A friend of mine is planning her bf's 40th bday party. Originally she looked into having a house party and trying to make it a surprise. But then, out of nowhere, she decided to do the same thing for him as she did for her own bday; she invited a bunch of people to meet her out at a local nightclub on a Thursday night (its country nite), and then was pissed when no one showed up. She said excuses like "I have to work in the morning" were not good enough. There is a cover charge to get in, the place is loud and always slammed with people, there is no food served, and drinks are pricey if you can even get to the bar. So you can see why no one went to her bday! But, she still wants to have her BF's party there because it won't cost her anything, whereas she would actually have to entertain guests and pay for food and drinks if it was at her house.
It's her decision but I'm trying to get her to understand why the club is not a good idea. I feel like since I have started wedding planning, I am more conscious of guests and general party etiquette. Do you feel like you will be more efficient at planning parties or entertaining now that you have worked on your wedding? Have you helped anyone else plan something recently?