Being a good host is the key to having a great party that your guests will enjoy. Here are our tips for making sure your gathering goes with a swing!
Planning
If you are hosting with someone else, divide tasks so that you aren’t tripping over each other to do the same things – plan for one person to greet arrivals and take their coats, while the other sorts out the drinks. If you're hosting alone it helps to enlist a friend who can help out with this.
Stepping into a room of people where you know no one except the host can be nervewracking so make a mental note of anyone who is coming on their own and spend some time with them when they arrive, and introduce them to some friendly faces. Adding an interesting fact about that person to start the conversation off always helps too!
Preparing your home
It goes without saying that your house should be clean and tidy. Make sure there is soap in the bathroom, a hand towel, toilet paper, and a tidy room where people can put their coats and handbags.
If you're entertaining at home and some rooms are off-limits to guests, it’s best to lock them, or drape a rope or ribbon across the door with a sign saying 'Host only!'. Likewise if you have anything precious/breakable, it's best to lock it away for your peace of mind.
Going home
Parties usually run their course as people decide to go home – if your guests are hanging around, take it as a compliment on your hosting skills! However, a good way to get people to think about making a move is to stop serving alcohol and offer coffees or soft drinks instead. If that doesn’t work, try turning up the lights or turning off the music!
Party trivia… “A host is like a general: calamities often reveal his genius.” Horace