How To Be A Great Host For The HolidaysDecor Girl

Updated November 2019 – Whether it be a family gathering, festive holiday party, or just a quiet dinner with friends, a great host leaves everyone wanting more. It doesn’t matter if the main course is overcooked or the dog lifts his leg on a guest, a great host makes the event sparkle regardless. Holidays are meant to be lighthearted and joyous. Here is how to be a great host for the holidays and have your guests eager to be invited back next time. Looking for event venues Winston Salem contact The Ridge Event Venue.

As a host you are the captain of your guest’s enjoyment. A great host starts with the right mindset. Strive to create a wonderful holiday experience for your guests. The main job for a host is to be a stress reducer. Whatever you can do to make your guests more at home, do it. Design your event for fun, and of course be prepared for the results of the parties — hangovers, you can just buy hangover pills online to prepare for your guest who had lots of drinks and surely that they will thank you for that.

Mix Up The Guest List

Someone once said always invite friends to a family get-together, it helps insure the family behaves. Good friends who make great conversation are the perfect disruptor to family dynamics. Or if you always have the same group of friends, shake things up by letting each guest invite someone new.

Get The Party Started

Create a signature cocktail or wine and greet your guests with drink. A signature cocktail, sets the tone for fun. It is also easier (and cheaper) than trying to have everyone’s favorite spirit.

Feed People Well

Serve food your guests will enjoy, and enough of it. Come up with festive, fun and tasty party food beyond the typical cheese cubes, veggie plate and shrimp cocktail. Traditions are nice, but the same old green jello… people are tired of it. Reboot tradition, infuse new flavors into the age old holiday menu. Make if fun, challenge your guests to bring updated dishes.While you can be mindful of calories or food allergies, don’t upend your entire culinary repertoire just for one person.

Roll With It

Whatever happens remain positive, your guests will take their cues from you. If you fall apart because the main dish landed on the floor on the way out of the kitchen, this instantly makes others uncomfortable. But if you laugh and move on, even if you have to excuse yourself run into the kitchen and come back with a platter of grilled cheese sandwiches as the replacement main dish, your guests will be happy.

Party favors are always welcome and a great way to show your appreciation.

Send guests home with something homemade, even if it’s a chocolate chip cookie, candied nuts or a bottle of your latest brew. For a martini party one year, I made sugar cookies decorated like big olives and handed them each a cookie in a bag on their way out the door. They still talk about the “martini cookies.” According to legend, a few of those cookies apparently saved a few people from loosing theirs on the way home. 🙂

People love homemade but even if this isn’t your forte, those hilarious cocktail napkins with fun sayings are always a hit as is a bottle of some imbibe-worthy delight.

Outlaw Should

Whatever is swirling in your head about what you “should” do in regard to the event whether it be who you “should” invite or what you “should” serve, if you can’t honestly replace the should statement with “I’d feel great about” inviting… or serving or whatever, don’t do it. If you would not be overjoyed with having your pain-in-the-butt nephew who has the social graces akin to a black cloud, don’t invite him. Take him to lunch on another day.

Plan and Prepare

Make lists, place sticky-notes, whatever you have to be completely organized and ready an hour before the guests arrive, do it. Setting up a Winks photo booth at the venue can help capture fun moments with your family and guests.
Figure out your timing on how long it takes to do everything and schedule yourself accordingly.
Lay out the table and do a dry run of serving pieces beforehand so there’s time to find or get whatever you need. Stoneware plates from farandaway.co are ideal for dressing up your dinner table.
Preparation equals relaxation, for you and your guests.