These are really good tips! I feel like there’s something to be said about end times too. Something I found interesting about a bunch of casual EA-type events or parties is the way that the host/s will set an end time and stick to it hard. I think this can often be good, but it’s got to be well-timed, and adjustable according to the circumstances around the event. For instance, I went to a few weeknight type parties in the Bay over the summer last year where the hard and fast rule was 11 PM guests get kicked out. This felt fine and super appropriate, and was more or less the sensible time to leave a party on a work night anyway. But I went to this EAG afterparty where the host kicked everybody out at like 12 AM on the dot, and it felt a bit :( . (((He was really nice about it though and it was totally within his rights since its his house of course and it was generous of him to even have all those people there in the first place and I was super grateful to be invited and I had an awesome time and no shade whatsoever though everyone’s style is different and valid!!!))) But as for my own personal party + hostess style, a more partylicious event centered around something more major is ideally concluded a bit later maybe in order to optimize the fun. As a bit of a connoisseur of hosting, parties, dinner parties, karaoke parties, costume parties, showers, weddings, and events, and as someone raised in a family with a love of hosting and big group fun, a properly festive nighttime party’s natural fun peak is usually between 12 and 1AM, and it will likely wind down at around 2, which is then I think a good time to kick everyone out. The party is a subtle art though! And everyone has their own hosting style. But for my money, circa 11PM is the right weeknight kick-out time and 2AM is the right end time for celebratory though largely casual weekend event. A party has a natural lifespan, and the attentive hostess may like to schedule accordingly. That said, I just love parties so much and I love to go to all of them. :D
These are really good tips! I feel like there’s something to be said about end times too. Something I found interesting about a bunch of casual EA-type events or parties is the way that the host/s will set an end time and stick to it hard. I think this can often be good, but it’s got to be well-timed, and adjustable according to the circumstances around the event. For instance, I went to a few weeknight type parties in the Bay over the summer last year where the hard and fast rule was 11 PM guests get kicked out. This felt fine and super appropriate, and was more or less the sensible time to leave a party on a work night anyway. But I went to this EAG afterparty where the host kicked everybody out at like 12 AM on the dot, and it felt a bit :( . (((He was really nice about it though and it was totally within his rights since its his house of course and it was generous of him to even have all those people there in the first place and I was super grateful to be invited and I had an awesome time and no shade whatsoever though everyone’s style is different and valid!!!))) But as for my own personal party + hostess style, a more partylicious event centered around something more major is ideally concluded a bit later maybe in order to optimize the fun. As a bit of a connoisseur of hosting, parties, dinner parties, karaoke parties, costume parties, showers, weddings, and events, and as someone raised in a family with a love of hosting and big group fun, a properly festive nighttime party’s natural fun peak is usually between 12 and 1AM, and it will likely wind down at around 2, which is then I think a good time to kick everyone out. The party is a subtle art though! And everyone has their own hosting style. But for my money, circa 11PM is the right weeknight kick-out time and 2AM is the right end time for celebratory though largely casual weekend event. A party has a natural lifespan, and the attentive hostess may like to schedule accordingly. That said, I just love parties so much and I love to go to all of them. :D