PLANNING A PERFECT PARTY.

Byline: - Natalie Haughton

Figure you'll need a bartender for a party with more than 25 or 35 people, notes Diane Phillips.

Rent glass plates (double the number of guests anticipated) and wine and cocktail glasses (a dozen more than the number of guests expected or even two per person). Use excellent- quality holiday paper cocktail napkins -- and figure on at least four per person.

``My pet peeve is serving wine or other drinks in plastic glasses. It makes good wine seem cheap. Either buy (some are $1 each) or rent them,'' suggests Phillips.

What you serve in the way of alcohol depends on the guest list. ``One of my favorite signature drinks for holiday parties is a Champagne Cosmopolitan Cocktail,'' she says, adding that ``it is rosy, holiday-colored and a wonderful combination.''

You can make up the base in advance -- cranberry and lime juice with Cointreau -- and keep it refrigerated for a couple of days. To serve, spoon a few tablespoons into a flute or white wine glass and fill up with chilled champagne. Figure three drinks or cosmos per person.

For something light and refreshing, Randy Fuhrman suggests offering bottles of lots of different iced fruit juices along with a bottle of Ketel One vodka so guests can customize their own libations. Let them add fresh cranberries, raspberries, limes, lemons, pineapple and such.

In addition, Phillips has plenty of red and white wine, beer, soft drinks, and sparkling and still bottled waters available. She figures on one bottle of wine for every four guests -- and buys half red and half white. For every five people, figure on 12 bottles of beer (buy about half regular, one-quarter each light and nonalcoholic) and two cans of soda (half each diet and regular). Figure about two bottles of water per person (half each still and sparkling). ``For any party, you'll need plenty of ice.''

The ideal cocktail party time is 6 to 8 p.m., notes Phillips. ``If the party is very formal, invite guests four to six weeks in advance via a written invite and request RSVPs two weeks in advance. Two to three weeks' notice, via a phone call or e-Vite is acceptable for a more casual party with the RSVP deadline a week in advance.''