How to Be a Good Hostess (with Pictures)

2024 Author: Samantha Chapman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 09:13

To be a good hostess, you need to be friendly, welcome your guests and make them feel at home. In practice, it means introducing people, offering them food and drink and, more generally, creating a pleasant environment, full of joy. If you prepare everything in advance and manage to have fun, while remaining attentive to the progress of the evening, you will be a fantastic host next time you throw a party.

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Steps

Part 1 of 3: Making preparations

Step 1. Get enough food and drink for everyone

If you're planning a party for adults, the first rule is to never run out of drinks. Of course, you can always ask a sober guest to take a trip to the wine shop or supermarket across the street, but if you really want your party to be a hit, you'll need to make sure there is food and drink for everyone. Try to get hold of various types of alcoholic beverages and different appetizers to suit the tastes of each guest.

If you are planning on serving dinner, be clear so that guests will come with the right appetite. If you are planning on offering just a few snacks, then again you should make this clear, so people will settle in advance.
It is important to have enough drinks for everyone, otherwise guests will be more likely to leave if they feel the tone of the party is dropping. You should get at least 25% more than you generally expect. If you have something left over, you can always save it for another occasion or offer guests a bottle of wine when they leave.
Try to prepare more food than you think will be consumed. It will also be better to stock up on non-perishable dishes, such as potato chips, so you can keep them if guests don't eat them.

Step 2. Create a warm and welcoming environment

When cleaning your house and preparing it for a party, you should set up the environment so that guests can comfortably socialize with each other, relax and feel comfortable. This means having several seats, coasters for people to put their drinks on, and trying to arrange the furniture so that the space is as open as possible so people don't form small groups.

You should also make sure that the lighting is warm and soft so that guests can see each other without feeling sleepy. However, be careful that the lights are not too bright, otherwise there is a risk that they will cause discomfort to the eyes.
Make sure there is an adequate temperature in the house and during the evening inform if guests are feeling hot or cold.
If it is a holiday period or some recurrence is in progress, you can leave some particular decorations around the house, in order to make it more welcoming.

Step 3. Highlight some items that invite people to converse

If you want to be on the safe side, you can arrange objects and decorations thanks to which the guests will have an excuse to chat, should silence fall during the evening. You could leave a collection of music albums, photos, or some souvenirs you bought on a recent trip lying around. These objects will grab their attention, becoming a topic of conversation.

Even an original dish or drink could be an excellent starting point for dialogue for guests who have never tasted it

Step 4. Make sure there is no friction between the guests

While there is no guarantee that everyone will get along perfectly, if you want the party to be successful, you should invite people who are roughly the same temperament or who have at least some common interest. Although it would be wonderful to bring completely different people together in the same room who, when interacting, give rise to interesting conversations, it is necessary to make sure not to put together people who are too "problematic" in the same context, otherwise there is a risk that the situation will go out. check.

Plus, knowing that guests will generally get along well, you will be less stressed during the evening

Step 5. Give invitees all the information they need at the right notice

If you want to be a good hostess, you should tell the guests when and where the meeting will take place, what they should or shouldn't bring. You don't want them to show up empty-handed if you've set up a meeting where each guest is required to bring a meal, or to bring an infinite amount of beer when you've already bought two small kegs. Inform them of all the details of the evening, at least a week in advance.

If they don't have your phone number, be sure to give it to them so they can call you if they have any questions or get lost along the way.
If you're throwing a themed party or want it to be an elegant event, make sure guests have at least a week or two of notice to arrange for the right outfit.

Step 6. Begin your preparations well in advance

You should start preparing food and drinks at least an hour earlier than you think it is necessary. While some dishes will need to be cooked on the spot, try to prepare as much of the stuff as you can well in advance so that people don't arrive when you've just baked the cake. If you are ready when the first guests arrive, you will certainly feel safer to welcome them properly.

That said, it's not a problem if you postpone some little chore in the kitchen at the last minute. For more shy guests, it could be a good excuse to help you out.
If you're planning a big party, don't be afraid to ask a friend for help. It can be more fun to prepare everything in his company.

Part 2 of 3: Making the Party a Success

Step 1. Welcome the guests

When people arrive, you need to be as friendly and hospitable as you can. Smile, hug them affectionately, ask them how they are doing and make them feel how thrilled and happy you are for their presence. You should also hang up their coats, or tell which room they can put them in, and take the food or drink they brought.

Make everyone feel comfortable and welcome as soon as they enter the house

Step 2. Oriental in the house

If most of the guests have never been to your home, you should immediately indicate where the kitchen, bathroom, terrace and anything else they may need are located. By doing this, you will help make them feel at home and prevent them from constantly talking to you throughout the evening. If multiple guests show up at once, as soon as you can, be sure to tell everyone where they can find what they need.

Step 3. Offer the guests to eat and drink

As soon as you have given the welcome and the right indications so that each guest is able to find their way around the house, bring food and drink. If the party involves the consumption of alcoholic beverages, making sure everyone has their drink will put everyone at ease and make sure that the fun starts right away. Some may be hesitant to ask for food or drink, so try to offer what they want as soon as you can.

Open the beers to those who like them, pour the wine to those who prefer it, or list the spirits you have, if the guests express this desire. Of course, if you don't want things to heat up too soon, you can get heavy drinks out of the way or serve them later in the evening.
You should also make sure in advance that guests do not suffer from allergies and warn them about peanut-free, gluten-free, vegetarian, and so on.
Also, try to stock up on sodas, juices, and other soft drinks so that teetotalers don't feel left out.

Step 4. Make introductions

Another important task of a good hostess is to make sure all guests get to know each other and have something to talk about. If you've invited a lot of people and they don't all know each other, you should introduce them and quickly explain what kind of relationship you have with each of them, mentioning the interests they might have in common.

You can say something like this: "Maria, this is Simone, a childhood friend of mine. Simone, she is Maria. She works at school with me.".
Also, you might want to add what they likely have in common. Try saying, "Isn't that funny? You both come from the same city!" or "You two are the biggest Milan fans I've ever met!".
You should also be wary of guests who seem to isolate themselves or who don't appear to talk much. Present them to those who, in your opinion, might be nice.

Step 5. Stay around

To keep the atmosphere fun and enjoyable, hang around and connect with all the guests. It is not appropriate for some to feel neglected in favor of others, so you will have to pay attention to how they are and what they do, so that everyone has the feeling of being welcome in your home. Make sure you walk around people at least every 10-15 minutes, introducing new people to conversations and offering drinks and food when needed.

Try to have fun at your party, paying attention to the needs of your guests.
If you notice that the conversation becomes monotonous, try to create a new group of interlocutors or to extend the discussion to other guests.

Step 6. Don't neglect entertainment, but don't force it either

You should also prepare something fun in case the guests get bored or just to liven up the party. Just remember that some people like to go to parties just for the sake of being in company, so it is not appropriate to force them to play or unwillingly participate in some activity. However, just in case, it's best to organize some fun interludes. Here's what you can try:

Board games, such as Cluedo or Trivial;
Other games, such as Twister;
Video games;
Play outdoors, if you have a large enough garden or terrace, such as cornhole, horseshoe or petanque.

Step 7. Don't leave guests alone for too long

While you may need to go to the kitchen to get more drinks, prepare other dishes, or cook, as a rule, you shouldn't leave your guests for more than a few minutes. Remember that you are the center of the party and that the fun, welcome and serenity of the guests depend on you. If many don't know each other, it's extremely important to be with them and help them socialize.

You could ask a friend for a hand, for example, to prepare some cocktails or get rid of some confusion: her help will be invaluable when you don't want to leave your guests for too long

Part 3 of 3: Concluding the Party

Step 1. Do not clean while guests are still in the house

If you want to be a good hostess, you must at all costs avoid tidying up when they are still present. While it's okay to give a quick clean when something falls on the floor or fix some small mess, if you start washing pots and glasses in the middle of the party, guests will feel invited to leave. Even if you hate seeing clutter, remember that having fun is more important than having everything clean when the last guest leaves.

Even if you leave just a couple of guests to clean up, they'll feel like you're kicking them out. If you really want the party to come to an end, you'd better be honest than hoping they'll notice for themselves.
You can also agree with a friend or two to stay and help you out. That way, you won't have the worry of having to rearrange everything yourself at the end of the party.

Step 2. Stay calm if someone makes a mess

If someone spills wine on the carpet, spills a bowl of chips, or accidentally bumps into a painting, try not to look too upset - make sure guests don't feel mortified about what happened. After all, you are the one who decided to throw a party, so it is conceivable that some carelessness will occur. If you seem visibly upset or stressed, people will feel embarrassed by the situation and will think that you are too tense to throw a party.

Just say something like, "Don't worry. This kind of thing always happens at parties. It's not a big deal!".
If you want to keep the items you care about from being damaged, you may want to get rid of the most important souvenirs, furnishings, or souvenirs before the party begins.

Step 3. Make your guests feel welcome until the end of the evening

You should be friendly and hospitable to guests throughout the party. If you have set a time for the end and the time has not yet come, you will need to continue to do the honors so that all people feel welcome. It's important that guests don't feel like they're a burden to you or you'd rather leave.

Remember that you are the one who has decided to throw a party and that, therefore, you have to finish what you started

Step 4. Consider saying goodbye to your guests by distributing thoughts

As the party draws to a close, you could give your guests a keepsake, whether it's a gift for a special occasion, some baked treats, or even leftover food and drink. It is a great idea that will make every person in attendance feel important, reinforcing the feeling of having taken part in a very special occasion. While not necessary, a small reminder of the event will give even more prominence to the success of the evening.

By giving out any leftover food or drink, you'll avoid piling up too much stuff that you probably won't consume

Step 5. Thank the guests for coming

At the time of the final greetings, it is important to let the guests know how much their presence has meant to you. Thank them for spending their time with you, for what they brought, for being great and fun guests. In this way, they will understand that you truly care about the happiness and well-being of the people you welcome into your home, as it is part of your duty as a good hostess.