Are you planning on having a New Year's Eve party? People around the world celebrate the ringing in of a new year by spending time with family, friends, great food and lots of champagne. If you have decided to host a New Year's bash of your very own, one of the keys to having a great party is planning in advance. Will you watch the ball drop? Will you ask your guests to play games? Will you serve a full meal or just provide appetizers?

Determining the answers to these and a few other key questions will help you to plan a fun, memorable and stress-free New Year's Eve party that will have your friends toasting you well into next year.

This guide on how to have a New Year's Eve party will teach you the simple steps to throwing a successful bash that will make guests want to party like it's 1999.

• The first thing you'll need to do is to decide on a budget. Here's how:

1. Come up with a list of what you'll need for the party and approximately how much you can spend on each category: food, drinks, decorations, games, favors, and any service help.
2. If you can't afford to spend much on each of these items, consider hosting a potluck to cut costs without sacrificing good food.
3. Because most New Year's parties don't start until later (you want everyone to make it to midnight, right?), dinner may not be expected, making the evening less expensive.
4. Total your various costs and then add a cushion for unanticipated expenses.
5. Don't forget to factor in what to spend on a party outfit!
6. Remember you can always shift how you spend your total—you might want to splurge on food and skip favors, for example.
7. If you're celebrating with a group of close friends, you could decide together on a restaurant to cater the night and divide the costs. Your home might be the most convenient place to host, but this way you don't bear the entire burden of the evening.

• Who's ringing in the New Year?

1. Depending on how big your space is, you should have a general idea of how many people you can invite.
2. Remember you may not be able to take advantage of outdoor space if inclement weather is a possibility.
3. Your budget is the other major factor to consider. If you plan to have an overly luxurious evening, complete with fine wines, servers, and plenty of Beluga caviar, you may not be able to invite as many people.
4. A potluck on the other hand, or an event centered around casual, homemade food (and which is perhaps BYOB), will allow you to invite more friends.
5. Alternatively, you could host a more intimate dinner party for fewer guests.
6. Decide if children are welcome and be sure to express your choice to guests.
7. If you're throwing a fairly large party, do over-invite since many guests will have multiple parties to attend that evening.
8. You know your friends. If you are planning an intimate dinner, and you've discussed this plan with your group and can be sure almost all will attend, you should not over-invite.

• Masquerade? Black tie? Funny hats? How you design your theme will set the tone for the evening...and perhaps the year to come!

1. Be realistic and keep that budget in mind. You don't need to go overboard to provide a festive evening.
2. Remember that music can generate a significant degree of atmosphere. Even if you can't hire an uber-cool band, a new playlist on your iPod will make a difference. If you want people to dance, be sure to include old favorites that everyone knows.
3. Decide whether or not you will provide hats, masks, etc., or if you will request guests to come attired in a certain dress code.
4. If you do ask guests to dress up, be sure to communicate as much on the invitation. Reiterate the plan when guests contact you to RSVP.
5. Don't be too pushy. You might think those feather-and-glitter tiaras are really cute, but not all your guests may agree.
6. If your theme is simply ringing in the New Year, you still need to decide how casual or formal the evening will be so you can let guests know what to expect. Will this be an informal group wearing jeans and sipping wine? Or will ladies be donning evening gowns and dancing the night away?

• Invite your guests early before they commit to another event.

1. Send out your invite at least a month in advance.
2. Use your invitation as a means to communicate the formality of your event. A custom printed or handwritten invite will suggest a formal evening, as of course will your wording.
3. For a more casual evening, a phone call or emailed invite is acceptable.
4. Include all the necessary details: theme, dress code, time, your address and contact information.
5. When guests contact you to RSVP, confirm these details. You might let guests know what you plan to wear so they will be able to choose their ensembles with confidence.
6. Also let guests know where to park if you live in an apartment building that won't accommodate extra cars, or if you'll be using an additional parking area.

• It's time to countdown to your party! There are several important decisions to make at least a few weeks in advance. Things that you will need to consider include:

Decorations

1. Try incorporating your favors into the decorations so guests can easily reach for what will help them celebrate.
2. Decide if you will have the Times Square ball-dropping on television in the background.
3. Skip the fresh flowers (they're expensive this time of year) and opt for bowls of floating candles and re-purposed Christmas ornaments. Scattering a few gold balls on tables around groups of candles is simple and elegant.
4. Lighting is key. No one looks good in glare. Dim the lights and make use of your candles for the most flattering lighting plan. Just before midnight, consider turning down the lights completely.
5. An over the top dessert can make a beautiful centerpiece.

Food & Drink

1. Keep it simple! Don't feel like you need to make everything from scratch.
2. Plan your portions: guests will drink an average of 3 drinks each, consume 4-6 hors d'oeuvres if you are serving dinner, and up to 12 if you are not serving dinner.
3. Choose a mix of hot and cold appetizers so you're not slaving over the oven the whole night.
4. Don't forget vegetarian options.
5. If you've decided to organize a potluck with a small group, be sure to discuss with guests what they will bring. You might wish to circulate a list and ask people to sign up. That way, you'll have everything covered.
6. Be sure to assess ahead of time the serving pieces you will need. Buy any large bowls or utensils weeks beforehand.
7. For a small group, if you aren't serving a multiple course dinner, you can splurge on luxe hors d'oeuvres like caviar and foie gras.
8. Find New Year's Eve menu inspiration here:
   • • Epicurious: A Classy New Year's Eve Menu
     • Epicurious: Caviar Class
     • Food and Wine: Fast Hors d'oeuvres
9. Create a specialty cocktail for the evening. This will cut down on lines to the bar and will make the night unique. Generate some buzz about your creation when guests arrive to persuade them to stray from old standards.
10. You must have champagne, or it might as well be Arbor Day. Even if you can't afford to keep it flowing all night, leave room in the budget so that everyone can raise a glass at midnight.
11. Keep a little sparkling cider on hand, as well. Designated drivers should not be deprived of all things bubbly!

Games

1. If your group is small enough, just going around the room sharing resolutions is entertaining. And it may make them easier to keep.
2. Charades never go out of style. What about coming with a "Best of" list of movies, celebrity figures, etc. from the previous year to act out?
3. Consider buying self-stick numbers from 1-10 to stick to champagne flutes to coordinate the final countdown frenzy.
4. Your entire party theme could be centered around a scavenger hunt that requires guests to track down objects that were meaningful in the past year.
5. If your event is heavily themed, an Arabian Nights bash, for example, the costumes and the decor should provide sufficient entertainment for the evening.
6. And if you've hired any entertainment for the evening—a band, a tarot card reader, some belly dancers—you also shouldn't need any games.
7. If there is a local fireworks display, you might lead your guests to the best vantage point and make this the focal point of the evening.

Games

1. Consider assembling favors that will help your guests ring in the New Year, like noisemakers, confetti, or party hats.
2. Everyone likes a bag of confetti to toss at midnight.
3. Fortune cookies can predict the year ahead. You can even write your own personalized messages.
4. A CD of the year's top hits could be a popular favor.
5. It's also fun to look back at past New Years—what was popular a hundred years ago? Compiling a list of headlines from the century before is a great conversation starter.
6. Seedlings you can plant in the New Year are a meaningful idea.
7. With guests potentially attending more than one party, you might not have time to serve a full dessert. Consider wrapping up packages of macaroons or other little treats that guests can take home with them at any time.

Timeline

1. A brief outline of the evening will help you keep on track.
2. If you have planned games, designate an approximate time to start.
3. If you will have hot hors d'oeuvres, decide when you will serve them. Serve food in waves, with new hot hors d'oeuvres every half hour or so. Keep cold food available at all times.
4. If you're hosting a sit-down dinner, aim to start eating around 9 or 9:30. This will give you a couple of hours to eat and socialize with just enough time to pour a glass of champagne before midnight.
5. Add reminders throughout your timeline so you don't forget to replenish ice and napkins, make sure you have enough wine open at the bar, and a lap of quick cleanup to remove abandoned plates.

Additional Logistical Considerations

1. If you are hosting a big group, you may need to find parking alternatives. You can hire a valet service or possibly rent out a nearby lot.
2. Or, simply ask neighbors if they are willing to have a few extra cars in their driveway. Just make sure to invite them to the party!
3. For a large group, you might want to hire a server or two to help with food.
4. You might also want to hire a bartender.
5. Draw on friends to find serving help. Someone's college son might be home for winter break and in need of a little extra money.
6. Be sure you have clearly marked areas for trash disposal and for recycling any bottles.
7. You may need to rent flatware or glassware, or ask friends what you may borrow.

• ...like it's 1999. There are just a few things to watch out for throughout the night.

1. Keep your timeline handy so you can stay organized.
2. Replenish food, drink, napkins, and ice regularly.
3. Check bathrooms to make sure they are clean and well stocked.
4. Note that with a group, the temperature inside may rise. Monitor the heat or open a window if necessary.
5. Circulate occasionally to pick up used napkins, empty drink glasses, etc.
6. Keep watch on candles.
7. Designate someone to handle coats, or be sure you will be free to greet guests when they arrive.
8. Introduce guests who don't know each other.
9. Make yourself visible; at a large party, you don't want to be squirreled away in the kitchen when guests may be looking for you to say thank you or goodbye.
10. If you are distributing anything before midnight—bags of confetti, noisemakers—or are planning a toast, be sure to leave enough time before the countdown.
11. Monitor the time carefully so you are sure to start your New Year's countdown on time. Keep a watch on, or nearby, so the count is accurate.
12. Find out who's driving. If you suspect a guest intends to drive home after having too much to drink, suggest a taxi. Have numbers for cab companies handy and call them yourself to ensure your advice will be heeded.
13. Offer your couch as a last resort to late night revelers.
14. And don't worry, after all the work you've done, you can save the cleaning up for next year!