During the month of July, we hosted a variety of parties. A 4th of July pool party, a dinner party for 8, we were the dessert stop in a neighborhood progressive dinner party, and we were able to host two family birthday parties. In all, I think we served over 90 people. Thankfully, each of these events were done with a lot of HELP. At every event, guests brought food, brought drinks and even helped with dishes. I am a huge proponent of delegating when you entertain. In the cases where I've been responsible for the entire meal from appetizer to dessert and coffee, I end up feeling like a servant instead of a stellar host. Here are a few things I've learned from our busy month of entertaining:
*Set up your table first. This is one task that takes longer than you think it will. I look at it from a theatrical perspective. When guests come to your home, the show is supposed to be ready. If you're dressing the tables as they arrive, it feels a bit like they've caught you setting up your stage. You loose a bit of the "wow" factor. Guests just don't want to see you washing out ice buckets or setting up glassware while they are there. You can have a conversation with your guest while you're chopping or cooking. For a more casual affair your guest will happily slice limes if you need them to, but setting up linens and chairs just takes away from the "show" factor in entertaining.
*As soon as you have the smelly prep work out of the way (or you have wisely delegated it to someone else) SHOWER. Get yourself ready as far in advance of your event as seems reasonable. I can't count the number of times I've missed the window to get myself ready and had to just go with it. Being haggard is no way to set the tone for your party. Again, it's easy to have your guests help you fill ice, light candles or even chop something. It's pretty weird for people to come over to your home only to have you dash off to get into the shower.
*If people want to bring something, I always ask them to bring ice. You can never have too much ice for a party, and if you do, you can always throw it away. This is a great assignment for bachelors, people who don't cook, or people who may not be on time. As long as you have enough ice to initially cool your drinks, this is a workable strategy.
*Never depend someone else to bring all the ice. This will leave you in a real pinch. You should always make sure you've got enough to start with and if all of your ice-assignees fall through, you can always send someone out to get more.
*Always have a backup plan. A phone number for great pizza delivery, a few boxes of macaroni and cheese or some extra rice. Too much food isn't a problem, too little food = wasted guests and possible riot.
*Have as much fun at your parties as possible. I find when the host is having fun, it makes it a lot easier for everyone else to enjoy themselves. Yes, it is important that you do your very best to ensure your guests are enjoying themselves. It is also important to lead by example.
*Try and clean up once the party is over. It's so incredibly tempting to leave this task until morning, but a mess that has time to set is at least 5 times as hard to clean. Once your guests are gone, you'll have a daunting number of dishes, empty glasses, and platters. The next morning you'll have all of the aforementioned items AND the possibilities of flies, stains, and food that has made a real commitment to sticking to whatever surface it's presently in contact with. Turn on some music, pour yourself a glass of water and do as much as you can. You'll never be disappointed in the morning that you put the time in the night before.
There are so many other tips and tricks I've learned this summer, but in the interest of good hostessing, I will be respectful of your time and I'll stop here. Perhaps I'll be able to share them at another event - at your house!
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