Opinions please on my party...

[Jampot]

Ive booked the venue for my 40th party which is a village hall with a reasonable amount of grass/gardens surrounding it. I really wanted a nice hotel so I could have a "dressing up" party but the only venue I would have chosen has now been taken. However I will be asking people to "dress up" still.

My party will be at the end of August and so I thought a bbq would be ideal. My friend suggested asking people to bring a dish as well. I thought it would be nice to invite whole families instead of just couples. However I have had conflicting views on this.

so,

a. with children
b. without children
c. older children only
d. bring a dish
e. dont bring a dish
f. disco
g. disco and band

opinions please. I will be inviting about 80-90 adults and about 50 children (if they come)

gawd no children
could bring a dish
band (would play music between sets)

with children
you provide meat people bring salads and/or puddings
band

are we talking evening or daytime?

everyone welcome bring a dish band discho at end

I would have more fun without my children at a 40th bash

Is it an evening or afternoon party?

a. [hire mobile creche?]+ e.[am control freak re cooking]+ g.

will be fab

I'm with Dee.

anyway, you wanted to invite whole families and it's your party so who cares what anyone else thinks? Some people wouldn't bring their kids to that kind of thing anyway - but if there's that many kids they will get together and not get in the grown ups hair too much.

probably!

Do whatever really pees your H off....

Seriously....

With children, bring a dish, with a disco.

With respect, you are 40 not 80, so you do not need the disco/band question.

it will be evening do from about 7.30 - midnight although most of my friends have older children so probably wont slope off early. Only a couple have small ones and its possible they will hire babysitter

snigger Bree

Personally I prefer

With children, whole families welcome

Not bring a dish- I find this a bit tacky. You should provide the food

I would have a band followed by a disco

I have the same opinions as Whit Riot but it will be expensive .

we recently went to a (daytime) whole family party, where they had hired a bouncey castle and soft ice machine. Didn't see the kids at all!

Bringing a dish usually gives a high percentage of pasta salad - probably better to do your own food.

One of the best parties we've been to had a viking theme, and they had set up a horizontal pole over straw for pillow fights. Fab

Not bring a dish- I find this a bit tacky.

Depends on the sense of community. We always provide lots of food, but allow people to feel they are doing something by bringing a dish.

well i was going to cater for about 115 (a couple of our friends have 5 children so if they dont come it makes quite a difference). The bring a dish thing i thought was worth considering as it adds variety and also a lot of my friends are excellent cooks

I would go with selective bring a dish then Jampot - you don't need 100 pasta salads but definitely ask the good cooks (and find out what they are doing or ask them to do something you know they do well) and do some stuff yourself.

we did this at our wedding and it was great, loads of good food and people really pleased to be asked to bring their special dish.

maybe i could ask selected people to bring a dish from a different country and turn it into a food festival

good idea harpo - a plannedbring a dish. You could conjure up quite a menu that way

I would have the evening do for adults only. Have a party for the kids in the daytime.

but then two parties to organise, chunky??

i'd bung 'em all in together, some kids are quite nice really!