The Top Five Rules

Whether you are hosting a casual dinner party or one that calls for black tie, coat and tails, there are some rules that are non-negotiable if you want to host a successful party. There are plenty of details to be taken care of; there are seating arrangements and dietary preferences to be catered to, choice of wines and desserts, the table décor as well as the décor of the whole room. A perfect host plans everything down to detail, whether guests are expected to come in jeans or gowns.

Follow these top five rules and throw a party your guests are not likely to forget in a long, long while.

Plan Ahead This goes without saying, planning ahead is the key to a successful party. Send out invitations in advance, requesting an RSVP by a specific date. If your guest list includes acquaintances, you should inquire about food preferences as well food allergies. If you are planning a dinner-n-dance, book the band in advance; if it's a karaoke night, hire a professional to set up the necessary equipment for you on the day of the party.

Specify The Dress Code If there is a dress code, specify it in your invitation. Guests who show up in jeans are likely to be very uncomfortable if everybody else is dressed to the nines. On the other hand a guest who has taken the trouble to dress in a cocktail gown would feel very uncomfortable at a decidedly casual party. Specifying the dress code will save you and your guests from an embarrassing situation.

Organize The Menu Plan your menu well in advance, making sure you've got a varied menu that includes all taste buds and culinary preferences. Choose tried and tested recipes; this is definitely not the time to be adventurous. Unless you have loads of help in the kitchen, keep the menu simple; you do want to spend some time with your guests don't you? Choosing complicated dishes that require a lot of last-minute preparation means you'll end up spending the party in the kitchen just putting things together. Have the majority of your meals prepared ahead of schedule, so when your guests arrive the food is ready to be served while you are ready to party. Cupcakes have made a comeback in recent years and are ideal for serving at parties. Not just for the kids, there are heaps cupcake recipes that are just delicious for the grownups too. Make sure you have enough crockery and cutlery to go with each course.

Set the Mood While you certainly do not need to go all out and hire professional decorators, a few special touches are sure to set the mood and get the party going. A few bouquets of fresh flowers placed strategically can give a formal evening an air of sophisticated elegance. Switch off all your overhead lights and use a clever combination of table lamps, floor lamps and plenty of candles to infuse your party with an atmosphere filled with mystery and romance.

Your Guests Come First This rule is written in stone - Your Guests Come First. Whether it is the choice of food and beverage, the choice of music or the setting of the party; your guests' preferences take precedence over yours. Mix and mingle with your guests right through; introducing them to each other and making sure glasses and plates are refilled. And when dinner is served, always make sure your guests are served before you serve yourself.

Timing Get in early to kick off the season and can be confident guests will be raring to go. Too late in December and everyone will be partied out. Avoid Christmas Eve unless you are heading off to another house for Christmas dinner the next day. Who wants to be clearing away the dregs of the previous night when you have a Christmas lunch to prepare?

Bubbly Shop around for bubbly, because there are plenty of deals to be had if you’re buying in bulk. You might be tempted to go for quality, but don’t overdo it. Have your premium stuff at the start of the evening and keep the less expensive varieties cooling, ready for later in the evening when there’s a chance people won’t be quite as discerning.

Beer Even though guests should be encouraged to bring a bottle it’s essential that you have a generous supply of beer and lager available.

Wine If you’re pushed for space keep unopened white wine chilled outside the back door before bringing in for consumption.

Cocktails All the major producers of spirits are keen to show the flexibility of their wares so cocktail recipes abound. Keep an eye for special promotional cards in supermarkets or do a quick search on-line. Manufacturers of mixers provide similar suggestions.

Non-alcoholic It’s essential to offer plenty of non-alcoholic options and it doesn’t have to be plain old fruit juice. Give the drivers at your party a special punch to enjoy and again there are many recipes. Never underestimate the role of dull-sounding ginger beer in spicing up a soft drinks cocktail.

Avoid the last-minute panic Party checklist Four weeks Choose a theme Set your budget and stick with it Invite guests Three weeks Plan menu of nibbles Decide on décor and music (D-I-Y mp3 probably, at this stage, since any professional who is any good will have been booked weeks ago) Check kitchen items to see if you have everything you will need One week Contact non RSVP guests to see if they’re coming Prepare and freeze or buy and freeze any food that can be stored in that way Prepare games or brief one of your guests if they will be looking after this aspect of the party for you Two days Buy perishable food (but not fresh meat) One day Prepare food that can be refrigerated, make dips, wash and cut vegetables being used with dips Clean the house. Put out clean towels and ensure toilet paper is in plentiful supply.

Make sure you know where a bucket and mop is, in case of emergencies.

Decorate rooms Rearrange furniture to create dancing area and lounge zone Refrigerate drinks, defrost frozen foods On the day P(arty) minus four hours – Prepare food P minus two hours – shower, make-up and party dress on (followed by apron) P minus one hour – reheat prepared food P minus 30 minutes – dim lighting, light candles (check safety) P minus 20 minutes – Music on, apron off Party time! Relax and have fun Bollinger Special Cuvee Bollinger Special Cuvee NV, £25.99, down from £36.99, Oddbins, 0800 328 2323 A great price for a bottle of a delicious champagne that might not be vintage but is nonetheless complex, biscuity and subtle.

As enjoyed by Patsy and Edina...

Comte de Brismand Champagne Comte de Brismand Champagne, £9.99, Lidl, 0870 444 1234 Top-quality bubbly at a knockdown price. This champagne has won rave reviews and nobody would ever guess where it is from.

PINK FIZZ Oudinot Pink Champagne, £25, M&S This is a gorgeous choice, and a remarkable price for champagne this good. But there are cheaper options...

Beringer Beringer Sparkling Rose, £7.99, Morrisons Scented with strawberries, this Californian sparkling wine is easy to drink and guaranteed to get you in the party mood.

SMOKED SALMON CANAPES PRICEY M&S smoked salmon appetisers, 24 for £7.99, as before Luxurious parcels of salmon and prawn, rocket and lemon and black pepper mousse wrapped in slithers of Scottish oak smoked salmon.

THRIFTY Asda smoked salmon appetisers, 24 for £4, 0845 300 1111 These aren’t as yummy as the M&S ones, but after a couple of drinks, will anyone notice?

Smoked salmon canapes Smoked salmon canapes More...

* Anti-bloat detox diet: Lose 7lbs and get a flat tummy in just four days * Discount diva: Party dresses on a budget * Drinks that never go out of style: Cool cocktails from society party planner Johnny Roxburgh * Party recipes: Tasty treats for your New Year bash * Beauty: Party make-up to make a striking entrance CHEESE STRAWS PRICEY £2.50 for 150g, The Pie Man, 020 7225 0587 The Pie Man in London’s swanky Chelsea makes the best cheese straws around - melt-in-the-mouth crumbly with a delicious cheesy tang. Also stocked by Harrods, among other stores.

THRIFTY 79p for 150g, Aldi, 0844 406 8800 These are made of buttery puff pastry and come in three flavours - gruyere, lightly salted, or cheese and chive. Not bad at all and great with a drink.

cheese straws cheese straws CAVIAR PRICEY Beluga caviar, £900 for 100g, Fortnum & Mason, 0845 300 1707 Unless you’re a Russian oligarch, it’s unlikely you are going to be indulging this year. But just in case, you can pick up the most fabulous caviar at Fortnums.

THRIFTY German lumpfish caviar, 99p for 100g, Lidl, as before It doesn’t taste the same at all, but it looks darned similar - and if your friends are anything like mine, they won’t spot the difference.

Beluga caviar Caviar COCKTAIL SAUSAGE ROLLS Sausage rolls PRICEY Waitrose sausage rolls, £3.29 for 500g While these won’t completely break the bank, there are cheaper versions on the market. They taste great, though.

morrisons cocktail sausage rolls THRIFTY £1.89 for 80, Morrisons, as before Not bad at all and an absolute bargain. Get two packs - that’s 160 - for just £3! Serve them warm and piled high.

MINI QUICHES PRICEY £3.79 for 12, Waitrose, 0800 188 884 Come with three fillings - smoked bacon and spinach, leek and roquefort, and smoked salmon and dill. Posh for the price.

THRIFTY £2 for 12, Iceland, 01244 842 842 More traditional, with quiche lorraine or vegetable - but after a drink or two it’s hilarious to pretend to be Kerry Katona in the Iceland ads.

Waitrose mini quiches iceland mini quiche VOL-AU-VENTS PRICEY £9.99 for 30, M&S, as before It’s not a party without a volauvent - these delightful morsels come with assorted chicken and basil, salmon and dill or pancetta and parmesan fillings.

THRIFTY £5 for 36, Sainsbury’s, 0800 636 262 These ones are delicious too, with fillings of gruyere and ham or, my favourite, Seventies- style creamy mushroom.

Vol-au-vents Vol-au-vents CREAM LIQUEUR baileys irish cream PRICEY Baileys Original Irish Cream Liqueur, £9.97, Tesco, 0845 722 5533 You need whisky to toast the New Year, and it’s so much more palatable when you add loads of cream to it. Tesco has it on offer.

Queen Margot Cream Liqueur THRIFTY Queen Margot Cream Liqueur, £4.49, Lidl, as before This one is made with Scotch whisky rather than Irish, but does that matter? It still tastes good - particularly at half the price of Baileys.

PARTY POPPERS PRICEY 25 for £1.49 (half price), Sainsbury’s, as before Come midnight, these are essential - but although these might seem a bargain, they’re not the cheapest around. And remember, they will just end up in the bin.

THRIFTY Party poppers, 20 for 78p, Asda, as before There’s plenty of bargain party stuff at Asda. If you want to make yourself unpopular, it is also selling Wacky String for 98p a can.

Party poppers party popper CHOCOLATES PRICEY Belgian Gold Ballotin chocs, £29.31, Harrods, 0845 605 1234 A delicious selection of plain, milk and white chocolates elegantly packed. These are perfect for that last bit of festive excess.

THRIFTY Belgian chocolate seashells, £1.29, Lidl, as before These praline chocolate seashells are a sweet treat for a snip. They even come in a smart box - nobody need know they cost less than £2.

Harrods chocolates Chocolates CHAMPAGNE FLUTES john lewis vino champagne flute PRICEY Vino champagne flute, four for £15.50, John Lewis, 08456 049 049 A basic champagne flute is a classic design. It will be a great addition to any glass cabinet and perfect for toasting the New Year.

M&S maxim flute THRIFTY Glass champagne flute, £1 each, M&S, as before Have you seen the fantastic range of glasses M&S does for £1 each? Fantastic designs, really smart and, best of all, no need to panic if you break one or two.

PLASTIC WINE GLASSES PRICEY Six for £4, Tesco, as before If you’ve got lots of people coming, it might be easier to use plastic to avoid accidents and so that at the end of the evening you can save on washing up. These are quite smart.

THRIFTY Ten for £1, Poundland, 0121 568 7000 Call me fickle, but I think Poundland is the new Woolworths - just cheaper. Such incredible, exciting bargains - and these wine glasses are just the ticket.

ORANGE JUICE PRICEY Orange juice Fresh juice, 86p a litre, Waitrose, as before Not everyone wants to drink alcohol at parties, and orange juice is a great mixer, too. This is Waitrose’s most basic orange juice, but it’s missing a trick...

Orange juice THRIFTY Basic juice, 56p a litre, Tesco, Sainsbury’s or Asda, as before Wherever you do your shopping, go for the cheapest orange juice unless you want freshly squeezed.

PARTY HATS PRICEY Fringed party hats, six for £2.92, Toys R Us These are very silly, but great fun. And you can’t do the conga if you’re not wearing a party hat, can you?

THRIFTY Foil hats, six for £1, Tesco In bright shiny colours, these are a bargain. And why not go the whole hog and buy those squawky blowouts, too.