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Party People?:  How to Have a Successful Multi-Host Party
 

You’ve been envisioning your mother’s 60^th birthday party for years.  You know exactly where the event will be held, you’ve mentally hired a fantastic DJ, and you’ve got a divine menu perfectly planned—in your mind, of course.  There’s only one problem.  Your sisters and brothers have their own mental pictures of Mom’s big 6-0, about which they are equally passionate. 

Will the proverbial “too many cooks” spoil the soup?  Will you and your sister end up in a hair-pulling screaming match reminiscent of your bathroom mirror sharing youth?

Relax.  You’ve got a great problem:  several people care so much about someone you love that they all want to throw a party for that individual.

When sensitively strategized, multi-host parties are a great way to share party-planning labor and stress, and can help decrease the strain on your brain, and your budget!

Letting Go, Letting Good!
Those of us who plan parties routinely tend to—how shall I say this politely—lean toward the Type-A perfectionist end of the spectrum!  We get very concerned about really important issues like the color and style of napkin rings.  Although some of the lesser humans with whom we’re forced to share this planet don’t realize it, these are earth-shattering issues with global ramifications!

Come one!  Get real!  As much as “party-planner types” should be proud of our tremendous abilities to throw fantastic get-togethers, we also need to realize that the most important elements great parties are good intentions, commitment to guests’ enjoyment, and feelings of love for the guest of honor.

Still doubtful, huh?  Certain your brother is going to turn your mother’s party into a grass-skirted kegger that will shock and horrify your mother’s bridge playing guests?  Try repeating these mantras to yourself:

I am not the only person on the planet who knows how to plan a great party.

Good intentions and love for the guest of honor are the key ingredients to making this party great.

I’ll let go, and let others’ good ideas flow—just this once.

The Players
Before you can plan a multi-host party, know your players.  Ask yourself, is your brother the type of person who will actually go out and research potential party venues, or will he simply make the commitment to do so with the best intentions, but not follow through.  If the former is true, terrific, send him out today to begin the venue search.  If brother is not known for being responsible, he’s the guy to assign non-essential or group tasks like addressing and stamping invitations and helping with decorations.

At the same time, when it comes to party-planning, some people will really surprise you.  The woman who can never find her keys may also be someone whose passion for a loved one’s happiness enables her to get organized and plan a great event.

Don’t set unrealistic expectations for your fellow party planners.  Base expectations on all hosts’ desires and strengths.  Once you’ve had an open discussion with all hosts about their ideas and self-described interests, you can begin to determine the best roles and tasks for each host to accept.

Role-Planning
Once you have an idea of what everyone would like to do, you’ll have the luxury of sharing responsibilities.  This is a luxury!  Embrace it!  While everyone needs to pitch in across the board, some key individual roles include: 

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