3 Party Trends To Ditch In 2017

Coming up with a concept and theme for a party can be one of the more difficult stages of planning your event. You know you want to gather your friends and family for your birthday, a holiday, or just a particularly fun Saturday night, but you're not sure how to theme your night or what sort of things you should include.

If you're looking for what to do, it's more important to know what not to do. Now that we're a little over three weeks into the new year, it's time to leave these three tired party trends in the past. Trust us, your friends will be thankful that they won't be subjected to these isolating, boring, and awkward events.

After-Parties
It may feel glamorous to have a follow-up event after your original soirée, but the concept of the after-party should be left to awards shows. Not only is having a second, more exclusive party after your initial party rude to your other guests, but it also divides your attention and planning. Focus on throwing one, incredible, unforgettable party instead of having to decide on two themes, two menus, and two different guest lists.

Formal Dinners
There may be something charming and old-fashioned about a formal dinner party, where all of your guests dress to the nines, sit down at a long dining room table, and are served a multi-course meal. But let's get real: Despite a host's best efforts, these kinds of affairs are typically very stuffy. For 2017, open up the concept of a dinner party with tapas served buffet-style, small cocktail tables, and looser organization. Your guests will feel more relaxed and it will follow then that the party will be more fun.

Sales Pitches Disguised as Parties
This "party theme" has been on our "what not to do" list for a long time, but they're only growing in frequency. If you're inviting your friends over for a spa party, cooking party, or makeover day, leave it at those concepts. Nobody wants to head over to their girlfriends' home expecting manicures and experimenting with lipstick only to walk into a sales pitch for whatever thinly disguised pyramid scheme you've fallen into.