We actually have a long list of things that we do for house and hotel parties.
In no particular order . . .
Get some blue or red led light bulbs. Walmart sells some very cheaply. Replace the bulbs where the play is going to happen with these. They put off enough light to see, but not enough so that people feel they are under a microscope.
Get some altoids/mints and put them out all over the place.
If the party is more than 6 people, consider going to solo cups. People will spill, people will forget where their drink is, and doing dishes kinda sucks.
Have a lot of towels. Have some by the bed. Have them all over. Remember, sex is an exchange of bodily fluids . . . Where do you want those fluids to go?
Have a very frank conversation with your spouse about the 'wet' spot. Notice how I said above about towels? We have some very nice high end bedding. We also know some women who can make a bed look like a pool from squirting. If you are OK with women squirting all over your bedding, don't say anything when guests arrive. If you care, when the guests arrive, explain that you have placed a lot of towels all around. If the women are going to squirt, please, make sure they are on towels. If this is a serious concern for you, spend the $$ and buy the liberator waterproof large blanket. It is seriously worth the money to save your bedding!
Have various finger food. Don't put chilli, beans or anything that will make people fart. But put out something for people to snack on. We tend to put out chips, crackers, cheese, cookies, veggie plate, etc. This will cover the salty, sweet and healthy group of people.
Have LOTS of ice. You will go through a lot more than you think you would. Why? Because more will probably drink soda than you think. The people that need liquid courage will do alcohol, but those that want to make sure they can perform, mainly men, may only drink soda or water.
Have some background music. It doesn't have to be extremely loud at all. This is always a touchy subject, but music choice is somewhat as it sets the mood. Let's see . . . don't play Death Metal, don't play non-mainstream rap. Personally, I play music that has no lyrics and can blend in to the background. As an example, America (extended version) by dusty kid. It's 17 minutes long, no lyrics and it does not offend anyone's musical taste.
Understand that it is your house and others may not treat it with the respect. This is something that I do and it really makes a difference: I tell everyone that the party starts at, say, 7:30. I tell them that the door will be answered from 7:15 to 8:00. If they can't make it there by 8, don't bother. This may sound rude to the people who show up late, but it is actually considerate to those that are already there. It also tells people that it's YOUR house, YOUR party and that you are not a fucking night club that they can show up when they want. That changes their mindset and you will get more respectful people.
Now this one is very important and it is for the wife. Try really hard to turn off mom mode. Yes, it's your house and they are your guests, but turn off mom mode and relax and have fun. I have seen many women forget to do that. They are so hell bent to make sure that everyone is having a good time (mom mode) that they forget to have fun themselves.
Now, this list is for parties with 10 or less couples. When you get to bigger numbers, shit changes! We have done parties with 50+ couples. For those, you need to have cleaning figured out, sheet replacement, helpers!
Good luck and don't forget to have fun. There is something to be said about not having to get dressed to go home that make this all worthwhile.
