Party planning in 2025 is all about personalization and creativity. Whether you’re hosting a small dinner or a large celebration, incorporating personal touches is sure to make your event stand out. Here are five top trends that are set to shape this year’s party scene.

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1) Late Night Snacks (Fun or Unexpected)

After your party or wedding reception has been going for 2-3 hours and everyone has had their chance to graze on the main meal or Hors D'oeuvres stations, it's so fun to bring out something new for them to snack on towards the end of the evening! Usually, this is something carb-filled and satisfyingly unhealthy ;-) It's perfect to soak up some of the alcohol if you served alcoholic drinks at your party! Some of the most well-received ones that we have done have been mini cheeseburgers, mini chicken and waffle skewers, mini soft tacos, truffle parmesan potato chips or something sweet like cookies and milk! Or, you could have your favorite late-night fast food brought in - something like Kyrstal's burgers, Chick-Fil-A sandwiches or pizza always go over really well!

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2) Signature Drinks Named After Pets

Those of us who have pets, love them SO much and want to incorporate them into almost everything we do! While bringing your best friend to your party might not be the best idea, you can definitely name a signature drink after them and have a picture of them at the bar! This is a great conversation starter for your guests and bonus points for you - everyone gets to see how adorable your pet is!

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3) Personal Dish That Has a Story

When menu planning for a party or wedding reception, you want to plan for menu items that will be crowd-pleasing for a large group, so you can't usually pick every single one of your favorite dishes. But, it's a nice option to incorporate a dish that's special to you! If it's a wedding reception, you might choose to have a taco station because you and your fiance's met on Taco Tuesday at your favorite local Mexican place! Or, you may want to have a nod to where you're from so that your guests can experience the cuisine that you grew up loving. It's nice to have something on the menu that your guests will remember as special to you!

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4) Family Style Service

Instead of doing the traditional buffet or plated style dinner, offering a family style meal can make your party feel more intimate and encourage more conversation among your guests. With this style, all of your menu items would be brought to the guest tables in casserole dishes and then the guests can pass the casserole dishes around the table - just like Thanksgiving at your mom's house! Keep in mind, you would need to have minimal centerpieces and keep the menu pretty small to be able to fit everything on the table!

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5) Bite-Size Desserts

Who doesn't love sweets? But, sometimes, serving a full-size cake or pie can feel cumbersome and will deter some guests from getting dessert. So, why not offer some miniature desserts or dessert shooters? These little bites make dessert so much easier and we have found that a lot more guests will grab a dessert if they're served this way! It's the perfect way to wrap up the meal!

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