How to welcome party guests

How to welcome party guests | H is for Home

It’s Christmas, the time where the biggest and the best parties are happening all over the world. It’s a time for family and friends, and for get-togethers with people you haven’t seen all year.

If you’ve thought about, or are planning, your own party at home this year, then there are some things you’ll need to think about in advance. We wanted to provide you with some tips when it comes to welcoming your party guests.

Ideas such as hiring a festive booth from Photo Booth Rental Fort Worth as a fun way to create memories of the occasion.

Clean, fresh bedding

Prepare the guest room

Even if you haven’t planned for anyone to stay, there might be that person whose lift doesn’t turn up, or a train gets cancelled, or someone decides they’d prefer to stay and have a couple more drinks instead of drive home. You should always be prepared just in case someone decides they’d like to use the guest room.

You can do this by preparing the bedding, and maybe even buying new from somewhere like Julian Charles. Even if you buy new, make sure you wash it before putting it on the bed to give that amazing ‘fresh bedding’ smell.

You’ll need to make sure the room has all the basics like a wardrobe with hangers and bedside lamps. You might also want to add some homely touches such as candles, plants and throws.

Christmas dining table

Prepare the food

Depending on the tone you want to set for the party, you’ll need to decide on your food choices. Are you going to do a sit down meal? Are you going to do a casual buffet? The former is more effort for you, and you’ll need to think of the number of people you’ll be inviting. Can you realistically cook a two- or three-course meal for 15 people? If you’d rather have more people there in a casual setting, a buffet is the easiest way to go.

You’ll need to consider the vegetarians, vegans and anyone with allergies. Will you do a vegan dessert for everyone, or provide multiple options? There’s so much to think about!

Mopping a kitchen floor

Spring clean

In a survey done by Julian Charles, they found that 85% of people will be doing last minute tidying and preparing right up until their guests arrive. This could include lighting candles, laying out snacks or plumping up pillows. People care about their homes and what the rooms look like to guests. It’s a time to wow people and give them an amazing impression of your home.

The day of the party is the time to vacuum and dust any room guests might enter. This includes both the downstairs and upstairs bathrooms; make sure there’s enough toilet roll,  soap and a clean hand towel in there too. Floors should be mopped, and if you’ve done any food prep in the kitchen, it should all be cleaned away and set in the fridge for when you need it later.

There’s tons to think about when you’re having a party, but you want to welcome your guests and make them feel instantly at home.

How else might you prepare your home for when you have guests over?

Welcome Home: Tips for the perfect house-warming

'Welcome Home: Tips for the perfect house-warming' blog post banner

House-warming dinner party scene

After you sign the papers, hire the movers and unload all of your boxes, it’s time for the house-warming. Your celebration doesn’t have to break the bank. After all, you just bought a new home. Add a few touches of personality here and there to make your home uniquely you. Here’s how to plan and prepare for the perfect house-warming.

Rigby & Mac's natural coloured dining roomcredit

Keep the guest list small

Sure, all of your friends and family will be dying to see your new place. But before you invite everyone and their plus-ones, figure out how many people your new home can comfortably hold. Since you’ve only just moved in, you may need to improvise when it comes to seating, or justify a standing-room-only approach.

Tulip-type table painted with blackboard paintcredit

(Not) fully-furnished

Although you may want to show off your home when, and only when, it’s decorated like the living spaces you’ve seen in magazines, this sort of thinking is not realistic. Your friends and family will be anxiously waiting to see your new home, don’t keep them waiting too long. By adding a few hints of your personal style, like accented walls, artwork and your existing furniture, you can throw together a stylish space in no time without feeling bad about possibly redecorating in the future as you accumulate more furnishings.

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Table-setting

If you opt to have a small house-warming with only your closest friends and family, consider breaking in the kitchen and having a dinner party. Serve your dinner on a set of stylish tableware, like Z Gallerie’s Origami collection and choose napkins and cutlery to match. If you’re on a budget, check out Zazzle’s collection of disposable and customisable paper plates. Choose a dinner party theme and decorate with a vase or two of fresh-cut flowers. Use one vase or use multiple vases to create a statement all while making your new home feel welcoming. Be cautious, too much tablescape décor can quickly turn into a mistake if there’s no room for the food or refreshments.

Autumn-inspired table settingcredit

To register or not to register

While house-warming registries do exist, they should be left for weddings and baby showers. It’s not wrong to ask for what you want, but it is bold and some may consider these types of registries tacky. If your guests do decide to bring gifts, accept them graciously. In most cases house-warming gifts are modest, like a bottle of wine for example. Whatever the gift, be sure to send a handwritten thank-you note to the gift giver after your house-warming.

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The basics

It’s wise to wait until you’ve been in your space for a bit before hosting a house-warming, but sometimes the big move into a new, permanent home is just too exciting not to share with the rest of the world. If you really want to wow your guests in the days after you’ve just moved in, be sure that you’ve got everything unpacked and ready to use if you think you’ll need it. Be sure that your cloakroom is furnished with the proper toiletries, like hand towels and other personal items, and if you’re cooking for your house-warming be sure that you have all of your ingredients unpacked. Without preparation, your house-warming could turn into a nightmare.

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