For anyone still in college this is a no brainer. There are mixers and get-togethers every weekend. It gets trickier when you no longer have a strong network. I put on a Valentine’s Day singles mixer in my town. I felt it took a lot of planning with a mildly successful result. Like any endeavor, it was a learning experience. For anyone with a large group of friends who hosts on a regular basis, help your single pals out! Summer is a perfect time to get people together and mingling. What are some tips for a successful homemade mixer?…..
Don’t bother with a venue…..
If you have a great connection with a bar who will help you out for free, then go for it. The main pitfall I wasted time on was waiting to be answered on an email. Guess what, no one replied. I had to finagle a day with a limited amount of time. So just save yourself a headache and ask a friend with a great house to host.
Send out a flyer invite….
You can create a flyer and do a private story in Instagram for friends. The best case is word of mouth through a social and well-connected friend. They can ask their friends to bring a friend or two and so on.
Bonus points if there is an apartment pool…..
For summer, there needs to be incentive to come out. A nice pool-day casual cook-out is hard to turn down.
The Solo Cups….
This is a great and simple way to let people know who is available. Pick different color solo cups to mean different things. Red could mean “relationship,” green could be “single.” And it can be that simple if you want it. They can also write their name with a sharpie on the cup.
Have a great playlist or live music….
Ask your music friend to DJ. Or just pick a great mix on Spotify. In the past, my friend, who hosts parties, made sure for noise ordinance that everything had to be acoustic live music. This gave a cozy intimate vibe for the party.
As the host, do a few introductions…..
Get in the habit of saying, “have you met…..” Make the rounds and get people chatting.
Have food, but don’t overthink it…..
Unless this is a cookout with the obvious stuff to grill, then don’t think too hard. Most people aren’t wanting to walk around with a tiny paper plate. Spend more on the drinks and then maybe provide little bite-sized things they can just pick up and eat. (Have vegan options just in case).
Get the people involved…..
When things are feeling great and people are mingling, you might not have to do anything. As a backup, have a game people can play. I created my own “F*ck, marry, Kill”, “never have I ever” cards. I made them in the program Canva and printed them out with a card stock. It’s fun to make up your own. You can also purchase a similar “never have I ever” card game. Or with just a deck of cards you can play the drinking game “circle of death.” Just be flexible and do not force a game on people who are already enjoying themselves. If possible set up a beer pong table in the back yard or porch for people.
Bottom Line…..
As a single person it is a relief to do an event that is fun and does not involve the apps. In the summer it is a no brainer to have get-togethers, especially when there is a pool involved. A good host has a great location to host and can do some good introductions. People are hungry to meet new people and to have a good time. Don’t put so much emphasis on things that matter very little. Who knows, this could become a regular thing that people look forward to.
Mostly Casual 