So you've waited until the last minute (AGAIN) to plan a Super Bowl party. Yet you want your party to be fun and memorable for everyone that comes. Don't worry! If you have 3 days time, you can pull off a very successful party without breaking the bank or over-tiring yourself.
- The first step is to get the word out! A last minute party is great, but it's a big FAIL if no one shows up. With last minute invites you get a higher than normal "can't make it" response because of the timing of the invitation. Don't despair! Use Facebook, Twitter, email, phone calls and your mouth to put the word out. You should get an idea of how many people will be able to make it very quickly. Make sure you decide ahead of time when the party starts. Do you want guests arriving right at kick-off or do you want some socializing time before the game starts? Also tell people that your party is a last minute thing in order to keep them from thinking that they were on your "B" list for party invites.
- Clean (or not). It's up to you. At the very least, clean a bathroom for your guests to use and clean the kitchen. If there's extra clutter, then choose a room to hide it in because you simply do not have enough time to bring your place up to your mother's cleaning standards. If you have time, you should also run the vacuum cleaner over the floors.
- Decorations. (Not required but they would make you look like you spent more time planning the party) Since you've waited until the last minute, you might come across a few good deals for decorations. Get tablecloths for your serving table and maybe a football or helmet to use as a centerpiece decoration.
- Drinks. This is where RSVP headcounts are important. You can't estimate how much to buy if you don't know how many people are coming. Decide what drinks you want to serve. The very easiest drink menu is one type of beer, water and a few sodas. If you know of a guest that only drinks a certain beverage, feel free to accommodate, but most often than not, those people will bring their own beverages. You should estimate approximately 2 to 3 drinks per person for each 3 hour period of time. Yes, you will have some people that will drink more, but you will also have people that will drink less.
- Food. People love to eat at parties, but at a Super Bowl party, they EXPECT to eat. Football food is a must. One of the best foods to serve at a Super Bowl party is chili. You can prepare a chili recipe the day before your party and just heat it up at football time. Very easy and very filling. Purchase or assemble a large vegetable tray to serve alongside. Corn chips to go with the chili are a great addition. Grated cheese, onions, and hot sauce on the side complete the meal.
- Make sure you have enough plates, bowls, forks, spoons, cups, and napkins for all of your guests. It would be awful if you ran out of serving/paper products and still had a lot of food available. If you buy paper goods, get a color/style that you would use again. Any leftovers can be stored until you have another party.
See? Not hard at all to pull off a spectacular Super Bowl party in just 3 days. Focus on what really needs to be done, and things will fall into place. Keep a smile on your face and all of your guests will have a great time and leave with smiles on their faces too. Happy Super Bowl XLVI!
For wonderful chili recipes you can use with the above tips, please refer to Famous Chili Recipes.