HOW TO HOST A FUN AND EASY PARTY AT HOME
/I love to entertain and host events. The bigger the better. If you are going to the effort to plan and host a memorable event, my rule is “the more the merrier”. I host parties and events for family and friends, neighbors and fun people in my business network. I guess I just love getting an interesting group of people together, watching them connect and hearing the rising level of noise as people begin to talk and laugh. Some people will hug each other when they walk in the door. Even more people will hug as they linger over saying goodbye. I love it when people make new friends at my events.
Part of my love of entertaining comes from growing up in the South, where hospitality rules. I was raised to try and help people feel comfortable. Since I try to have a welcoming and relaxing home, it’s my favorite place to entertain. Pulling off a great event that will leave people talking and waiting for their next invitation from you takes some planning, but should never be overwhelming. I’m big on organization and love my lists. My secret is that I re-use those lists time and again to make party planning an enjoyable experience.
Here’s what my party plan looked like for my recent New Year’s Day BBQ Party:
Pick the theme, date, location and time.
Make guest list.
Create invitation and send.
Plan menu, including a signature cocktail.
Create list of party preparation tasks.
Complete party preparation tasks at least 1 hour before guests arrive.
Welcome guests and enjoy your party!
Cleanup, relax and open your hostess gifts.
Have a theme for your party! This sets the tone for the menu, colors and even the guest list. When I’m planning an event, I look back through past guest lists to create a list for the next event. Don’t reinvent the wheel every time you want to host a party!
I’ve used a mixture of printed and digital invitations. For evening or more formal events, printed invitations are a special touch. Whether you use a local stationery shop or an online printing service, make sure to allow plenty of time to have the invitations printed, sent to you, addressed and mailed to your guests. If you only have a few weeks before your event, then a digital method may be best. I’ve used Evite to manage RSVPs for large parties and email and text messages for smaller gatherings. Since this New Year’s Day party had fairly short notice, I created a fun image using the WordSwag app and sent it to guests by text or email. Text seems to have the best response rate for me.
Plan the menu around the theme of the party and size of the guest list. Beverages have their own menu in my world. Offer a mix of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, and a signature cocktail is always a special touch. You will also always find sweets at a party in my home. Just like the guest list, I re-use menus. When you get to know the favorites of your guests, these will become regular features at your parties. You will also learn food preferences and allergies, and plan accordingly.
Now that you have a date, a guest list and a menu, you can make your To Do list to prepare for the event. I have had family and friends laugh at my list making, but all of them will agree it works for me. I’m sure you are starting to catch on - yes, I keep my past lists of event prep and use these to quickly and easily create my plan for the next event. Think about what things need to happen in a certain order, and schedule these events over a period of days leading up to your event. One of my rules is to have shopping completed at least 2 days before the event (other than ice, which is usually my only last minute purchase). Anticipate the needs of your guests, to allow space to deal with the unexpected.
Include plates, napkins and flatware on all the food tables. Include cups and stir sticks at the beverage stations. I keep a basket of koozies near the beer, and a bottle opener tied to the ice chest with a long ribbon. Keep bar towels handy and nearby all of the drink coolers. Make sure the guest bath is clean and stocked with plenty of extra toilet paper. Make the trash and recycling easy to find, even if it makes tying a pretty label or tag to the cabinet. Or, set a trash can near the beverage station, and include extra bags in the bottom of the bin. Empty the dishwasher before the party, dry and put away as much of the prep dishes as possible. Starting the party with a clean space for the new dirty dishes will help keep your kitchen under control.
Complete your party prep an hour before guests arrive. This gives you time to freshen up, put on your party clothes, take care of last minute touches (such as lighting candles and turning on music) and welcoming any guests who arrive early. You may even have pre-party rituals. My favroite is to wear one of my Gram-Gram’s vintage aprons while I’m preparing for the party. Wearing the apron helps me connect with the women who taught me how to be a welcoming hostess, and taking off the apron triggers a shift to connecting with my guests and enjoying the gathering. Turning on the music also signals the party has started. For this event, bluegrass music through a wireless speaker on the front porch as guests arrived at the front door.
If you are confused in any way, remember that in the South “BBQ” is a noun, not a verb. I will admit to having a bit of an advantage in hosting this type of event. My husband is a good old Southern boy who inherited his father’s pig cooker. He knows how to slow cook pork, as well as make the most amazing pound cake you’ve ever tasted. He learned that skill from his Grandfather, and it’s become a ritual. He makes the cake using an old Hamilton-Beach mixer that was one of his parent’s wedding presents. He only uses certain brands of ingredients, reserves an old cake pan that is only used for his pound cake, and stores and serves the cake in a vintage cake tin. There is so much magic in this cake. Just writing this makes me drool a little and think about planning another event so I can have some of Carl’s pound cake. But I digress...and yes, I love good food!
Menu for Carl & Jennifer’s BBQ
Buffet Dining Table
Pork BBQ + sauce
Sandwich buns (regular and gluten-free)
Slaw
Collard greens with black eyed peas and sausage
Sausage balls (regular and gluten free)
Black eyed peas
Salad + various dressings on the side
Cheese ball + crackers
Dessert Table
Carl’s amazing Lemon Pound Cake
Jennifer’s fudge
Coconut cake
Bar
Full bar, with mixers, sliced lemon and lime
Recipe card and ingredients for Peppermint Bark Martinis
red and white wine
Beer in an ice chest by the bar
Beverage Station
Sweet tea
Infused water
Soft drinks in an ice chest
Keurig with assorted k-cups, sweeteners and cream
I served the stew and the BBQ in crock pots. Part of my event prep includes creating small tent labels (using plain index cards) to let people know what’s on the table and identifying what is gluten or dairy free. My wonderful husband’s southern gentleman skills were put to good use in this menu. Once a year, he makes homemade sausage with some friends. That sausage went into both the collard green stew and the sausage balls. When something is hand made and prepared in a home, I truly believe the love comes through in the resulting creation.
I will admit that the buns, slaw, black eyed peas and coconut cake were purchased. A generous guest prepared the cheese ball and crackers. The fudge was prepared a few weeks before the party, and stored in the freezer. Storing the fudge in the freezer also keeps me from eating it all before the party!
Some of your guests will ask what they can bring, and always be prepared with an answer. You always want them to bring themselves and their appetite. Depending on the flow of your event, menu and your special talents, having guests bring food may or may not be a good fit. It’s always safe to ask for guests to bring wine, and I’ve even been known to ask a guest to pick up a bag of ice on their way to the house.
I never expect to receive gifts from my guests, but hostess gifts are a common practice in the South. Have a place ready for guests to leave their gifts by the front door, whether you clear some space on an entry hall table, chair or bench. Based on the event theme, I may have gifts for guests to take home, setup in basket by the front door with a note to “enjoy this gift from us”. Often this depends on the theme of the event and time of year.
During your event, keep and eye on the food and drink supplies. Pick up dirty plates and cups, empty trash when needed and keep the ice stocked. Make introductions, and mix and mingle with your guests. One of my other secrets to make your party more enjoyable for yourself is to accept help that is offered. Think about the guests you know well who will ask you what they can do to help. Assign them any of these tasks, and they will be delighted to be closer to you during the party and make a contribution to the fun. Remember that list of things to do? This is where it can come in handy. My family and best friends, and now you, know to check “the list” before asking me what they can do to help. Men who are looking for something to do are always happy to keep and eye on the trash and empty when needed.
For a large event, hire help. A bartender is always a great investment for a large group, as well as kitchen help to keep the food replenished and dirty dishes under control. I’ve also used a personal chef to cook for a multi-day weekend event so I could spend more time with house guests.
When the last guest leaves, it’s time to cleanup. Take care of food, dirty dishes and trash right away. Other cleanup can often wait until the light of the following day. Kick up your feet with a glass of wine, open your hostess gifts and enjoy reflecting on the memories created during your beautiful gathering. Very soon, you’ll be thinking of your next party idea.
Jennifer Turnage is an entrepreneur, business advisor, speaker and author of Honey, You Got This! Technology Made Easy for Network Marketers. As the Cofounder and CEO of myBeeHyve, she combines her experience from multiple tech company exits with her mission of empowering individuals to achieve financial independence through entrepreneurship. Connect with her on LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter for support on your entrepreneurial journey. Download the free myBeeHyve app in the Apple or Google Play app stores to manage your prospects and customers with ease.