How to Throw a Proper Gathering

Memorial Day is the official kickoff of summer and for many, it means party time. Whether you're planning a day at the beach, a BBQ or just kicking it with your friends and family, we recommend you focus on these key ingredients for having a good time - the people, the music and the food.

The People

The first ingredient for having a good time is the people and knowing who will be there. It determines the food you’ll be eating and the music you'll be listening to. Plus, it's kind of difficult to have a good time, when you're by yourself…

BEFORE

AFTER

 So here’s what you need to ask yourself -

• What are the shared interests or common themes amongst the group?
• What memories and experiences were most enjoyed when getting together in the past?
  
• What’s the age range of the people who will be there?

Make a list of the interests, memories and experiences - cross reference with your age range and strike anything that's going to get you in trouble (e.g. chugging contests from college + a bunch of kiddos present).

The Music

The second ingredient for a good time is the music because it sets the tone and is the heartbeat for your gathering. We have a saying in our family, “everything's better with music.” Think about it... Do your favorite movie scenes have music? Do your favorite restaurants & bars have music? Probably, so why would you not have music at your next gathering?

PAY UP & DO IT BIG

 WORK WITH WHAT YOU GOT

Take it from our cousin, Jeff, co-founder of PuckleBoard® game. A few minutes before the video above was captured, the place was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop...

...the karaoke DJ had set up but was nowhere to be found...

...Jeff saw an opportunity and seized his moment by adding some life to the scene... 

...yeah, he got scolded by the DJ for that but we think it was worth it... 

The point here is that music can be as subtle as the wind blowing in the background or a flash karaoke party, just don't forget about it.

The Food

Now let's talk turkey. Research shows that if people are hungry, they will bail from your gathering before you want them to... (Source: Maslow's pyramid). Food is preference driven so there are many directions that you can go and it will also swing how much you spend. To counter this, here are a few ideas:

• On a tight budget? Consider a potluck or asking your guests to bring their favorite food... worst case scenario, everyone has at least one thing that they like to eat
• Short on time? Make or pickup something in bulk that can please a wide variety of people. Be sure to include one healthy option (e.g. salad) and one guilty pleasure (a big pan of Mac n' Cheese ... mmm YUM) 

It's not rocket science to throw a proper gathering. Focus on the three ingredients - the people, the music and the food.

Don't host very often? Well don't try too hard because people will notice it... like if you tried to forge your signature with your non-dominant hand… you’re just going to look silly so don’t do it.

If you need help or looking for ideas, shoot us a message or leave a comment and we'll do our best to help and share what has worked for our family and friends.

Have a great holiday weekend. Have some FUN and make some MEMORIES!

#puckleup