Being tasked with planning a man’s night out is a privilege and a challenge! It means your buddies trust you enough to come up with a good plan. Whether it’s an ordinary Saturday night out (or in, at someone’s home) or a stag do, you should be honored that you’ve been given this task. Thankfully, even if you’re a beginner at planning parties, there are still many ways for you to ace it.
You can redefine what an ordinary guy’s night out usually is. The essentials still need to be there, such as beer and food, but that’s only the beginning. You don’t have to spend the entire evening just chit-chatting with your friends.
Follow these tips below, and you’re guaranteed to host or plan the best night out ever for your buds.
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Send Out Invitations
Who sends out invitations to a guy’s night out? Well, no one. If the night out is meant to celebrate a friend’s birthday, special milestone, or even their bachelor’s party, an invitation would be a nice touch.If you don’t want to spend a ton of money on physical invites, you can send out digital ones. Greenvelope is an online service that allows you to make digital invitations with ease.
When it comes to your invitation design and theme, you want to keep it simple and minimalistic. Don’t overdo the design. If you’re hosting a themed party, such as a bachelor’s party, look for an invitation theme or design that matches it. Keep your invite straightforward, as your friends could care less about all the other details anyway. All they want is to have some fun in the company of good friends.
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Choose The Guest List
The guest list for your man’s night out will generally depend on the occasion and the location.
For example, if it’s an ordinary night out with your group of friends, stick to your circle. If you’re celebrating the birthday of a friend or their stag party, don’t forget to invite their family members, colleagues, and other circle of friends. Consider also the size of the location, as you’ll want everyone to have enough room to freely move around.
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Don’t Overthink The Activities
You don’t need to plan too many activities as chances are, many of these won’t even be done once the drinks start to kick in. Choose an activity or two that’ll lend a sense of structure to the evening and make sure everyone’s participating and having a good time. Remember, the purpose of these activities should always be to encourage and stimulate interaction.
Here are some activities that you could consider:
- Poker or card games. This is always a classic go-to. You can do no wrong with card games or poker. With card games, you’ll give the guys a good balance between a fun activity and one that stimulates their brain.
- Cigar or liquor tasting. This is a classic way to get everyone drunk. Have different kinds of liquor and offer a tasting activity. You can ask each guest to bring a drink, or you can prepare it all according to what the guys might be interested in trying.
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Set A Budget
Just like any other event, you’ll have to set a budget, too. That way, you know your limits as to how much you can spend for the night. If the night out is solely hosted by you, then a budget is definitely necessary since you’ll be shouldering the entire bill. However, if the night out is in honor of a friend’s momentous occasion, it doesn’t hurt to ask the other guys to chip in some cash.
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Take The Food Up A Notch
Yes, drinks are a staple for night outs. But having good food is crucial, too. No matter how fun the party may be, if the food isn’t great, many will be going home early. You’ve got to have enough to fill those bellies.
Think about substantial and hearty food. Go for meals that’ll keep you full so you can easily survive a night of drinking. In a nutshell, you need meat.
Here are some approaches you can consider:
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- Grill, only if you’re interested and if you know how to use it. Grilling makes for very good meals, but if you don’t have the patience for it, you might want to skip it for the night.
- Charcuterie, which takes up the least work. If you’re serving wine, then this is the perfect match, too. Just be sure you know what you’re buying, and you’ve got the basics to go with it such as cheese, biscuits, ham, sausage, chorizo, and prosciutto, among others.
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Personalize
This tip applies if you’re planning a stag party or the birthday celebration of your buddy. In these situations, you’re not holding your event.You’re only the planner. To make sure it stays fun, personalize the party according to your friend’s liking. Think about what would make him happy and what his interests are.
For example, is your bud a LEGO geek? Then go ahead with a LEGO-themed night out. Even adults enjoy a themed-party too, sometimes.
When you’ve decided on a theme and location, include this on your invitation, so your guests will know whether they can come in their office blazer or if they need to change to something more casual.
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Focus On The Quality, Not Quantity
As fine, young gentlemen with more subdued tastes and drinking behavior, you don’t need to prepare a ton of alcohol. While you can still get drunk during a night out,it’s best to focus instead on the quality of the drinks you’re serving.
Make your night out more special and serve the kind of drinks that you guys wouldn’t usually have for your regular Friday or Saturday night out. Splurge a little. You can start by getting some microbrew or craft beer, then some quality line to go with your charcuterie spread, and capping it off with some men’s cocktails.
Conclusion
Finally, a night to ditch the ladies for a while and have fun with the boys! Because a guy’s night out isn’t always a regular occurrence, when you’re tasked to plan one, you’ve got to put your best foot forward. Whether you’re going out or staying in, there are plenty of ways to give your friends a very fun time. The tips above can elevate your guy’s night out from the usual cheap thrills of pizza and beer to one that’s more special and unforgettable.
Images from Fluorescence: William Los & Jack Leggat Star in DSCENE Magazine by photographer Igor Cvoro – See the full story here
