Hosting A Home Party!

Are you hosting a home party and need some guidance? no worries below are a few pointers that can help you.  As a party planner, hosting home parties comes easy but with more detail and work.  I love planning, It's like bringing something together from the bottom up.  I am currently in the process of hosting a graduation party in our back yard... this is so much fun.  I will share pictures and blog about it as soon as this event takes place, but for now here are some tips.

Plan It Out: Your home  dinner party is making it feel worth your guest time and support.  Planning ahead for issues such as if this will be a formal sit down (with place cards and so on) or a simpler cocktail party will be key. This also needs to be expressed on your invitation cards.  This way gusts can decide if they want to (or can) be part of your event. 

Plan your Menu & /or Drinks: Pull together what you're going to serve. This is where keeping things intimate and confined to close friends and relatives can pay off. Knowing what people like (or are restricted to eating) will help you create a spread delectable enough for everyone (or mixed drinks for cocktail parties suitable to every one's tastes). A fun idea is to create a signature drink, that represents the person that you are.

For added inspiration grab a cookbook.

Be Personal When Inviting Gusts: Call your gusts to invite them over the phone (depending on the type of party) or send invitations being sure to use their name.  Places like Facebook are too easy to click away and say no to... people need to feel you're intimately involved so go that extra mile to reach out.  Have people RSVP (or ask for "regrets only") and let them know if your party is a formal sit down or something more informal like a Bar-B-Q on the deck.

Add In Some Extras: Consider giving out favor bags to gusts or create some games so that people can win a favor (this has often been a major highlight for parties... give it a try).  Just keep it light and non-depressing so people have a good time—not focusing on even more dire problems in life. Hire a DJ or get a friend to do it (you wouldn't believe the number of kids out there that can do this from their laptops or iPods!), have dancing or keep it low key (think swank NYC eateries... what do they play?) with Latin Jazz and World Beats. Just a little in the background for ambiance but not too much that it prevents people from talking to one another.

Tell Your Guests Thank You: In most dinner parties it's the host that gets all of the thank you cards, you want to make your guest feel special send them a thank you card. Write it out and pop a stamp on it. This is also a good time to let them know once again how important it was to you to have had share a special moment. 

From your event specialist,
Elegant Creations Events.