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Have fun at your own party
You may throw a great party...but do YOU enjoy yourself? Make sure you’re having as good a time as your guests – remember these tips before you throw your next bash!
- Not a night owl? Consider hosting a lunch or brunch instead when you’re feeling at the top of your game. People’s calendars are also less booked early in the day.
- Serve only foods that you can be prepared ahead of time. The less you need to do while you’re entertaining, the better.
- Just clean what you need to. A little dust in most rooms will go unnoticed (especially when a room is lit with candles!) Certain rooms won’t even be used. The bathroom and kitchen should be well-cleaned, and get rid of the clutter in other common areas.
- Take guests up on their offers to help. One friend can pass hors d’oeuvres, another can help serve dessert, someone else can pour coffee. It’s also a great way to get everyone to meet and mingle with each other.
- For a sit-down dinner, assign the seating with placecards. Put those who are shy, quiet or don’t know anyone sitting besides those who are more confident and talkative. Let your guests do some of the entertaining!
- Keep it casual. Everyone has more fun and loosens up when your party is more casual. And you’ll feel less uptight and anxious.
- Dine buffet style. It’s just so much easier for the host to have guests serve themselves.
- If you’re hosting a large gathering and you have the funds, hire a caterer. Even if you like to prepare the food yourselves, you can hire some staff to tend bar, serve and clean up. More time for you to have fun!
- Don’t try and clean up while guests are there. Just have a good time and forget about the mess until everyone’s left, even if that means doing much of the cleaning up the next day. (Keep in mind that your fussing interrupts the flow of the party, and your guests want to spend time with you, too.)
- Empty the front hall closet. Instead of running upstairs every time someone arrives to deposit their coat on your bed, just hang it up in the hall, and you can stay involved in your party.
- Avoid having to run to the bar for a drink as each guests arrives. Keep a tray of drinks (water, wine, champagne) by the front door, and pass guests a drink so you don’t have to keep excusing yourself. After that, they can serve themselves.
- Sending guests home with leftovers? Keep containers handy in the kitchen so it’s easy to prepare a “care package” – you can even suggest guests help themselves. Containers will also make it easier to quickly put away food after the party.
- Making everything from scratch may leave you exhausted before the party. So don’t try and cook everything. Specialty shops will do at least as good a job on many dishes than you can do yourself.
- Remember, be prepared. Well-organized events always create a more relaxed atmosphere for the guests – and less stress for the host!