When you’re hosting a party, you want everyone to feel at home from the moment they arrive. How do you make sure that happens, though? Keep a few tips and activities in mind to make sure every person who enters your home feels comfortable.
1. Offer Beverages Right Away
After greeting your guests and helping them safely stow away coats, gloves, hats and purses in a spare bedroom or closet, offer them a drink. Holding onto a glass of wine, bottle of water or can of soda can help people feel more in control. Occasionally sipping a beverage also allows people to engage in a comfortable, natural activity while getting to know new people.
If you’re serving alcoholic beverages such as out-of-this-world cocktails, designate one person as the bartender at first. Having a point person to create and distribute drinks gives you one less thing to do.
2. Make Initial Introductions
Even if you’re hustling between rooms, make a point to introduce your invitees. You may not be able to make introductions to everyone if you have a big crowd, but that's fine. Whenever someone new enters your home, give them a beverage, escort them to a group of people and engage in introductions. This takes the weight off the newcomer to break into conversations, which can be tough for some personality types.
Are you holding an open house where people will be coming and going all night? You may not be able to answer the door each time or keep up with the flow. Instead, set out a small table with name labels, pens and maybe even silly stickers. People can make name tags, facilitating introductions without you there.
3. Have Plenty of Seats
Whether your party is inside, outside or both, plan for seating. Arrange the seats in small clusters of three or more. These will become conversation “nooks” where partygoers can sit and talk to each other. Unless the purpose of your party is to watch a game or other event on TV, consider turning off all big screens. That way, everyone will be more likely to speak rather than get distracted.
Are you unsure if you have enough seats for the outdoor portion of your party? As long as it’s not going to rain, you can bring some indoor furniture temporarily outside. This is a good solution if you just need three or four more chairs.
4. Lay Out a Diverse Array of Food
Are you hosting a small dinner party with coworkers or a large gathering for everyone on the block? Either way, pay close attention to your food choices. Before the party, ask everyone about allergies and food preferences. The last thing you want is someone who avoids gluten to be unable to eat anything you serve.
If you’re not sure you can accommodate the needs of certain dietary habits, you may want to ask people to bring a dish to share ahead of time. Most people on specific or limited diets will appreciate that you’re trying to make the party fun for them, too.
If you're considering a buffet, use cards to describe each item, and include the ingredients. This avoids confusion and enables everyone to choose the dishes they know they’ll love.
5. Provide Interesting Things to Do
If you're considering a buffet, use cards to describe each item and include each item's ingredients. That’s where games such as pool, darts and table tennis come in handy. You’ll be amazed at how rapidly a quiet partygoer can transform when playing a rousing game of air hockey in your den. Bonding also becomes much simpler when you can multitask.
Players also need a handy place to put their drinks. Try setting out card tables or TV trays near items such as pool tables and poker tables.
Furnish Your Home With Plenty of Activities
Are you ready to be a terrific host at every event you throw? Trust HB Home to bring the fun with sophisticated indoor games that make every party a little more memorable.