Getting Your House Ready
Clean your home. Start preparing for guests by cleaning. A clean home will be welcoming. Focus on areas where your guests will spend time, like the bathroom, kitchen, living room, and entryway. Dust, vacuum, clean surfaces, and get rid of clutter. If you're having overnight guests, change the linens on the bed where they will sleep. Put out clean towels in the bathroom.
Stock up on supplies. Make sure you'll have everything you need while your guests are in your home. Buy enough food, drink, and other necessities, like tissues. You'll feel more prepared and confident knowing that you won't run out of anything. Check your supplies of toilet paper, soap, napkins, and other essentials. Make a shopping list based on your menus and any supplies you need to restock so you don't forget anything when you shop.
Check the details. Whether your guests are coming for a party or a weekend, you want to verify that things work. For your party, make sure that the equipment you want to use for playing music works and can be amplified. Also check that games have all of their pieces. For your overnight guests, check that lamps have lightbulbs, clocks are set correctly, and remotes have batteries. This is a great time to fix major things aren't working, like plumbing that is stopped up or a broken step on your porch. If you can't fix them in time, be sure to warn your guests and have a backup plan.
Organize your space. Your guests will arrive with gifts for hosts, coats, purses, and luggage if they are staying overnight. Plan where you want these to go while you're entertaining. Take care of your guests' things as soon as they walk in the door so they will immediately feel welcome. Set aside a space for your luggage on the surface like a trunk or the floor of a closet. You can even invest in a luggage rack. This will help guests stay organized. Make space in dressers and closets for your overnight guests.
Plan your guest list. If you are having a party, invite people who you think will get along, appreciate the invitation, and enjoy the party. Plan your guest list so everyone can fit comfortably in your home. For example, if you're throwing a dinner party, decide how you want to seat guests and if you'll have enough chairs. When you plan for overnight guests, only invite the number of people you can reasonably accommodate. Consider throwing a few smaller parties if you have a small space and a long guest list.
Tell guests exactly how long you can host them. If you are worried about guests overstaying their welcome, specify how long you are inviting them for. For example, give specific dates to overnight guests. And when you issue party invitations, state exact start and end times. If you don't want overnight guests for more than a weekend, you could say, “We are so pleased you can visit us. We will be able to host you the weekend of the 10th to the 12th and would love to have you visit then.” Reader Poll: We asked 118 wikiHow readers who've entertained guests, and 58% of them agreed that having a specified end time is helpful for people to know what to expect. [Take Poll]
Decide where guests are welcome in your home. It's a good idea to decide if there are places in your home where you do not want guests. For example, you might not want them in bedrooms during a party. If you have a family or roommate, come to an agreement about which areas are off-limits and how you will all politely steer guests away from those areas. Say that you aren't prepared to show guests certain rooms, for example: “Those are the bedrooms. We didn't really clean them up for guests. Sorry.” Encourage guests to explore areas that you don't mind them seeing, for example: “The bedrooms are down that hall. Let me show you the patio and garden now. I think you'll enjoy seeing them.”
Planning the Entertainment
Line up your menus. Decide the types of foods you will serve your guests. For example, determine if you want to serve a full meal or just snacks at your party. Next, choose if you want foods from a specific country or with a theme, especially for a dinner party. For overnight guests, plan all meals for their visit. Keep meals and snacks relatively simple so you can focus on entertaining. Along with the food, decide which drinks you will serve. If you are budget conscious, figure out what you can afford and focus on making that wonderful. Set out snacks and drinks in your guest room for overnight guests so they won't need to find their way to the kitchen for a midnight snack. Ask about food sensitivities and allergies and plan your meals and snacks around those. If you make something a guest can't eat, point out that food to them in advance.
Plan your music. Make a playlist for your party. You can do this on your phone, computer, or tablet using apps like Spotify, iTunes, Google Play, or YouTube. Choose the music that will help you set the mood you want for your party. When you're ready for the party, hook your device up to your stereo. Plan a long enough playlist so you have music for the entire party. Mix up the type of music you play during the party. For example, you might want to start with something really upbeat, and then play mellower music at the end of the night to wind things down. Use an app that lets guests choose songs from your playlist, like Jukebox Hero. Hire a DJ for a large party if that fits in your budget.
Get your activities ready. Plan to show your guests a good time. Help people interact at your party with games or by making a space for dancing. Plan some conversation topics or interesting questions, especially for a dinner party. Overnight guests do not need to be entertained constantly, but you should plan some things to do together. Be prepared to get the dancing going and to start the games at your party. Set up a board game during coffee and dessert at a dinner party. Ask party guests to dress according to a theme, like a beach party, or plan a mystery party. For overnight guests, prepare a list of local entertainments and things to do in your area. Plan at least one outing with them, for example to the zoo or a local farmer's market. Make plans for entertaining overnight guests at home, like a movie night. EXPERT TIP Stefanie Chu-Leong Stefanie Chu-Leong Owner & Senior Event Planner, Stellify Events Stefanie Chu-Leong is the Owner and Senior Event Planner for Stellify Events, an event management business based in the San Francisco Bay Area and California Central Valley. Stefanie has over 15 years of event planning experience and specializes in large-scale events and special occasions. She has a BA in Marketing from San Francisco State University. Stefanie Chu-Leong Stefanie Chu-Leong Owner & Senior Event Planner, Stellify Events How can I entertain my guests if I am introverted? If you're not the dancing or karaoke type, you could plan trivia or board games and divide your guests into small groups to play. That way, your guests are entertained, and you are staying in a smaller circle of friends.
Ensuring Your Guests Feel Good
Greet guests warmly. Welcome every guest to your home and tell them how pleased you are to have them. Show you care about their comfort by taking their things and offering them a drink. Even if you can't meet them at the door during a party, be sure to stop whatever you're doing to say “hello” and “welcome.” Ina Garten Ina Garten, Television Personality & Cook Be a friendly host! "I try to greet my friends with a drink in my hand, a warm smile on my face, and great music in the background, because that's what gets a dinner party off to a fun start."
Spend time with each guest. Take a few minutes to interact with every party or overnight guest so they continue to feel welcome. At a party you should also introduce your guests to each other at the beginning of the evening. Look out for your shy party guests. Help them feel included by asking them to help you with the food or the music.
Help your guests get their bearings. Give guests a tour if they haven't been in your home before. Or ask them to explore and make themselves at home if that's okay with you. This is a good time to share any boundaries in your home and to tell them about any quirks in your house, like plumbing problems or doors that don't lock. For overnight guests, prepare a map of your area (even if you need to draw it yourself), a spare key to your house, a list of emergency contacts, and any household instructions, like how your alarm system works.
Be a happy, flexible host. It's very important that you enjoy yourself. Set the tone for your guests by relaxing and having a good time. Keep up a positive attitude and be flexible, especially if things don't go as planned. If you do run into a problem, ask your guests for help. Most people will love to pitch in.
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