food for thought
Let’s move on to something everyone can bond around – food. Sure, people are coming over to watch and socialize, but what they’re really craving is delicious food. That’s why it’s important you’ve got a solid spread of appetizers, drinks and entrees – and functional kitchen appliances in case someone needs to warm up a dish (you never know).
If you’ve got a lot of people coming over and are stressing about feeding everyone adequately, consider making the entree and having your guests bring their favorite side dish/dessert and drink of choice as contribution. You don’t have to do it all yourself! You can even have fun with the food by theming it around a specific team or show. For example, if you’re watching the Game of Thrones final season premiere, throw out some chicken legs and your finest wine.
Speaking of themes ...
People love an excuse to dress the part – Halloween, movie premiers, cosplay, sporting events … you name it. Simply putting a theme around your watch party will set the mood and boost excitement. So, if you’re throwing a Harry Potter marathon, encourage your guests to dress as a member of their favorite house or character, etc.
And don’t just delegate it to your guests, theme your home too. Everything from your food to your decor should scream wizardry, not muggledom. You can even go as far as sending out invites with owls … okay, so that’s not practical, but you can still make the invites look like Hogwarts admission letters – with the seal, font type and all!
Give your neighbors a heads up
It’s not so much for the noise … unless you and your friends tend to get a little rowdy. Rather, telling your neighbors that you’re expecting a lot of people over is a courteous way of saying, “there’s going to be a lot of cars on the street and it may be a bit louder around here than usual.” Chances are your neighbors won’t have an issue with it, and if they do, invite them over too!
Big screen, big fun
No offense, but if you’re hosting a watch party with a TV that looks like it’s from 1999, your guests are going to take notice. So consider upgrading your home theater setup to really wow your guests. Another more affordable option than replacing your TV with something bigger and smarter is to think outside the box.
With spring here and summer right around the corner, the weather is perfect for an outdoor watch party. Quality projectors are available on Amazon, along with a Roku, Google Chromecast or Amazon Fire TV Stick to easily and affordably complete an instant outdoor theater setup. An outdoor watch party is fresh and different, and it pairs extremely well with a firepit and roasted marshmallows … just saying.
Cozy and content
Remember that headcount that you did before sending out the invites? Well, make sure you’ve got enough comfortable seating to accommodate all the guests who RSVP’d. If you need to bust out the foldable chairs, then so be it, but as the host, it’s your duty to make sure everyone is comfy.
Host a throwback watch party
Everyone can relate to being invited to a big game watch party, award show viewing or TV show premiere party, but what about a throwback watch party? Sometimes the best watch parties put your oldest memories front and center. After all, what’s more fun than watching old and embarrassingly humorous childhood memories with your closest friends and family?
So, if you’ve got a box full of old VHS tapes, photos and film reels, it’s time to consider digitizing them with KODAK so you can host a throwback watch party for the ages. And just like you would for your favorite TV show, consider putting a theme to it based on the decade of the footage. The result will be you making amazing new memories while you commemorate your old ones.
Make time to enjoy it!
Sure, it might seem like a no-brainer but as the host, it can be stressful trying to juggle everything and making sure your guests are having a good time. That’s why it’s important that you make time to actually relax, have fun and enjoy the show!
