Here’s some ideas, advice and tips for easy entertaining that will help you with planning, hosting and throwing your best, most successful home party ever! Follow these helpful hints to make sure your party guests will be in for a fabulous and fun time.
Party Smart Do’s and Don’ts
presented by Mrs. Worthington and Coco, party planners
- DO: Have music playing when your guests first arrive – it makes for a party atmosphere right from the start!
- DO: Have something to nibble on – bowls of nuts, chips and dip, or appetizer – presented and out before the first guest arrives. People don’t usually like standing around, waiting for others to arrive, and having nothing to eat.
- DO: Keep the appetizers coming! Put out more as more party guests arrive, have a variety of small bites, dips and nibbles, both hot and cold, to account for different tastes, vegetarians, vegans, gluten-free, and allergies.
- DO: Have a stack of napkins next to the food, so guests aren’t left with sticky fingers or food stained lips. (Coco’s pet peeve – Coco says: no party napkin, towel or serviette available is a Coco party no-no).
- DO: Have tables for guests to sit at and eat, even if it’s just a few card tables and folding chairs set up. Place pretty tablecloths over the tables for visual and appetite appeal.
- DO: Have a perfectly stocked bathroom – that means lots of clean hand towels, paper towels (for those with germ phobias – Coco says “you know what I’m talkin’ about”), and extra rolls of toilet paper that guests can find without searching through your cupboard. (A functioning door lock and a light that’s either already lit or is not so hard to find the guests have to fumble around in the dark is also helpful.)
- DO: Make sure to have some non-alcoholic drinks available, even if you are throwing a cocktail party.
- DO: If children will be guests at your party, have a Kids’ Table especially for them! Cover the table with a white paper tablecloth and use a crayon to write a welcoming message on the cloth or draw a cute picture to get the kids started – be sure to have lots of different colored crayons on the table for your young aspiring artists to draw with.
- DON’T: Have a TV set going unless the party is geared toward’s a TV show such as an Oscar party or Super Bowl party. A running TV encourages guests to sit and watch the show rather than socialize, bringing your party into the doldrums of dullness for guests who prefer to chat and have fun rather than just sitting around.
- DON’T: Serve appetizers that are way too messy or difficult to eat. If you do, have small plates and forks for ease of eating, and discard bowls next to the dish platter for those wing bones or shrimp tails that guests don’t know what to do with. Don’t forget the napkins!
- A NICE TOUCH: Party lights to decorate the party area, indoors and outdoors, makes for a festive atmosphere.
- A NICE TOUCH: Wine Charms are great to have when you are serving wine to a number of guests.
- A NICE TOUCH: Little bowls of munchies like mixed nuts, flavored popcorn, party mix, and bowls of M&M’s with colors to match your party theme placed around the yard and party area keeps hungry guests happy!
- A NICE TOUCH: Lots of colored balloons to fill the scene – hang some, throw some about the area for a fun party touch.
AUTHOR BIO : Janet Marchbanks -- Food writer, research and website content development, recipe developer, creative design. This site began out of my love for cooking, restaurants, eating and all things food!
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Thanks, these tips are helpful.