Unfortunately, I think we are all a little out of practice when it comes to hosting large parties, especially in states that experience extended lockdowns.

With the Christmas holiday season just around the corner, and reduction in mandated restrictions on gatherings, you may be toying with the idea of hosting some friends.

 If you feel that you’re “out of practice” and have questions like. How much food should we make?? How should we decorate? What does hosting even look like nowadays??

We have done the hard work for you and come up with 8 hosting mistakes to avoid in-order to have a successful party and actually enjoy it.

Let’s begin:

“Too high” centerpieces

We love a centerpiece but one that is too high and bulky is not ideal for a dinner party. You want your guests to be able to see each other and make conversation without craning their necks, so opt for a shorter vase and minimal floral arrangements.

A good rule of thumb is to keep the arrangement below your eye level and don’t overcrowd the table with too many centerpieces.

Not having place cards

This personal touch lets your guests know you care and that you put effort into making them feel welcome. It gives off a VIP, “special guest” vibe and is very cute, too. We’ll even give you extra bonus points if you make the name tags a sweet gift your guests can take home.

Relax the rules – don’t make your guests take off their shoes (but with an important exception)

We completely understand that asking your guests to take off their shoes when they enter your home can be cultural and important. In that case, disregard this one.

But if that’s not the case, and it’s more that you’re simply worried about your floors getting dirty, maybe bend the rules and let your guests show off their party outfit head to toe. 

Make sure your bathroom is stocked

Make sure extra toilet paper rolls are in sight so your guests don’t have to rummage through cabinets or god forbid, be left scared, alone, and TP-less.

Matches and candles are also a nice touch because well, you know, and a few hand towels available for drying hands is a must.

Avoid the bottleneck

The best way to create a good flow and avoid “bottlenecking” is to designate several drink/snack stations. Use your best judgment depending on the space and number of guests, but at least two stations are key.

Another hack is to leave out snacks in the spaces where you’d prefer people to sit and mingle. This is also a great option if you want to keep guests outdoors and create space between each guest 🙂.

Prebatched drinks

Having a drink-making station can be fun, but it can also turn out to be messy and a bit unpredictable. In fact, guests probably don’t want to make their own drinks per se, especially if you have a great-tasting cocktail ready to go.

Pre-batched drinks are super easy and are one less thing you or your guests have to think about.

Have a playlist ready

The pre-made playlist is such a good party hack and yet one that is often forgotten about or overlooked. Unless you are an actual DJ, spending the evening trying to think of what song should go on next is exhausting.

Avoid that anxiety altogether behaving a playlist ready to go beforehand so neither you or your guests have to think about anything besides having a great time.

Make sure there’s something other than booze & water for those who don’t drink

Don’t get me wrong, water is great! We love water, but it’s not a ~fun~ drink and caffeine is a nice option when you are not getting tipsy. Great non-alcoholic options are diet soft drinks, sparkling soda water, and fresh coffee.

All the dedicated drivers and sober guest will thank you. Oh, and if you are throwing a non-dinner party, don’t forget snacks. Even a bowl of chips and dip is great because while drinkers might not be hungry (due to the calories in alcohol), the non-drinkers usually are.

I hope these tips will help you host your best party yet!

Tell us: Enjoyed this article? Don’t forget to like and share.

And while you’re here, take our mortgage shredder challenge and discover how much you can save on your home and investment loans by using loansHub technology as your personal mortgage manager. To discover why loansHub and what we do, click here.

This article via Ryann Miller does not constitute advice; readers should seek independent and personalised counsel from an appropriate trusted adviser that specialises in property, a tax accountant and property or interior design specialist.