Top 10 Tips To Make It An Easy Event
Entertaining at home can be chic, fun, and easy. We love throwing formal dinners, and intimate parties help us to connect with new acquaintances and old friends. Guests always remark how wonderful it is to be surrounded by warmth and comfort and good food, yet most people shy away from inviting guests into their homes. Why not, though, when we invite people into our lives through social media each day? It's time we invited them back into our homes.
With Easy Entertaining, you can be a guest at your own event.
- Design a guest list with one cohesive thread amongst guests. This could be as broad as an interest in the arts, or as narrow as kids the same age.
- When someone asks if they can bring something, say yes. Always ask for items that can be served room temperature.
- Decorate the table with eclectic items, plus candles and flowers. Use decorative objects like small statues, mini vases, and frames with photos. They make the table unique and interesting.
- Go online and find fun facts to share at the table. Have a few tidbits about local news or the history of an upcoming event. Use these to engage guests and as conversation starters.
- Set the dinner table in advance. Far, far in advance.
- Decide on seating. Use place cards. Have new people sit together, and seat couples separately.
- Plan out your drinks menu. Decide on a signature cocktail and champagne for hors d'oeuvres — there's no need for a full open bar.
- Plate the salad or appetizer course before guests arrive. Again, choose an item that can be served room temperature.
- Curate the main meal carefully. Think through reheat time and cooking space and vary dishes between microwave, stovetop, and oven.
- Make dessert a buffet. Preset it in a different room. This gives people the option to move around and get to know new people.
For more tips and ideas, follow Andrea Adelstein on Twitter and Instagram @nyluxevents