When it comes to throwing a party, a little alcohol can help loosen guests up and make any party a bit more lively. While you may want your guests to enjoy themselves and have a good time, however, there is a fine line between encouraging them to let their hair down and letting things get out of control. Of course, adults should be responsible for themselves, but you can also help that happen with a little careful planning. You want your event to be remembered for what a great time everyone had, not for the unfortunate event that marred the whole evening. Here are 3 ways to help avoid stormy seas at your 21+ event.

Make a Plan in Advance to Get Guests Home Safely

The worst time to worry about how inebriated people will get home safely is when they are inebriated. Inebriated individuals are also somewhat infamous for completely misjudging their level of sobriety. The truth is, drunk people rarely feel drunk. You can help ensure people make it home safely in a variety of ways. These can include collecting keys at the beginning of the evening, arranging your own designated drivers or handing out transportation vouchers ahead of time.

Hire Event Staff

When individuals serve themselves alcohol, you have no way of keeping track of who might be taking things a little too far. Seasoned event bartenders are experienced at judging people’s level of inebriation and can alert you to any potential problems. Similarly, if you have event staff serving drinks, they can also mingle among the guests and keep their eyes and ears open for any signs of someone getting a little out of hand. Even If you aren’t worried about guest behavior, event bartending can add some great flair to your event on top of added safety.

Enlist Sober Help

Hiring staff to help you keep an eye on things is great, but they will also have jobs to do and can’t keep an eye on everything. In addition, if there are any issues or altercations, it’s generally not in their job description to address them. You can, however, enlist the aid of sober friends to mingle with your guests and help you keep things under control. If they see any issues brewing, they can either alert you or handle them politely and discreetly.

In a perfect world, adults would monitor their own alcohol consumption and behavior, but we do not live in a perfect world. The best way to ensure that your 21+ event comes off flawlessly is to make plans in advance as to how to deal with inebriated individuals. With a little wisdom and careful planning, even a drunk guest won’t spoil your event!