8 Steps to Hosting a Party Everyone Enjoys – Including Yourself

Editors note: This is a guest post from Alex Fayle of Someday Syndrome.

Recently Sherri posted an article on how to host a great barbecue and it reminded me about my favorite party-planning methods.

As much as I love having people over, hosting a party used to overwhelm me so much I’d want everyone out of the house before the guests had even finished arriving. I would get so wound up about being the perfect host and making sure that everyone was having a good time that I’d forget to have a good time myself.

Eventually I learned a trick that allowed me to have enjoy myself and yet still ensure that everyone else was happy too: I’d have the party so well prepared that by the time the first guest arrived I could turn myself into just another guest and the party would host itself.

What do I mean? Here’s an example (from an email my sister sent me about a successful party of her own):

Thursday night, we emptied all the furniture out of the living room into the workshop. We then set up two tables in the living room and one in the dining room to form two tables of 8 and one of 10. The living room was cozy but still had manoeuvring room. Friday we puttered away on food preparation and putting the finishing touches on the house. Because we were so organized it was pretty relaxed and fun.

Whether you’re hosting a dinner for 18, a cocktail party for 40 or a backyard lunch for 8, here are some tips for making the whole thing easy and enjoyable for you:

1. Choose a date well in advance
While spontaneity is fun – who doesn’t love an impromptu mojito night? – the more time you give people to RSVP and for you to prepare the house, the more relaxed you’ll be on the day of the party.

2. Decide on the type of party that best fits your space
If you don’t have lots of table-space, you don’t want to have a dinner party for 20. If you do, you’ll stress yourself about where everyone will sit and what they’ll use to eat. And that’s not a good way to start your party planning.

3. Use the date as motivation to finish organizing or decoration projects
I consider having guests as the number one motivator to do a top-to-bottom house clean, organizing and project-completer. You want you space to look its best, no? By scheduling semi-regular parties (such as one every 3 months), your house will stay organized and the preparations each time will just be a matter of refreshing the space.

4. Determine your to-do list and prioritize items
Don’t get too detailed on this or go overboard with your preparations. The key to a successful party is simplicity, however, almost as important is the order of doing things. Some things must happen before others and if you don’t know in advance you may end up having to redo things two or three times.

5. Pick food that’s best prepared in advance or requires minimal in-the-moment cooking
Unless you plan to have a party centered around the kitchen (or BBQ), you don’t want to be tied to last minute preparations. The less work you leave for yourself during the time of the party itself, the better. Your job as host is to be with the guests – if you want a fancy food, considering hiring a caterer to do the preparations while you’re with the guests.

6. Start prepping the house and the food two days before the party
By this, I don’t mean the organizing and cleaning – that should be done before this point. Prepping the house means moving furniture, pulling out necessary serving dishes and whatever glasses, plates and cutlery you’ll need. Having it all out beforehand allows you to take stock and determine if you’re missing anything or if the layout you thought out works or not.

7. Finish preparations at least two hours before guests arrive
There’s nothing worse for guests than arriving with the host frantically putting on the finishing touches then dashing into the bathroom for a quick shower. You want to be relaxed for your guests and there’s no better way to do that than having the time to leisurely get yourself ready.

8. When your first guest arrives become just another guest yourself
A host who runs around filling up glasses, checking to make sure the snack bowls are full and that every guest has received a hello and a goodbye reminds me of Bree from Desperate Housewives. Your guests don’t want to socialize with a robot – they want a real person. By acting like another guest, you’ll mingle naturally and everyone will be much more relaxed and have a much better time.

When you prepare your parties well and then trust in those preparations to carry you through the party itself in the calmest, most contented manner possible you and your guests will have a great time and your parties will be the talk of the town.

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Author bio:

Are you stuck in a life you don’t enjoy? Have you lost touch with your dreams? Have you *settled* for a daily routine that leaves you longing for a different life?

It’s time for a change.

Alex Fayle, of Someday Syndrome, is a former procrastinator who uses his visionary ability to uncover hidden patterns and help you break the procrastination obstacle so that you can finally find freedom and start living the life you desire.

Learn more about how you can start loving life again at http://www.SomedaySyndrome.com

See also:

7 Tips For Cleaning Your Kitchen As You Go

Quick Clean Your Home In Under 20 Minutes

7 Little Things That Make Me Disproportionately Happy

5 Tips for a Quick and Efficient Grocery Shop

Photo courtesy of: Dave Austria