Ultimate Guide to Parties at Home
HOW TO THROW PARTIES AT HOME
There is something so comfortable and familiar about home that sets a cozy and intimate mood for your celebration. That feeling is one that guests appreciate and is rarely recreated within large event venues. Here is our guide to hosting your at home party and making it a celebration to remember.
Create an entrance.
Setting the stage for an event always starts with a first impression. Creating a proper entry for guests’ arrival sets the tone for the event.
ADD A LITTLE SOMETHING HAPPY FOR GUESTS TO SEE IMMEDIATELY UPON ARRIVAL.
We love using playful decor that screams “this is a party” while keeping everything tasteful. Think about how many parties, cookouts, and celebrations you went to at people’s homes and were told to look for the balloons to find the house.
GREET GUESTS WITH A DRINK.
Start the party upon arrival. Welcome guests with a signature cocktail, seasonal refreshment, or favorite wine or beer. It immediately immerses them in the party and allows them to participate in the celebration.
Think about it. If you have ever been to and event, whether it be a fancy black tie affair or casual outdoor wedding, more often then not you are greeted with a refreshment or cocktail. It makes you feel like your host has considered you and invites you to let loose.
A welcome drink is also a great way to begin personalizing the event. In this case we chose to go with a signature color but you can just as easily select a seasonal option or ingredients specific to the event or guest of honor.
ADD DECOR TO THE ENTRYWAY.
Don’t leave your entryway bare. Start the party right away by showcasing well thought out decor to the space. That way it does not become a forgotten space to collect coats and belongings. Instead, the decor will invite your guests into the celebration and give them a taste of what is in store throughout your home.
Floral arrangements are always beautiful, but this decor can be as creative as you would like. We used the entryway at this event as a way to create a montage showcasing Ethan, our guest of honor, throughout his life.
Enhance your existing decor.
Do not try to make your home something it isn’t. You love it for a reason. So when considering what design, style, or decor to use for your event consider your home design. Play off of your favorite pieces and the overall look of your home to achieve a fuller, more intentional design for your party. Consider colors for the party decor that compliment the colors in your home, and use unique pieces as part of the decoration.
UTILIZE EXISTING FOCAL POINTS.
Use the architecture of your home and find the natural focal points that already exist. Dressing up focal points like the fireplace, a staircase, or unique architectural element will add a focused area of well executed decor to make the space seem full and intentionally designed for your event.
ENHANCE EXISTING OBJECTS.
Use what is in the space. It will make everything seem as though it was intended for the celebration. Details like a logo, graphic element, or monogram added to existing items like mirrors, chalkboards, or even frames will also brand your home to the event.
USE YOUR VESSELS AND CONTAINERS.
Chances are you have spent quite a bit of time identifying and sourcing the perfect vases, bowls, jars, candlesticks, and other objects to perfectly complete your home decor. These objects can also be used for your event.
Fill vases with flower arrangements, bowls with objects in colors that complement your decor, and use those candlesticks for candles for a change. Dressing up what already exists maintains your perfectly put together home while filling empty spaces, and also delivering a full and complete event design.
Clean off and use your surfaces.
Do not bring in a ton of extra tables and surfaces that will cramp your space. Instead, clear off and use your existing surfaces. That is what they are made for.
CLEAR OFF THE COUNTER TOPS.
Put away items you use everyday but do not need or want to see during your event. Things like microwaves, stand mixers, and baskets of mail are not things your guests need to see on your counter tops. Close them away in your cabinets or use one area of your such as an office for staging these items temporarily. Leave as much clean, open space as possible.
PUT YOUR COUNTERS AND TABLES TO USE.
Use the counters and tables in your home for food service, bar service, and even seating. Utilizing the furniture that already fits within your home and works with the everyday traffic flow will most likely work for your event as well. Kitchen islands are a great place for food displays, as are dining room tables. You can also use these spaces for bar service or drinks displays.
USE SMALLER SURFACES FOR SMALLER DISPLAYS.
While it makes sense to use the larger surfaces throughout your home for the larger displays, smaller furniture pieces like an entryway table, end table, crates normally used for storage, or console tables can be used for items like signature drinks, pre-poured wine and beer as a satellite bar, favors at the end of the event, or as a cake table. Get creative with how you are using every surface available.
Make room where necessary.
Not everything in your house will serve you during a large gathering. Because your home is designed for everyday living with your family and not a house full of company, you may have to rethink some of the items throughout your home. Set everything up to amplify traffic flow, food service, and make room for your entertainment.
REMOVE BAR STOOLS AND SWAP YOUR DINING CHAIRS.
Removing bar stools from your island or counter will leave room for guests to get food or drinks throughout the event. Swapping your dining chairs with chairs intended for events often allows for more to fit around the table. Using rental chairs will also allow you to create a more cohesive look throughout the entire house and into added event spaces like tents.
STORE LARGE AND EXPENSIVE PIECES.
We all love our restoration hardware lounge chairs, hand woven area rugs, collectible artwork, and sentimental knick knacks, but during a party they may not be as safe or useful as they normally are. Store large lounge chairs that will only seat one or two people and make room to make room for cocktail tables, more sensible event seating, or even the band. Put away expensive or valuable items like area rugs, collectibles, and fine art that you do not want to risk damaging. Accidents do happen after all.
CLEAR OUT ITEMS THAT DO NOT SERVE A PURPOSE.
If you have a furniture, storage, or plants that do not serve a purpose and will get in the way of your guests, obstruct their view, or do not work in the overall scheme of the event store those items too. The goal is use what you can intelligently and remove items that do not contribute to your guest experience or organization of the event.
CONSIDER OUTDOOR SPACES.
Consider your guest count. Will everyone fit inside your home? If not, consider outdoor spaces and even tents that extend from the house when possible. Tenting can make outdoor spaces usable in cold or inclement weather situations, separate out a space for kids, or provide extra area for an additional bar or food service.
Don’t try to do it all yourself.
Hire professionals. Having staff on site that own and are experts in their craft will keep your stress level to a minimum and provide guests with a proper experience. It’s just not possible to play host and tackle everything behind the scenes all the time.
LET THE CATERERS COOK.
Cooking takes time, is messy, and usually needs to happen right before your guests eat. Leave it to the professionals. Ordering catered food to go that can be placed right into racks with sternos or hiring a catering team to prep and cook on site takes a huge burden off your shoulders. Allow the real cooks to serve your guests. You can always offer a few signature items you want to contribute to the menu but leave the bulk of the work to the caterers.
HIRE ENTERTAINMENT.
Nothing makes a party like great music and entertainment. We personally love the vibe live musicians create in a home environment. Having a duo, trio, or even band can set the mood for a great celebration. Whether you prefer a band, a DJ, a vocalist, or pianist, select musical entertainment that suits your event. Don’t let the entertainment go overlooked just because your celebration takes place at home.
HIRE A COORDINATOR TO HANDLE EVERYTHING BEHIND THE SCENES.
Playing the role of host or hostess is quite the task in itself. Trying to do manage the setup as well makes for a long and stressful day. Hire a day of coordinator to take on the burden of coordinating your vendors, setting up, managing the staff, taking the phone calls, and making sure everything behind the scenes that makes your party amazing is taken care of. Having a professional to coordinate all of the details will allow you to reduce your stress and actually enjoy your event and guests.
