How to Throw an Amazing Party in New Jersey

New Jersey has something of an image as being a wild and hedonistic party state, but this is somewhat exaggerated. If you are wanting to throw a party in New Jersey there are some points to take into consideration, before you fling open your doors to your guests. Let’s take a look.

Know the Law

Because of New Jersey’s rather wilder and less punctilious past, various laws have been enacted in an attempt to reduce the incidence of accident or worse caused by inebriated partygoers. To this end, if a minor is at a party hosted by you and consumes alcohol, you are held responsible.

Further, if a drunk guest then drives home and injures another person (an innocent third party) then, again, you are held responsible under the same law, which is known as the ‘social host liability law’ if you are held to have served alcohol to them when they were visibly intoxicated.

It is important to note that the word ‘served’ has a very wide meaning here, referring not just to the physical act of handing over a filled glass in person, but also to the fact of having a keg or an ice bath filled with alcoholic beverages from which the drunk guest could serve himself. Social host liability only applies when the third party is injured through the drunk guest’s car, not should they, for example, get into a fist-fight, or similar.

With this law in mind, you may well decide to sidestep the whole issue of hosting your party, and opt for a different venue. This leads us neatly onto:

The Five Ws

What: is the event? Is it to be a party, a dinner, a pub crawl? Decide what your idea of a good night out is, and plan accordingly.

Who: is on the guest list? Colleagues? Couples? Will children be there? (This carries a weight of responsibility for keeping youngsters safe and ensuring they can escape to bed when they need to.)

How many people will you or the venue be able to safely host?

Where: are you going to have the party? If you opt for having it at home, be prepared for your loo to be well-used and for the areas that guests are allowed to be left in a fairly untidy state, especially if drink is involved.

Whatever your plans, why not arrange some kind of mass transport to and from the party destination? A party bus or limo allows you to sidestep the social host liability by preventing any of your guests from drinking and then driving. Click here to find out about Bergen party bus rental in NJ, and then weigh up your options.

When: in the week is the party to be held? Weekends are usually the preferred dates, but mid-week parties can often be cheaper, if you are hiring a venue. Of course, mid-week parties will usually be followed by a work day, so might not run late – which can be a good thing sometimes!

Why: are you having the party? If it is a celebration, make sure that everyone knows what the occasion is when you invite them. Think about setting a theme!

How: are you going to feed, water and entertain your guests? If you have a swimming pool, a large kitchen and a big budget, you are probably all good, but otherwise, you should do some planning in the lead up to the party to make sure you have covered all the contingencies.

Party Hard!

New Jersey is a fantastic party spot and once the planning is done you are sure to have an incredible time.