With these clever tips, you can keep your guests happy and occupied—and make yourself less stressed, from hello to good-by. Here are some handy ideas for planning a party to help make it an enjoyable and stress free experience for you too…
Guests go where the action is—besides, they want to socialise with the host. Be ready to make them feel welcome.
Welcome help. Reserve certain small jobs for early birds and those who shy away from being chatty. Offer the sorts of tasks you could give to an older child: setting out dishes and cutlery, plating hors d’oeuvres, filling the water jugs, or putting bread rolls in a basket.
Hide signs of stress. If anything makes a guest feel guiltier than watching the host do dishes after the meal, it’s watching her do them before the meal. Use the dishwasher as a hiding spot for dirty dishes even those you’ll ultimately wash by hand.
Go with the sort of low-key nibbles you would find in a classy bar: small bowls of nuts, Bombay mix, and olives.
Spirited conversation is a dinner party’s bread and butter, but sometimes it needs a nudge.
Manage moods. At holiday time, people tend to arrive hungry (and ready to indulge), so don’t make them wait too long for the main event.
Use a white tablecloth, white dishes, and just one or two rich accent colours and centrepieces should be tall enough to talk under or short enough to talk over.
A place card for everyone. Seating plans may seem formal, but they actually make guests more comfortable. Think about who would benefit from particular placement: small children (seat near a parent), couples (split them up to encourage mixing), and hearing-impaired guests (reserve a quiet corner chair or seat them front and centre, depending on personality). Then fill in the blanks.
Turn a table into a convenient, arm’s reach refilling station. Load it with wine, jugs of water, and spare utensils to eliminate supply runs.
Be present. Each time you get up to fetch something, you essentially abandon your guests. A host’s primary duty isn’t to feed people but to spend time with them. Serve family-style, and forget cleaning up mid-event. Carrying plates to the kitchen is one thing; but once you turn on a tap, you’ve dissolved the festivity.
To really spoil guests, set out the dessert —fancy chocolates or salted caramels—while you ready the baked goods. (Don’t forget the desserts that guests brought!) Sweet cheeses and nuts with a dessert wine provide the right coda for the sugar-averse.
