Entertaining at home is a fun way to celebrate with your family and friends. Besides having all your loved ones together in one place, a party at your house puts you in control. You control who shows up, what food and drinks will be served, the playlist, the décor—it’s all in your hands. However, if you don’t plan or find ways to properly accommodate your guests, your reputation as a great host will be tarnished. To make sure yours is the party everyone will be talking about years from now, follow these simple tips.
Who’s on the guest list?
Your guest list might just be the thing that breaks or makes your party. Before you send out your invitations, consider how much space you have, your budget, any dietary restrictions, and your ideal gathering size. If you can manage it, try and keep it to 20 people maximum. Smaller groups are more intimate, which is what you want at your party.
However, if you’re planning a mixer where you’ll have a diverse group of people who ordinarily wouldn’t have talked to each other outside your party, then you might want to plan for a group of about 40. Most importantly, send out your party invitations in advance to allow your guests to add your event to their schedules. No one likes last-minute cancellations, right?
As you send your invites out, also consider your party’s dress code. Most people go into a full-on panic over wardrobe choice when the invitations are vague about the preferred attire. To ease all of these burdens (including yourself), specify the dress code in the party invites. Your guests will be grateful for it.
Do certain areas of your home need a face-lift?
Whether you’re hosting a dinner party, barbeque, or laid-back luncheon, your kitchen, most especially, needs to be functional. Your kitchen area should be big enough to accommodate multiple cooks and stylish enough for your guests to want to hang out in it.
If you’re planning a kitchen remodel, consider an outdoor artisan kitchen design remodel. Outdoor kitchens are growing in popularity for several reasons. These new kitchen types are a great way to keep food odors outside, as some food smells can linger for days. Artisan kitchens are also a great way to add more appliances, storage space (outdoor kitchen cabinets), countertops, a unique backsplash, and extra seating. In this way, you can have an extra space for your guests to mingle.
Take care of your pets.
It’s important to let your guests know that they’ll be coming into a home with pets, just in case they’re scared of animals or have pet allergies. Also, make it clear that your pets aren’t to be fed any party food. This is because most party foods have chocolate, alcohol, onions, and grapes, all of which are toxic to pets.
For added security, make sure that all exit points in your home all secured. Advise your guests not to leave any gates or doors open. Also, make sure that all your entrance and exit points are well supervised. This is important because pets can run away. To avoid having to put out, “have you seen this dog?” fliers on the day after the party, make sure your dog is fitted with a collar on the day of the party.
Custom dog collars are an excellent way to make sure that your dogs are easily identifiable, should they wander away from the party and the team at JoyRide Harness’ can help you make the perfect collar. Theirs are the best custom dog collars on the market, and you can ensure that your pet has a reflective collar with the right fit so that it’s easy to find them in the dark, regardless of what dog breed they are. Their no-pull dog harness is a great option for both big and small dogs because it can be fit to match your dog’s neck size.
With their harness, you can clip your leash for extra support and also include your dog’s personal information such as their name and your phone number. In case your pup slips off at night, there’s a reflective strip on the leash to make your pooch visible in the nighttime, as mentioned, and having your dog’s information on the ID tag will give you more peace of mind during the party.
Clean your home.
Your home directly reflects you are, so, if your home appears dirty, this will probably not be a great look. To avoid all this bad press, plan to have all areas of your home thoroughly cleaned. Also, put away any personal or fragile items that you’re uncomfortable with other people seeing.
To be on the safe side, stock your bathrooms and laundry rooms with extra cleaning supplies like paper towels, wet wipes, a broom, and a sanitizer, in case a guest makes a mess. Also, make sure that you have enough toilet paper stocked.
Most of all, remember to have fun. This is your party, you’ve planned this day, and you must be exhausted. Despite all this, remember why you started. Pull out your most festive stick on nails, give yourself an at-home gel nail manicure, throw on your favorite outfit and have a good time.