Have you ever wanted to host a party, but have wondered just how to go about it? Do you find the thought of inviting people in to your home just a little bit scary. You will no doubt be worried that people may pass judgement on you based on the condition or decor of your home, or you might be a bit apprehensive about preparing food or drinks for so many people. In this first of a series of articles I will offer advice on how to go about entertaining guests in your own home.

First Steps

The first thing you need to do when you do decide to host a party or other similar gathering in your home is to decide on how formal it will be. If you plan to host a dinner party, then it will most probably be quite formal. Birthday parties, christening parties and the like will be less formal. That being said, the opposite could be true. There are no rules but your own.

Questions you should ask yourself at this stage should include.

• Do I want guests to wear smart or casually dress?
• Do I plan to offer a multi-course sit down dinner or just snacks and finger food?
• Will the event be an open house affair with an open invitation or will there be a specific guest list?
• How much do I want to spend?
• Would I like guests to bring any items such as drinks or food?

Asking these questions should help you decide just what format your event will take. It will also help you plan the specifics of the event as well giving you an idea of how much to budget.

Talking of Budgets

Take it from me, no matter what amount of cash you put aside for the big event it will never be enough. If you budget £200, the actual cost will be more like £300. I am speaking from experience when I say this. I have never known a dinner party or other similar event to come in below budget. There are many reasons why you will exceed your budget, but it will probably be because you will need to buy more food or alcohol than you anticipated. So my advice to you is that you should take this in to account when planing your event. Set what you think is a realistic and sensible budget, but be aware that you will probably exceed it.

Food

Some of us can cook, some of us can’t. If you are one of the ones who can’t, do not be ashamed, for it is perfectly acceptable to employ the services of a caterer or even to purchase take away food for your event.

The sort of food you supply your guests will depend on the nature of the event. Naturally a dinner party will require a three (or more) course dinner. Less formal parties might only require finger food or a buffet.

Choosing the food you serve can be tricky. You need to take into account the tastes of your guests. Making note of any allergies or similar requirements is always a good idea. As for vegetarians, my advice is that you should deal with that little hot potato your way.

Invitations

Formal events should be be announced using formal invitations. It is a nice touch that can help make the affair that extra bit special. For less formal occasions it is acceptable to send invitations be email, but you should still use formal invitation language. A well worded invitation helps make you guests feel honored. A quick spoken words invite, or even worse a text invite, does nothing to make you guests feel like you really want to be honoured by their presence.

Party Politics

This is the tricky part of party planning. You may have two great friends who hate each other. In these situations what should you do? Invite one or the other or both. The diplomatic host would try to use the event to bring them together and bury their proverbial hatchets. Or failing this speak to both first and advise them to keep away from each other. Should one party refuse to attend if the other will be present their invitation should be withdrawn so as to let them know what a child they are being. The best way of dealing with such scenarios is to think ahead when you plan.

The above is just a taste of what I will be covering over the next few days. In the next part of this series I will look at the different types of events you might plan and how to best go about getting them planned.