How to receive guests

How to receive guests

 

In this article: Preparing for the party  Prepare and present food  Be a perfect host Make the party fun  Related articles  References

We may be a long way from the days of jellied meats and delicate cupcake frostings, but the art of entertaining is still very much in vogue. If you're planning a party, whether formal or informal, and don't know where to start, we're here. It's easier than it sounds: a little organization, a little food, a little drink, lots of conversation topics and activities for later and you'll have it all for a great party and entertained guests.

 

 

 

Part

1

Preparing for the party

1

Organize the party space. Start by organizing the party area. You'll probably want to move the furniture around to create the maximum amount of space and make sure people can stand and sit and still be able to talk to each other easily. You might consider creating a quieter area to chat, slightly off the beaten track, so people who want a quiet time can get it.

Try to separate large spaces into smaller sections, to facilitate conversations between the small groups that naturally form at gatherings.

If you're short on space, move as much furniture as possible against the walls or move some furniture to another room that you won't be using to make more room.

2

Clean the space where you will receive your guests. When you have arranged the space according to your tastes, start cleaning. You want to make a good impression on your guests. What to clean depends on where you are going to receive them, but here are some essential tips:

take out the trash and anything that might smell bad

mop and vacuum the floors

clean glass and windows

tidy up the mess

thoroughly clean the kitchen and bathroom

 

 

3

Think about places that are easy to forget. There are many places that are often forgotten to clean and a party is the perfect excuse to make sure these places are not neglected. Try to be meticulous when cleaning, picking up things you normally leave lying around and making sure you've cleaned all the places that are usually covered by furniture.

For example, many people forget to clean under the toilet seat before a party. Guests may not notice it, but guests are bound to see the dirt piled up underneath!

Another often overlooked area is the front yard. This is where guests make their first impression, so make sure it looks clean, nice and tidy.

Don't forget the inside of the refrigerator either. People will open it to find drinks and they won't want to see gravy on one of the floors.

4

Remove any items you don't want in the presence of your guests. Once everything is clean, you could make a mental list and decide if you want to remove some items. There are a lot of items that you don't want to leave in the presence of your guests, for many different reasons. This includes fragile items, high value items, and items that could cause controversy. Store these items away until the party is over.

For example, your grandfather's pocket watch may be on display in a case in your living room. If you don't know the people who come to your house, it might be a good idea to store it in a less prominent place.

5

Put up some decorations. Once you have a solid foundation for your party environment, add some finishing touches to really wow your guests. This is where decorations come in handy. You're probably used to balloons for birthdays and fake cobwebs for Halloween, but don't think those are the only options when it comes to decorations. There are many other possibilities to choose from.

For example, say you are throwing a party for a friend who is moving house. You could decorate the room around the theme of where he's going, so he knows you'll all be with him in spirit.

6

Don't neglect the music you are going to play. Once everything else is ready, you're ready to organize your playlist. Music can make or break your party, so think about planning the background music. Make sure the music is not too loud. People have to be able to get along.

Try to match the music with the theme of your party or with the tastes of your guests. However, if you are unsure, try to choose music that is popularly liked. For example, Bob Marley or the Jackson 5 are perfect choices for a summer party, and Sinatra period tunes are great for winter gatherings.

You can use certain websites, such as Pandora, to DJ for you. This can save you a lot of trouble and ensure that the music will be varied. You can also put radio stations online, they offer all genres of music and for all tastes, so it's also a very good option for a party.

You can find tips for hooking up speakers to your computer on wikiHow, if you don't know how.

Part

2

Prepare and present food

1

Start with appetizers and hors d'oeuvres. Snacks, appetizers and hors d'oeuvres are crucial at a party. This is because they are easy foods to peck between activities and conversations. Consuming a meal tends to occupy the mouth for too long and make interaction difficult. You don't even have to serve a real dish if you provide enough delicious appetizers.

Some very good possibilities are crackers and cheese, small individual pots of sauce, wraps or filled puff pastries. Don't forget the must-haves either, like crisps and vegetable matches with sauce.

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2

Offer larger foods. If your party is mealtime, be sure to offer a little more substantial food as well. If a person is starving, they will loot the snacks, leaving nothing for others. Plan something quick and easy to prepare and not too expensive.

For example, a “tortilla bar” is quick to set up and costs little money. It's also easy to cater for everyone's tastes and dietary restrictions this way.

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3

Plan a dessert! Everyone loves dessert. Even if you don't have a lot of food planned, providing a great dessert is one way to make sure people have a great impression of your party. Sure, you can just buy a dessert from a store (splurge and buy something lavish), but you can also make it yourself.

Did you know that you can make a very impressive cheesecake with your mixer and just a little milk, sugar, cottage cheese and biscuits  [1]  ? Pour your preparation into a batter and serve with fresh berries, to impress your guests with minimal effort.

 

 

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4

Plan food preparation carefully. When planning the food, try to know in advance how you will prepare everything. You will need to leave enough time to prepare the food, to be sure not to find yourself in the kitchen when your guests are present. Try to choose dishes that you can prepare the day before or that can be prepared a day or two in advance and simply reheated in the oven when the guests arrive.

For example, let's say you're having a formal dinner party. You can marinate a roast the day before and let it soak in the juice after stuffing it with garlic. Prepare mashed potatoes the day before that you will only have to reheat when your guests arrive. Add to all this an easy to prepare salad. So all you have to do on dinner night is prepare the salad and put the roast in the oven an hour or two before dinner.

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5

Make sure you have plenty to drink. You will need to make sure you have enough drinks for all your guests. Assume that each guest will drink at least two or three drinks during the party. It is better to plan more, if possible. It will also be necessary to offer many different drinks, because people have different tastes. However, consider the theme and type of party you are having when making these decisions.

Daiquiris (with and without alcohol), mulled wine and Schweppes are some of the popular drinks.

You can present your drinks in a unique way if you wish. For example, you can make an ice cream bowl to serve a fruit punch.

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6

Once everything is ready, you can start taking out the food. For formal parties, everyone can be seated around a large table. For less formal parties, it's best to present the food on a table slightly out of the way. Just be sure not to take out food that can spoil quickly too soon. Cool or hot food should only be taken out when guests arrive.

Displaying food on multiple tiers or tiers can make access to all dishes easier. Do not put food that spills easily in the bottom. You wouldn't want sauce spilling into the fruit salad!

If your guests aren't sitting down to eat, try to choose foods that are easy to eat standing up. Some dishes, such as soups, may present too much of a challenge.

Part

3

Be a perfect host

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1

Welcome guests to your home. When people arrive, start by welcoming them into your home. Don't ignore them or rush to talk to someone else, even if it's a casual party. Your guests might not feel welcome or neglected.

Even just saying, “Oh, I'm so glad you're here. Make yourself at home” is enough.

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2

Show them around. If you have time, show them around and show them the rooms where the party takes place. They don't need to see all of your trinkets, but it helps to tell them where they can find restrooms and food.

Also tell them where they can put their things, the house rules if there are any (no shoes in certain rooms, for example) and so on.

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3

Introduce the guests to each other. A good host will introduce people who don't know each other and help them strike up a conversation. Make sure a conversation is started before you go talk to other people.

For example, if you know that two people like the same musician, you can say something like: “Oh, Becca, you'll like it: Julie just went to see Mathieu Chédid in concert. Julie, Becca is completely a fan of Mathieu Chédid. »

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4

Make everyone feel included. During the party, try to talk and interact with everyone. You're probably closer to a few people and might be tempted to spend the whole evening with just them, but the other guests might feel left out. Try to spend some time with everyone, at least to see if everything is going well or to offer them another drink.

Try to ask at least one question to each guest during the party. This will show them that you are interested in them and that you are happy to have them there.

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5

Say goodbye to them at the end of the party. When the party is over, say goodbye to the people who are leaving and thank them for coming. People will feel appreciated and respected. By neglecting to say goodbye to them, you might hurt some people and they might have bad memories of the party (even if they had fun outside of it).

Part

4

Make the party fun

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1

Find ways for people to have fun together. Of course, this is a party and you need to make sure to provide activities that allow those present to talk to each other and interact. However, you will need to adapt these activities to the number of people present, as well as the interests and personalities of your guests.

Suggest group activities. If you're having a lot of people, suggest at least one activity that lots of people can do together. You might suggest a cheesy dance contest, rent a karaoke machine, or hire someone to give the group a dance lesson. Of course, you should think about your guests when choosing the activity you are going to offer. If they are shy ladies, for example, they may prefer to learn about scrapbook making than take dance lessons.

Suggest activities to do in small groups. If you have a smaller group, there are more activities you can do together. You could set up a dart board or pull out some board games. And don't feel like you have to limit yourself to Monopoly. Recent games, such as Le Loup-garou or Dixit, are perfect for small groups (about 10 players).

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2

Create spaces for introverts. Remember that not all of your guests will be outgoing just because they're at a party. By providing introverts with quieter spaces where they can escape for a few minutes, you can be sure that everyone will enjoy your party. But, of course, also try to give them the tools to feel comfortable around others.

Provide cards with conversation topics. These cards will have one or two questions or one or two conversation topics. Set up these cards near each guest's seat or in the center of a table in the room, so people can use them whenever they want.

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3

Plan indoor and outdoor activities as needed. If your party is taking place outside, you will need outdoor activities. If your meeting is indoors, you will need different activities. Having activities for all scenarios can also be a good idea. Remember that if you are having an outdoor party and bad weather gets in the way of your plans, you will need to be able to offer indoor activities.

For outdoor activities, you can offer carnival games, a juice bar or an outdoor cinema screening.

For indoor activities, you can set up a photography booth (all you need is a camera, a backdrop, and lots of props), host a variation of Secret Santa, and offer a gift exchange, or set up a temporary tattoo workshop  [2] .

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4

Match the activities to the theme of your party. Choosing a theme for your party can also help you plan the activities. For some occasions, the theme will be obvious (like for the holidays and the like). Otherwise, it's up to you to find a theme and associated activities that will appeal to your guests.

For a 20s-themed party, you can show a silent movie and host casino games. You can even make mocktails if there are too many young people present to serve alcohol.

For a men's party, get some cigars. You could choose a tobacco especially for the occasion and hire someone to roll cigars for people who want them.

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5

Consider more formal parties. If you're having a more formal party, you'll probably need to take a slightly different approach to entertainment. Be sure to take this factor into account when planning your party. Formal parties tend to be an extra challenge, because people are less likely to be outgoing and friendly on these occasions. This means making sure guests have conversation leads and activities that will get them interacting with each other.

You can have your guests play the paper game. You write the name of a well-known character on a post-it and stick it on the back of each guest. The guests must ask questions of the other people present to discover their identity.

Small gifts for people participating in the activities are also a very good option for formal parties.

 

 

Advice

Hire a babysitter to ensure plenty of people will attend.

 

 

Warnings

Be careful if you host parties at your house with lots of people you don't know. These people may not be trustworthy and could cause trouble.