Thread: Party was a flop last year, should I try again?

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This is a too common thread on this board... so sad.

Go with your gut. We scaled back on the food, etc, after having disappointing turnout one year. I think we went from 30 people to 10... but every year, everyone had a blast.

Crazy thing is, we could light a fire on our patio, buy a bushel of oysters and have 30-40 people show up. People really have a "thing" about Halloween, it is beyond me why some people just can't have a good time.

I don't have a Halloween party, because most of my friends are a religion that doesn't celebrate Halloween. However I love Halloween and scary stuff so I have a horror-movie-watching/"birthday" party instead that just happens to be near Halloween.
My birthday is actually in July but I have my party in October instead.

It seems to me that a little more than half of the people invited will show up. We invite about 160 families and always fear that we will be mobbed with 500 people, but usually around 300 people attend.

Some things I live by:

Include RSVP instructions with your invitation. I usually set up a separate phone number with voicemail asking how many adults and how many children will be attending.

Follow up! Two weeks before the party, I call everyone who has yet to RSVP and get their status.

Keep the faith! This party started out being about 50 people. Now we have people calling us when they don't get their annual invite!

I worry about this happening to me, so I've already done a 'save the date' for our friends even though there's 6 weeks to go. I was spurred on when one of my friends sent me a text saying 'keep the 30th of oct free!' - she only wants to do a girls night as well so I told her I was planning a party and she's moved hers to the previous week, but it made me think people are already making plans!

Our guest list is only small anyway because we have one massive open plan room downstairs, a conservatory, a bedroom and a bathroom haha! So about 20-25 people max. Hopefully they'll all turn up...

Originally Posted by darkness

Definitely keep trying, I have a party every year and the first several I had very few people show up, now people expect it every year

Same here. We had up to 10 guests at our first party. 5 years later, we're up to 60-70 people. I agree with what someone else said, tell people to bring a friend or two. Like the person above, now everyone expects the party to be held every year. Good luck!