1. Plan Ahead

Start planning a month or more ahead of time, and send out invitations a few weeks ahead of time. Even if it’s an informal, casual get-together, give your guests at least two weeks to arrange their schedules and plan to attend. Think about who your guests are and what their lifestyles are like. Some people prefer to have less planning, and like to fly by the seat of their pants. Others like to plan things way ahead of time. Consider your guests and plan accordingly.

2. Arrange for Food and Drinks

Even the most casual of get-togethers should have adequate refreshments. Finger foods like mini muffins and vegetable trays are good for mingling. Another option is to encourage your guests to bring their own dishes, and have a potluck. Adding a participation aspect to the invitation will make folks more likely to attend, since they’ve committed to bringing a dish.

Whether you organize a potluck, cater in a full brunch, or make finger-foods at home, don’t leave out this essential party element.

3. Insist on Costumes

Make your next party a costume party. This should be fairly easy, because people are always looking for reasons to don Halloween costumes and act silly. The most successful costume parties are the ones with fun themes like medieval times or movie star look-alike contests.

If you want your party to be particularly memorable, invest in a prize for the most creative costume. If the prize is significant enough, you'll get costumes that people will never forget.

4. Hire a Band

The average party will just have a stereo playing a mix of music that the host prefers. But if you want to throw truly special party, hire a DJ to come in and spin music while creating some original beats.

A good DJ knows how to get people moving and dancing, which adds to the atmosphere as well. But if you want a really unforgettable party, hire a full band that people can dance to and interact with. For extra points, hire one of the more outrageous local bands to add flair to your gathering.

5. Give out Party Favors

If you're planning an evening party, whether it will be indoors or outdoors, use glow sticks to make your party memorable. There are sticks small enough for people to safely put in their mouths and there are also glow necklaces that come in a variety of colors.

6. Put a New Spin on Tried-and-True Favorites

A group of adults may not think that hitting a piñata is much fun, but there are a lot of ways to make it interesting. For twenty-something guests, you could turn hitting the piñata into a drinking game, or you could put some unique prizes in the piñata. Whether you keep it family friendly or not is completely up to you.

7. Use Customized Accessories

Customization can be your friend when it comes to throwing a really unforgettable shindig. If you offer custom-printed beer koozies or unique party napkins, for example, you'll add a unique factor to your party.

Some other accessories to customize include drink coasters, streamers and even confetti. Even though they're disposable, it’s these little things that add up to create a memorable event.

When you put the time and effort into having a party, you want it to be something that people will remember. The party host with a unique approach is the host who never has a problem getting people to attend his gatherings. Try some different ways of spicing up your next party, and never be afraid to be creative.