It's possible to throw a party without having a massive budget, and it's also possible to spend a great deal of money on one party. Before you begin planning, it's best to consider the total amount of money you're willing to spend. That will influence some of your choices as you consider the following aspects of your party budget:

There's a good chance that there will be people at your party who don't know each other. By providing games and other activities, you can give your guests easier ways to entertain themselves and break the ice as they make new friends. Depending on the expected weather and how much space you have available, you can use ideas like the following:

A well-planned party will be more fun for your guests, and proper preparation will actually help you relax and enjoy yourself, too. When everything is set up in advance, you'll be able to spend more time interacting with your guests. Follow this comprehensive party checklist to help make sure you don't forget anything.

THREE OR FOUR WEEKS BEFORE THE PARTY

TWO OR THREE WEEKS BEFORE THE PARTY

ONE WEEK BEFORE THE PARTY

TWO DAYS BEFORE THE PARTY

ONE DAY BEFORE THE PARTY

DAY OF THE PARTY

Some people make throwing a great party look easy, but the truth is that it takes lots of planning and preparation. Make sure you leave yourself enough time to cook food and gather all of the other supplies you'll need. Ensure that your guests know how to get to the venue and where to park, plus you may want to include your phone number on the invitation just in case. Finally, help your guests get home safely. Encourage them to designate a driver when they arrive. Be prepared to call a cab or ask someone to spend the night if he or she has had too much to drink.

It's critical to know how many guests you'll have, because it will determine how many drinks you need. On average, we recommend planning to serve one drink per guest per hour. In other words, multiply the number of guests by the number of hours your event will last, and you'll know about how many drinks you should have. Keep in mind that people may bring dates, which could have a large effect on your total number of guests.

First, think about which types of drinks are best for your guests and the type of event. If you're planning on watching football, Bud Light is a classic choice. Fitness enthusiasts may be more interested in a Michelob ULTRA, while craft beer fanatics are more likely to appreciate a Goose Island IPA. Don't forget about the glassware! Serving beer in the proper glass can enhance a guest's experience. When serving beer, it's important to have glasses that are "beer clean", free of residue that will affect the beer's flavor or appearance. For this level of glassware purity, an automatic dishwasher is ideal. Be careful to wash your glassware separately from other dishes and use a sanitizing detergent so that all you taste is fresh flavorful beer.

Invite your beer-loving friends to a night of tasting the best beer with perfect food compliments.

In addition to basics like drinks, glassware and napkins, it's important to plan the menu. Decide what you want to serve and how you'll get it ready. Make your grocery list and give yourself plenty of time to cook, or get all of your food orders placed in advance. Good food options include light snacks like fruit, crackers, meat and cheese. You can even try cooking with beer to add another layer of fun to your event.

If you're planning a party that will last more than a couple hours, it's a good idea to have some food for your guests. Let your guests know in advance what kind of food will be available so they can plan accordingly. It's possible to get by on simple snack foods like chips, pretzels and popcorn, but you can take your party to the next level by offering something more substantial. Check the recipes below to get some great ideas for appetizers, entrees and desserts. Each of these recipes calls for beer, which will add another layer of fun for your adult party guests.

Having beer on draught is a great touch for parties and other gatherings. To ensure a positive experience, make sure you know how to transport and prepare your keg. A half barrel weighs around 160 pounds, so it’s important to make sure it’s secured during transportation. You can roll your keg to make moving it easier, and the beer inside won’t be affected. After you get your keg to the appropriate location, take the following steps to prepare it for maximum enjoyment.

It’s best to keep the keg chilled to about 36-38°F so you don’t have to cool down a warm keg. If your keg is still cold, you can add two bags of ice to the bottom of a tub about an hour before the event starts, set the keg on top, then pour three more bags of ice around the keg. If your keg has become warm during transportation, you can cool it faster by adding water to the ice, submerging as much of the surface of the keg as possible.

It’s not as important to put ice on top of the keg because beer is drawn from the bottom of the barrel. While it’s certainly alright to put ice on top, we often recommend that people simply wrap a blanket over the top of the keg. This will keep the keg insulated and prevent it from losing its temperature.

Once you have the keg on ice, it’s time to tap it. These steps will help you avoid the excessive foaminess that some people associate with a freshly tapped keg: