5 Tips on Hosting Movie Night for Beginners

Summer cinema with retro projector in the garden

Movie nights are a huge hit with friends. Especially when the weather gets chilly, it is time to get under a cozy blanket and watch a good movie. 

Are you thinking of hosting movie night with your friends or family members but aren’t sure where to start? 

Luckily for you, we’ve put together some of the best tips for you to host the ultimate movie night. Your friends are going to be talking about this night for months to come. 

Be sure to keep reading for our guide on five spectacular tips on hosting a movie night for beginners. 

1. Get the Right Movie

Hosting a movie night is all about finding an excellent movie to watch. One way to do that is by taking a poll before the big day. 

Send a list of your favorite choices to everyone who will be attending. The top movie wins, and that’s what everyone will be watching. 

You can even start by choosing a theme for your movie night. Choose from different movie genres each time you have a movie night to spice things up a bit. 

Did you know that you can add your own movies to iTunes? Check out this guide on how to add movies to iTunes if you need help. This way you can watch any movie that you want fast and easy! 

2. Choose Your Theater

We clearly don’t all have a home movie theater, so you’re going to have to find the best place in your home to accommodate everyone.

If you have a decent-sized living room, then this is the perfect place to host your movie night. Make sure that you have enough seating and cozy blankets to go around!

You might want to host everyone in your den or the basement. This is another fantastic place for people to watch a movie in your home. 

If you don’t have a large enough television for movie night, then another idea is getting a projector and screen. Many people do this for outdoor movie night. You will want to make sure that the weather is warm and that you have enough comfortable seating. 

3. Make It Comfy

Once you’ve figured out where your home movie theater is going to be, then you need to decide how you’re going to arrange the seating. You don’t need to have recliners or movie theater seating for each guest. 

Instead, make sure that everyone has a comfortable place to sit. Your guests can sit on couches or chairs as long as they can see the movie. 

You can even bring lots of pillows and blankets to the room that you will be watching the movie in. Doing this can give some people the option to sit on the floor.

The more comfortable you make your movie room look, then the better people will feel while they’re watching the movie. 

If you’re planning to watch your movie outside, then make sure to have a way to fight off the bugs. A citronella candle and bug spray can help keep bugs away while you enjoy the film. 

4. Prepare Movie Night Snacks

Every movie night needs food and drinks! Yours shouldn’t be any different. 

One of the most obvious choices for a movie night snack is popcorn. Yet, one thing you should do is put a twist on it.

There are tons of different popcorn recipes that are unique and fun. Making chocolate covered popcorn or cheesy popcorn will make your movie night memorable. It will also be a delicious treat that everyone will love to snack on while watching the movie. 

Something else to consider for your movie night is finger foods. You may want to provide a variety of appetizer type foods for your guests to eat. You’ll find this is a fun way to feed your guests at your movie night party. 

Don’t forget about the beverages! You can make cute root beer floats or adult drinks as well. 

5. Give Your Guests Time to Talk

Everyone is coming to movie night to watch the movie, but you should also give your guests time to chat. 

If you host the party earlier in the day, then people can come and start by catching up. You can also play the movie first thing at the party so that people will want to stay afterward and talk with each other about the film. 

Yet, if your party is too late and you’re starting the movie without anyone getting to talk, then people are going to be too tired afterward. They might end up leaving and not getting to chat with anyone at the party. 

Another great way to get people talking is to play games. If you start the party off by playing a game, then everyone will loosen up and be in a happy mood. They’ll also be ready to watch the movie and eat some snacks, depending on the game. 

5. Don’t Be Afraid to Change It Up

If last-minute things don’t go as planned, then don’t be afraid to make changes! Whether it is with your menu, movie choice, or seating options, be sure to change it up if need be. 

For example, your guests could have decided on a movie before coming to the movie night. Once they get there and everyone gets talking, then they might all decide to change their minds and want to watch a different movie altogether!

As a movie host, you need to make sure that you can be flexible and roll with the punches. 

Hosting Movie Night Is Fun

Once you figure out the basics of hosting movie night for your friends and family, then you’re going to want to do it all the time! You might even find that they’ll be asking you to host another one too. 

Movie night is a great time to get together, share some laughs, and watch a great movie. 

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