🎉 Help me throw a party! 🎉

[Not Heidi]

Hi, folks.

On February 18 next year, I'll host my 60th birthday party. 🎉🎉🎉. I'm looking for ideas.

I'm going to cater it, but don't know what to get. My criteria:
Nothing super messy (i.e. spaghetti, Chinese)
No "make your own" (i.e. sandwiches, tacos)
Must be easy to eat from/with disposable plates and utensils.
What would you think about ready-made sandwiches and snacks from a place I know that makes kick-ass sandwiches?*

I'm also hoping for suggestions about the party itself - although I have no idea of what I'm asking for. Here's what I'm working with:

The party will be in my house, which has a normal-size living room with seating for 8-10 (cramped), a decently-sized dining room in which we seated 15 for Thanksgiving last year, and a tiny kitchen.**

So, alas, no Twister. 😕

We can use the covered patio for overflow or for just standing-around-talking room, if the weather's not cold and wet. We can seat nine out there. We could also use it as the staging area for the food (again, weather permitting).

My guest list is currently at 24, including two people from Oregon and three from Missouri. That's a lot of people for this little house. There's no way that everyone could sit down at once. I may have to cull the list.

*Corner Bakery, for those of you in the know.
**The tarot reader will be in the guest room. 😁

[msongs]

1. gonna post date, time, address on twitter? nt

[Not Heidi]

2. 😳

I like you. You're funny.

[Phoenix61]

3. Heavy/hot appetizers works well

especially when seating is an issue. You’d be amazed what you can get at Sam’s to pop in the oven. Hire someone to do the cooking and help with running clean up during the party. Are you planning on alcohol? They could also help with bar set-up. Solo music act maybe? Should run about the same price as having the food catered.

[Not Heidi]

4. I like it.

I'm already making a list of hors d'oeuvres. 😋

Also, I like the idea of hiring someone to help.*

Thanks!

*Only thing is, if everyone shows up, we'll be a little short of oxygen. Adding one more person could be disastrous.

[3catwoman3]

5. Corner Bakery also makes kick-ass...

…cream cheese brownies!

Now I want one (or two).

[sakabatou]

6. If you need music ideas, I have some.

[MissB]

7. It's been so long since I've thrown a party

Dh turned 60 during the non-vaccine part of the pandemic. We made do with zoom, but obviously it isn’t the same! I delivered a party box to our “guests” that were local. I kept with a gold theme, so folks got gold balloons (they had to blow them up themselves), gold beads (think: Mardi Gras), those cheesy horns/noisemakers and the makings for dh’s favorite drink.

You’re doing an in-person one, but you could incorporate some similar ideas. I would’ve still had all the silly swag if it were an in-person party.

For food, depending on the time of day, I would go with appetizers. I generally go for a post-dinner party so food is small and a mix of hot and cold. Have you ever done a charcuterie board? Those are quite fun and look very nice! I’ve seen people do an entire table as a charcuterie board so don’t get wrapped up in not having an actual board.

Consider removing the dining chairs from the table and lining them on the wall. That way folks can still sit but the table is used for grabbing food.