As a kid, I didn’t dream of going to space or becoming an Olympian. No thoughts of being a firefighter or a doctor. I didn’t even realize what I’d dreamt of was unique; I’d thought everyone felt the same way. When I was younger, I dreamed of throwing parties.
My family is anything but small. I’m one of 18 first cousins on one side and 11 on the other (with 5 overlapping, but that’s a story for another time). Every holiday was a big celebration with folding tables and chairs spilling from room to room. I married into a big, boisterous family: my now-husband and I had to make spreadsheets in the beginning to understand who was who in each other’s families. Needless to say, “intimate gatherings” aren’t the standard.
I’m sure my parents didn’t throw parties any more frequently than the next couple, but I remember them as such spectacular events. There was fun music, delicious food, so many people, and, most notably, laugher. I have such strong memories of being upstairs in my bedroom (since it was a grown-up party) and listening to my house being filled with laughs. I remember my neighbor playing our out-of-tune piano to boisterous applause and wishing I could be down there enjoying it all. I couldn’t wait to be old enough to be at those parties and to eventually host them myself.
Now that I’m an adult, I haven’t been to a cocktail party like I remember my parents throwing. Yes, there have been house parties and dinner parties, but there’s something about the cocktail party that’s special.
For hosting a dinner party, you need to have enough seats for people to actually eat the dinner. Add on the expense of cooking the main course (even if you do a potluck), and suddenly what started as a fun Friday night idea seems like a chore. Then, there’s the house party: people packed in, lots of drinks, and loud music, but also smaller groups where you have to yell, warm rooms, and not usually any food.
Enter: the cocktail party. A curated guest list, small bites packed with flavor, fun music that sets the tone but doesn’t overwhelm it, and whatever drinks you feel like serving.
For my 30th birthday, I threw the sparkling wine-themed cocktail party of my dreams. I kept the bar simple: 6 different styles of sparkling wine from around the world. I wrote up little descriptions for each one so that everyone could know something about what they were drinking (and hopefully find a new favorite). My sister made French 75 glitter jello shots to tie in with the sparkle theme. I crafted a menu of both homemade and store-bought appetizers that overflowed our dining room table. My mom bought a blank white sheet cake that served as a “guest book” for people to sign and decorate. I created a playlist of my favorite artists, but that wasn’t the soundtrack of the evening.
It was adults laughing.
And this time, I was finally downstairs.
I love this so much!