Being a good host at a party is like eating broccoli: you might not like it but you have to eat it. Erm, no, that does not mean that you should devour your guests. Because who
knows what germs there may be lurking in their bodies? Oh, and maybe nobody will come to your parties. Are you the type that get all shy and nervous when you host a party? Don’t worry, it happens to me too. Don’t run away just yet. At least read the review once. Then you can run away. Oh, and by the way, I hope that you won’t kill me for also writing a bit about choosing things at your party: I’m sorry for it.
: Invitations:.
You see, you can’t be a good host at a party unless you have made the proper preparations. I know that this may be slightly irrelevant to the topic but I wanted to say it. The first thing you should do about parties is the invitations. I think that you should send an invitation to only some people if it is a small party, and you should invite friends, colleagues, associates and maybe you could also invite relatives. Spend some time thinking of the people you need to invite, and then send the invitations off. You might phone them or go in person to invite them(though this might take a bit of time). You need to have some time to take care of the decorations, food, music.
: The decorations, food, music?:
For the decorations, you need to have ideas. I won’t give you any, because I am sure that you will be able to have great ones. About the food; it should be a blend of continental and native food. For example, you may have a table laden with curry, club sandwiches, doughbread, chips, rice. The secret to this is to have variety. A person might not like one thing. They might be a vegetarian, in which case chicken sandwiches and roast beef would be out of the question. About the music, there should always be some music playing in the background, softly as to improve the guests’ moods. You might play some louder music later on, but for that you can go and read reviews on this subject.
: The Guests Have Arrived!:
As soon as the doorbell rings, you should answer it promptly and you can’t greet them with a scowl. Have a warm smile on your face. Not the stick-on smiles, but a pleased smile. If they are relatives or close friends, you can embrace them. If they are work associates, then it is different, however. If you are a male and you are greeting a male guest, then you can have a firm handshake. For the female guest, you can say a very polite greeting. Between two females, either a ’hello’ or an embrace can be allowed. Invite the guests inside very politely. Offer them food, and now you should leave doors open so as to welcome the rest of the guests inside.
Introduce the guests to one another. In the event that one of the guests may have brought a child, you need to be wary. Infants and toddlers may be fine when their mother picks them up, but for ages three-six, chocolate or some other treat might come in handy. After the age of seven, some children tend to not be appeased by a candy bar. If this ever happens, then remember: do not lose your temper, even if the child is the most annoying, irritating, scowling little brat.
Cartoons may be a good idea, but make sure that you have the remote: children these days aren’t so pleased about the idea of cartoons anymore. Take them to see your pets, but not if your pet is a large dog who likes to bark. If there are two or more children around the same age, introduce them to one another. If they are a bit older, get them involved in some sort of activities. You have to make sure, however, that they are supervised. This is because if the children get hurt in any way, it might not be the best of things to explain to the parents. Offer prizes. That way, you can get the children involved in their own things while you check on other things.
: I think I’ve made a mistake.:
One of the biggest dilemmas in parties is that you forget the name of one of your guests, and you may find it difficult to introduce them to someone else. When something like this might happen, the easiest and most diplomatic thing to do is to look somewhere else as if you have to go there, and say, ’I’ll leave you to introduce yourselves to each other.’ Don’t try to remember the names, it is a huge mistake if you call a guest named Priyanka ’Arnold Schwarzenegger’. If you are just standing there awkwardly next to a guest, don’t wait for them to start talking. Make small talk. A good conversation-starter is ’What do you think your name means?’
: If it’s a small party?:
The small party, with around five-ten people, relatives and/or friends, it is good to sit around talking. You can’t forget a person’s name. Also, you and your guests might feel much more comfortable in a small group. But for these small parties, you may need to make changes. You can have games, though. But you have to remember: No matter how small the party is or how close the friends/relatives are, you need to go out of your way to be polite. Comments on how a friend’s mobile never stops ringing might be acceptable, but one saying that a friend never stops eating is not, even if the person laughs along too.
: My party is getting boring:
If you have followed the steps and made your party better, then it won’t get boring, but yes, once people get more comfortable in each others’ presence, it is time to serve the food. You can announce it while walking over to everybody. And when people are eating and talking, then remember to always ask them if they want some more. Usually guests feel strange if they take second helpings, that is why you should ask the question. You can put up some seats, but they do not necessarily need to be enough to accommodate everyone.
: Any other tips?:
Always remember to give helpful directions. If one person asks where the washroom is, then give them some directions. The guest might nod, but usually they might get confused. In the event, you can either take them yourself or have a family member take them there. If one person is waiting for another person to come out of the room, then if you have a private bathroom in your bedroom, do not hesitate to take them there.
Another helpful tip is to hide some photos: it is quite embarrassing if everyone sees your baby photos. If you want, you can also ask some people to go and dance, and put the music up. After the party, you can give out presents to your guests and you should also send a thank-you letter later on. True, an e-mail will be faster and easier, but your guests might like it better to see a thank-you card with your handwriting inside.
Well, that was my review. Took me two hours to write, and it was a nice experience. So, are you thinking of running away now?
