How To Be The Perfect Host
How to be the perfect host for house guests. Qualities of a good host. The best tips for being the perfect hostess!
How to be the perfect host for house guests… We all dream of that, aren’t we?
Of course, you want to be the perfect hostess!! And what if I could help you be that perfect host?! That could be much easier than you think! You’ll see that it’s all about simple things and little extra attention… only some minor details that make all the difference.
Hosting without stress…The simple solution to make hosting easy!
I’m sure you have all the qualities of a good host; you only need a little practice!
Hosting is a lot of fun! And yes, hosting without stress is possible!! 😊
Having a big bunch of people at home laughing and enjoying your meal…that is the best feeling!
But hosting can also turn into a nightmare if you haven’t planned anything!
…So now, how could hosting without stress be possible?
- How to Be A Good Host At A Party: Make A Plan
- How To Be The Perfect Host: Party Food
- How To Host Guests At Home: Guest-Friendly House
- How To Be The Perfect Party Host: Your Guests!
- How To Be A Good Host For Guests: At Dinner Time
- How To Be The Perfect Host: The Ambiance
- More Best Tips For Being The Perfect Host: Three Last Things
- How To Be The Best Host: To Conclude
Ready to know how to make hosting easy?
*Before we dive into our topic, make sure to save this; I’m sure you’ll want to come back to it…
More than once! 😉
Ok, back to our topic!
How to Be A Good Host At A Party: Make A Plan
Hosting without stress is possible!
The key is to have a simple plan to help you create that wonderful evening or that fancy dinner that your guests will enjoy and remember for a long time!
Have a look right here to find a lot of great ideas on how to plan your next gathering 🙂
…believe me, having a plan is the best simple solution to lower your stress level!!
My best advice: Keep it simple!!
You don’t have to aim for perfection in everything…
Perfection is not your goal… Your goal is to have a great evening!!
A simple dinner with good wine and good conversation is always appreciated… but if you add some special touches, it will become memorable! 🙂
As you know, I’m all about planning…
It’s THE key to great parties & fancy dinners!!
The more prepared you are, the easiest it will be!! 🙂
Choosing your menu in advance and planning all the things you will have to do is a must!!
With a good planning schedule, you’ll be able to do so much more…without any stress!! Trust me; your guests will enjoy that you are calm and relaxed…
And the best thing is that you will have more time to chat with them instead of hiding in the kitchen to prepare your meal!
Your plan will give you peace of mind
Knowing that all that could be done ahead is already done…what a relief!! So please, give yourself this gift 🙂
How to be the perfect host: Build a simple plan…and stick to it!!
I share a lot of great tips and ideas here to help you build your simple party planner 😉
And even better! I already did all the work for you! Everything is in this book!…
…I just love when others do all the work, don’t you?!
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Now, back to our first goal…
How To Be The Perfect Host: Party Food
First, let’s talk about your menu.
As we all know, this is an important part of any event!
- Whether you choose to serve a fancy dinner or a wonderful buffet, pay attention to the choice of the dishes
- Try to select dishes that most people will like. Unless you know your guests’ tastes very well, you should avoid serving only fish, seafood, or anything too spicy. If you opted for the buffet option, adding one or two of these is okay, but your buffet’s base should be more…basic!
- Everyone usually appreciates chicken, beef, pork, or pasta… and there are so many recipes to choose from!
- Also, to avoid bad surprises and keep your stress level low, try to choose things that you have already tried before…That is certainly not the best time to test a big bunch of new recipes…unless they are really simple to do.
- I always try to select dishes that I can prepare ahead or at least part of them.
Remember that the more you can do ahead, the more free time you’ll have to spend with your guests 🙂
- My slow cooker and baked casseroles helped me many times! No need to worry about our main dish, but only having a few other things to think about, such as side dishes, appetizers, and of course dessert, is way much easier to manage!
- Also essential to serve a well-balanced meal, from appetizer to dessert… If your main course is a heavy meal, such as pasta or gratinated dish, then try to choose something lighter for the starter dish. It could be a nice salad or a fancy potage…
- A well-balanced meal also means that you should serve veggies, meat and some starchy, such as potatoes, rice, couscous, noodles… Add color to each plate! Colorful veggies always pimp up any plate 🙂 variety is the key!! Your plates have to look pretty
- … And try not to add cheese to everything! If you’re like me and are a cheese lover, you’ll see that it’s sometimes hard to resist!! 😄
How to be the perfect host… THE most important thing…
Dessert!!
Ha! Ha! I love desserts so much!
It’s the final touch of your dinner… and definitely my favorite part of all!!!
I just love dessert! Any kind of desserts, especially the ones I can bake ahead 🥰
Dessert is the best way to end a perfect meal. And it doesn’t have to be complicated to be delightful!
You know that I’m all about simple things…so imagine how I love simple desserts! ha! ha! look at my top 10 best make-ahead desserts and choose your favorite one 😊
And guess what? ha! ha! Because 10 wasn’t enough, I also made a book!
How To Host Guests At Home: Guest-Friendly House
How to be the perfect host: Make your house friendly!!
Your guests must feel that you are happy to welcome them 🙂 and doing some little extra things for your guests will make them feel good…which is the most important thing!! They will notice and appreciate all you did for them.
- Having enough room in your entrance closet is a good start
- Don’t hesitate to move or remove furniture to ensure that all will be seated together. Even if some might like to stand all evening, they must see that there is room for them. So make sure you have enough seating places for everyone
- Reserve the most comfortable seats for the older ones
- Having coffee tables here and there so they can put their glass somewhere will avoid little messes
- Make sure that your house is nice and neat 😉
- Lights should be turned on in every room they’ll have access to
- If you are hosting a young mother with her baby, show her a quiet place where she’ll be comfortable breastfeeding and changing diapers
- And you definitely don’t want to run out of bathroom tissue! so you better have some extra rolls where all can see them
- Same thing for hand towels…they are usually getting wet pretty quickly! Make sure to have extra ones and try to change them frequently
- Remove carpets that are in the way or might be dangerous; this will avoid stupid accidents…Just store them elsewhere for the evening
How To Be The Perfect Party Host: Your Guests!
Now that you have chosen your menu, that you have a good plan, and that your house is ready…
It’s time to focus on your guests!!!
You have to make them feel special. You are happy to welcome them, and it has to show!! 😊
There are many little things that you can do for them so they feel good and welcomed.
Special attentions are important to make your guests feel special!
It could be an extra cushion for Granny or a shawl for your cousin Mary…all these details are important…it usually doesn’t show when you don’t do them, but it always creates a WOW when you take time to think about these small details!!
- Keep in mind that your guests will feel better if they don’t see you running everywhere… Remember that they visit you because they want to spend some time with you!
- Make sure that everyone is enjoying is evening. Don’t leave anyone alone in a corner. If so, try to include them in a group or ask them for help… some people are shy and are not comfortable in a group, they prefer one-on-one conversations, and it’s ok! Just make sure they have something to drink and try to match them with some quiet person 🙂
How to be the perfect host: A few more little attentions…
- Your guests accepted your invitation because they wanted to spend time with you: So make sure that you take time to chat with each of them individually, even if it’s for a few minutes
- Special drinks and cocktails are also an excellent way to make your guests feel special
- If there are kids, make sure to do a little something for them too…Special snacks to make them wait for dinner, games so they can play…Setting up an area for them is a very good option; they will be more comfortable playing, and their parents will feel special if they see that their little ones are well welcomed too
- Having enough seats and some extra cushion is a must. Or at least have your guests sit on comfortable seats… and keep the wooden chair for yourself! 🙂
How To Be A Good Host For Guests: At Dinner Time
Let’s now talk about dinner!
- Select places at the table and mark them according to your guests…a shy person will be perfectly comfortable sitting beside someone who makes all the conversation … but on the other hand, two shy persons sit side by side…
- Make sure you have enough wine on the table…and water too!
- Fancy candles for ambiance always make the evening special. But be careful with centerpieces…choose something small and not too high, so your guests can see each other 😉 need some ideas to decorate your table? You should find inspiration right there!
Make sure that you have enough room around the table…
- You better choose the buffet option instead of having everyone crowded around the table…buffets are perfect for big crowds!
- When I host a fancy dinner, I like to have Hors-d’oeuvres that my guests can enjoy before dinner while having a drink. I like to choose something easy to eat (bite-size) and not too heavy. Count 4 to 5 pieces per person, not more… you don’t want to ruin your lovely dinner!!
- If you prefer to have the plates all in the center of the table and let everyone help themselves, make sure you have all the tools they’ll need: big spoons, spatulas…Also, think about the heavy plates…you might have to help Granny 😊
- I also like to have butter, salt and pepper, and other condiments on each side of the table. That way, your guests won’t have to spend all evening passing butter and pepper to others! Same with the bread, everything as to be easy to access
- Warm bread is so delightful! Having a few baskets of warm dinner rolls or a French baguette is always a good idea. Everyone likes warm bread…and those with a greater appetite will certainly be happy to have a little more to eat 🙂
- Having butter already cut into cubes or small balls will be easier for your guests… and will look fancy too!
- Also, if you know your guests better, it would be a great idea to select dishes according to their taste. That is nice attention that would make them happy
- Obviously, having enough food and beverages is a must! Always good to have a bit more in case one of your guests would like a second plate
How To Be The Perfect Host: The Ambiance
How to be the perfect host: Another important thing to think about is the AMBIANCE!! music, decor…
- Obviously, music is the best to create the right ambiance. Select a playlist that all will enjoy. A mix of good old classics that everyone knows and some more trendy hits will do.
- Keep in mind that music is for ambiance! Your precious guests shouldn’t have to yell all evening long, so make sure you keep the volume low…and ideally, Granny shouldn’t sit close to the speakers 🙂
- One other way to create a great ambiance is by adding a few candles here and there…but be careful; it could be dangerous to have too many! I highly recommend electric candles, as pretty as real ones but much safer!!
- Flowers also add a nice lovely touch, but again, don’t place them where there is too much traffic
More Best Tips For Being The Perfect Host: Three Last Things
How to be the Perfect Host… 😊 now you ( almost ) know all about it!!!
I know that hosting is a lot of work, and you are probably tired… But it must never show!!
I always suggest that you prepare as much as you can ahead to save time to rest before your guests show up… that is SO important!! The evening will be much more pleasant… for everyone! 😉
…And one more thing! Probably the most important!!
Make sure that all can drive back home safely at the end of the evening…sometimes, too much wine…
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How To Be The Best Host: To Conclude
How to be the perfect host…final thoughts
In short, ambiance and sweet little attention are as much important as your dinner!
Pay attention to small details, and all of your parties will turn into fabulous evenings!!… that all your guests will remember for a long time 😊
It’s sometimes scary to invite a big bunch of family or friends for a fancy dinner or a party, but it shouldn’t be!!
Hosting has to be fun. For your guests AND for you!!
I really hope that these few tricks helped you and made you realize that hosting is easy!!
Never forget to keep things So Perfectly Simple!
And also remember that as long as you follow your simple plan, everything will turn out perfectly!! 😉
As always, I would love to hear from you! 🖤 Please use the comment box for any questions or comments…
Or even better, tell me what little attention YOU like to do for your guests. 😉 I’m such a curious girl! I just can’t wait to find out!!
*If you like this post, let your friends know! 😉Please share it!
Talk to you soon!
Related Posts:
-What The Best Hostesses Do That You Should Do Too!
-How To Host Kids When You Have None
