Few male bonding moments are as sacred as a guy’s night. Spending time with close friends is always a good time, whether it is getting together to watch a game, play cards, or just talk. But just because a guy’s night can be simple doesn’t mean that it doesn’t require a fair amount of forethought. So, what steps should you take when it comes to hosting the perfect guy’s night?
Good ideas for having a great time include limiting your guest list, keeping a reasonable budget, planning your party around an event, maintaining a casual vibe, and planning good activities. Of course, hosting can be overwhelming, so don’t hesitate to ask for help if needed.
So, if you’re struggling to come up with a plan for your next guy’s night, let the following seven ideas help guide you towards hosting the perfect male bonding session.
Invite Your Closest Friends
If you aren’t close, there is no need to invite your cubicle mate to your guy’s night. A guy’s night should be reserved for a close group of friends, not acquaintances from work. This is mainly so that the group’s comfort level and bonding can remain high. It isn’t that no one wants to make new friends. It’s just more so that this is not the proper venue for introducing people. In short, on a guy’s night, dudes just want to hang with their friends.
Honestly, when it comes to a guy’s night, don’t overthink it. Simply invite a handful of your closest friends, and you should be set on a guest list. Remember, when it comes to planning the perfect guy’s night, more guests doesn’t mean everyone will necessarily be merrier.
Come Up with a Budget
No one should be going broke hosting a guy’s night. This is why it is vital to set a budget beforehand. Having a budget will help hosts know what they can afford to do and what is out of reach. Don’t be afraid to be stingy. There is no need to spend gobs of cash on expensive liquor or cigars without reason.
And just because you can’t afford something right now doesn’t mean you can’t save up for next time. You can also always ask people to chip in for big ticket items. Amongst close friends, this shouldn’t be awkward. Besides, waiting can make finally getting something like an ice luge all the more epic when you and the boys finally get it!
Plan Your Party Around an Event
One of the best ways to ensure that your guy’s night is a success is to plan it around an event. This could be a national sporting event such as the Super Bowl or the Kentucky Derby. But there is no need to wait for a mega event to have the guys over. Having friends over for a film festival or fantasy football draft.
If you’re going to have a sporting event as the basis for your guy’s night, try to do subtle decorative touches to play up the theming. An inexpensive way to do this would be to get sports-themed paper plates and sports toothpicks for guests to use as they eat and imbibe.
Think of Activities to Do
Depending on how big of a deal you want to make guy’s night, the choices for activities can be extensive. If you’ve planned your night around an event like the Super Bowl, lean into it. Make it more interactive than just watching a standard football game. You can have guests rate commercials or predict the final score. Anything to make things more engaging.
Other options can include a poker night, grilling, playing video games, or watching a movie. Of course, just hanging out and shooting the breeze with your best buds is always an activity choice as well.
Keep it Casual
At this point, it must be stressed, don’t overthink a guy’s night. The beauty of hanging out with your friends is that there doesn’t need to be some big excuse to get together and enjoy each other’s company. Details will figure themselves out as long as you have the basics covered. Follow your plan and trust that you’ve taken care of what you need to.
However, if your guests start to improvise, feel free to go with the flow! Sticking to a rigid plan can sometimes spoil a good time. In the end, if you find yourself stressing over keeping people entertained or fed, you’re probably overthinking hosting.
Ask For Help if You Need It!
Finally, just because you’ve chosen to host a guy’s night doesn’t mean you have to be responsible for everything. Feel free to ask guests for help, especially if they have skills you could use. Have a friend that brews his own beer? Ask him to bring a few to share! Have a friend that loves trivia? Ask him to put together a game that everyone can play together.
By utilizing your friends’ talents, you will be lessening the hosting burden on yourself. At the same time, you’ll also be showing them how much you appreciate them and what they do.
