I’m going to tell you exactly who to invite to your party. Listen up, because this is important.
Your first party should feel easy to host.
Start by inviting close friends, colleagues, and neighbors.
Do not invite VIPs (yet). I’ll explain why.
My name is Nick Gray, and I'm the best-selling author of the party handbook The 2-Hour Cocktail Party. I've hosted hundreds of parties all over the world, and been featured in the WSJ, The New York Times, and New York Magazine.
Guidelines for Who to Invite
Follow these guidelines for picking who to invite to your first party.
- Do: invite friends, neighbors, classmates, colleagues, and their significant others.
- Don’t: invite important new relationships or critical work contacts.
Don’t Invite VIPs… Yet
Some people become so excited to host their first party that they rush to send invitations.
They reach out to everyone they’d like to have at their party, including big business contacts and new romantic interests.
It’s great that you’re excited to show off your new hosting skills. You should be.
But pace yourself.
Don’t start your hosting journey by inviting people who intimidate you or who you badly want to impress. Focus your guest list now on friends and colleagues.
When your first party is a low-stakes affair, you’ll avoid the stress of trying to impress VIP guests. Invite them later after this first practice party.
Want the full hosting playbook?
Grab the free 2-page party checklist.
Does everyone need to know each other?
No. Definitely not.
It’s fine to have a seemingly random group of connections at your party. In fact, it’s what will make your event special and allow your guests to meet new and interesting people.
The common thread is that everyone knows you.
