Before pandemic struck and dealt a blow to our get together culture, most parties I went had two types of hosts, one where you were greeted with leisure and the others where the host couldn’t spare 2 minutes of uninterrupted attention on every new arrival. The former might not have the best spread laid out or the most beautiful themed décor going, but they did make the guests feel they are in for a night of relaxed fun and conversation. The latter, more often than not had great food but the host was so anxious that you are checking the watch (or phone) to gauge when is a good time to politely make your exit.
Let’s reflect on the amount of effort spent in preparing to host, then why not give it a good starting shot. Most likely, unless it is a compact group, you will not get this one-on-one time with your guest later in the party. It’s now that you can make them feel invited and welcome. Here are some tips to make welcome a conscious part of the get together. These are things we might overlook, or feel are not important enough, but they definitely get noticed if you do them.
1. Be there to open the door yourself.
2. Please don’t accuse them of being late, they might have legit reasons for it and you don’t want to get caught in a 15 minute recounting of the latest victim of murphy’s law’s . Welcome them with smiles and a tight handshake or hug.
3. If they have got a gift, give a minute to see and appreciate it. Adds to the free time you will get when you don’t have to send thank you notes for each gift you received. They will also know that you value the effort they put in. In case they didn’t put in that said effort, well , it might help their gifting game next time 😉
4. Make sure you find them a seating even if they choose to stand and mingle.
5. Introduce them to a couple of friends and bring out some connection — a common city they have lived in, a hobby, or just how you know both sets of guests, in case they are new to the group just to give them a starting point for conversation.
Bonus tip : If you had time before — create a center piece at the door or entrance — either a shallow receptacle with flowers floating, a candle or lantern display , else anything that warms people to the theme of the season, especially if that’s the reason for the get together.
You may already be a great host and doing it anyway, or you may not have noticed how others feel when you let them in and rush back to check on the entrees.
Every human interaction has one key ingredient to make it a success — empathy. Reflect on what you liked when you were hosted and try to do the same for your guests.
#gettogether
Hosting Easy 