Hosting a dinner party is about more than just preparing food for guests. One of the more demanding tasks when inviting others over is preparing the home for the special guests, whether those guests are friends, family members or professional colleagues.

 

Dinner parties can be large or small affairs, but the size of the guest list should have no impact on the work that needs to be done getting the house ready to host. Dinner party hosts who want their next event to go off without a hitch can consider the following advice.

 

* Be sure ample parking is available. A guest's first impression will be formed long before his or her first hors d'oeuvre. Guests will need a place to park their cars and enter the home. Be sure there is ample parking available, and let guests know where they can park on the invitation to save them the frustrating effort of driving around looking for a place to park. Discuss parking with neighbors before the party and let them know there will be extra cars around the night of the party. If possible, remind the neighbors a couple of days before the party just to be courteous.

 

* Make the foyer or entrance area as welcoming as possible. Make sure the entrance to the home is clear and, if hosting in the winter months when ice can form, safe for all guests. In the foyer or the area where guests will be entering the home, add a flower pot or a seasonal decoration. A warm and welcoming entryway can relax guests and set a positive tone for the rest of the night.

 

* Make sure the home is clean. Hosts don't have to obsess and clean every last nook and cranny of the home, but they should make a thorough effort to clean the home before guests arrive. Pay particular attention to areas like the living room, kitchen, dining room, and restrooms. Guests will likely be limited to these areas during the party, so they should take precedence over other rooms like the bedrooms or basement. If hosting an outdoor party, make sure patio furniture is cleaned and that there's no debris, such as grass clippings or fallen branches, strewn about the patio and the sidewalk.

 

* Set the mood with music. Music works wonders when establishing the mood for a party. For small intimate gatherings, consider some classical music to set a more relaxing tone. For larger holiday gatherings, choose some boisterous holiday music to put guests in a festive mood. If hosting a get-together for professional colleagues, be sure to avoid music that's likely to inspire controversy or debate. Though some light debate might make for good small talk, the music should not serve as a distraction to the business at hand.

 

* Have a contingency plan in place. If hosting an outdoor party, prepare ahead of time for any inclement weather. Should rain arrive, the house should be ready for guests so the party can smoothly transition indoors. Should the temperature dip a little more than expected, consider inviting guests to sit around a fire pit so they can warm up while still enjoying a night under the stars.

 

It also helps to have a contingency plan for indoor get-togethers. Hosts should clean the patio just in case the weather is simply too nice to stay indoors all night. This doesn't mean scrub the deck down to your knuckles, but just make sure the furniture is clean and there's enough seating for each and every guest.

 

* Have a guest room ready. Even if no one plans to stay overnight, it's a good idea for hosts to have a guest room ready just in case someone needs to stay over. Inclement weather might make it difficult for guests to get home, and if the guest room is ready that will make guests more willing to stay overnight.

 

When hosting a dinner party, men and women have lots of responsibilities, not the least of which is getting the home ready so all guests can comfortably enjoy themselves. DE118110

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