Do you feel like it’s a whole lot of work to have a party? Does a small gathering of girlfriends or a family dinner put you into overwhelm?

It doesn’t have to be especially if you use these

Top 5 Getting It Together Tips on How To Host A Stress Free Party.

Before you read on, check out this short video:

Tip#1: Release the need for perfection. Your home doesn’t have to be perfect nor will it ever be. The decorations do not need to be perfect and the food doesn’t need to be perfect. Your guests are coming to see you, relax, enjoy a drink or two with you and hopefully be fed.

Tip#2: Keep it simple. Gone are the days where we use to entertain with full on cocktails and lavish meals. Most people are watching what they eat and drink anyway. Keep your menu simple or better yet do a pot luck. This will help keep costs down which most people are looking for as well. Pick a theme. Will your gathering be a dinner from a country you are visiting soon or will it be a stand up party with small easy to make appetizers? Have two or three choices of drinks. You are not running a restaurant 🙂

Tip#3: Have a plan. What needs to be done the week before? Grocery shopping and cleaning the house can be RL2done a few days in advance. Decide on your menu, then make some of the food and freeze it?  Make ice in advance and freeze in small Ziploc bags or buy a bag of ice. The night before your event you can set the table and prepare your serving dishes.

Tip#4: Ask for help. A lot of guests offer to help so ditch the control and take it. If for some strange reason your guests do not ask to help simple ask them. Put one person in charge of opening the door and taking coats, get another to help with food prep and yet another to help with clean up. Let’s face it; most parties end up in the kitchen, why should you be in there alone.

Tip#5: Have fun. It’s your party too so join in and have fun. The last thing anyone wants to hear is “that was a lot of work, I’m exhausted” If that is how you feel after an event it’s time to change things up.

At the end of the day people remember how they felt in your company, did they have fun and did they feel special. Nobody remembers if the dishes matched, if the house looked perfect or what others were wearing.

PS: Over the years I’ve hosted hundreds of parties. People now hire me to organize and run their events. Contact me for full details

www.gettingittogether.ca

Rowena@gettingittogether.ca