Hosting can be a very scary thing for many people, especially if it’s for 10, 25, or even 50 guests. Most people will take the easy way out and invite friends over for beer and home delivered pizza; but pulling the whole thing off yourself is so much more impressive, expecially if you have a good set of culinary skills.
Even some of the best cooks at home panic at the thought of cooking for a large crowd. The preparation, the stress, the mess, the space, and so many more factors to take into consideration before you start to consider hosting a mini-gala dinner or party at your own house. There is also the hassle of not being able to spend that much time with your guests because you’re too busy in the kitchen. These 19 tips and tricks should make it much easier and stress-free, allowing you to both impress and enjoy the entire experience.
1. Decide on a theme. Every event you host must have a theme, even if it’s not announced. Are you planning a loud party or a classic dinner party? Is it for a specific occasion or not? Is there a holiday coming up? For more tips on how to choose a theme, click to read 11 No-Fail Themes for Hosting a Party.
2. Give yourself and your guests time to plan. Don’t suddenly decide to throw a five course dinner for 30 at two days notice. Give yourself enough time to plan and prepare everything; and give your guests time to arrange their schedules. If you’re no longer in your early 20s, the chances are that you and your guests all lead busy lives and may have plans made days ahead. I would recommend 6 - 14 days as a good amount of time to pull off your planning stress-free and actually expect most of your guests to show up.
3. Use appropriate means of communication to invite your guests. If most of your guests are in your facebook circle of friends, creating an event is probably the easiest way to reach all of them. Remember to keep your event private and check that all the privacy settings are suitable for your event. You don’t want the whole city showing up when you’ve only cooked for 20! If you’re inviting people you usually contact by phone, text messaging  could be your best friend.
4. Explain what your event is. Is it a holiday? Is it someone’s birthday? If you’re cooking, let people know. You don’t want your guests coming after they have already eaten. If it’s just drinks, snacks, appetizers, and dips, also make sure they are aware. You don’t want your guests going low on sugar while you keep serving more cocktails.
5. Make a solid plan for your event on paper or on a computer / phone / tablet. Make sure you plan all your steps: your guest list, your menu, the ingredients you will need and where you will buy them, etc. Plan everything you will do and exactly when you will do it.
6. Organize, organize, then continue to organize. Organization is key when planning any kind of event; and when you host, you become your own catering, food and beverage, and entertainment departments. Write down or type everything you need, create to-do lists, and stay ahead of things.
7. Set your budget. You can pull off a party on a very reasonable budget or go all out. Whichever it is, you need to plan and track your spending. Calculate approximate prices of the food you will make, drinks you will buy, and anything else that you will want to spend money on.
8. Follow your plan. Don’t make a plan then set it aside. Following your plan is one of the keys to being organized.
9. Prepare everything ahead of time. The day before your event should be the busiest in the kitchen. If you plan on having a larger number of guests, this day may be extended to two or three days for preparation. Don’t leave anything to the day of the event unless you absolutely must.
10. If you’re cooking many items, choose recipes that can be prepared ahead of time. Casseroles and other items you can prepare ahead of time then stick in the oven at anytime are great for this.
11. For the day of the event, plan everything to the minute. Plan when you will wake up, any final preparations you need to make, when you will shower and get ready to greet your guests, when you will serve drinks, when you will serve dinner. Plan it all to the smallest detail.
12. Wrap-up the messiest and most hectic parts before the day of your event. Make your mess and clean it up before your big day.
13. Have everything ready to go  at least 2 hours before your guests arrive. All you should have to do with your guests at your house is heat, place in the oven, and serve. And of course, enjoy it too.
14. Pay attention to detail. Make sure all the parts of your event compliment one another. Your theme, menu, music, and decorations should be fitting with the season and the guestlist. Don’t invite grandma over for a Barbeque and Karaoke Christmas event.
15. Be ready 15 minutes before the time of your event. You need to breathe before you greet your guests with that gorgeous smile.
16. Use disposabe everythings! Disposable foil for cooking whenever you can, dispoable platters, disposable plates, disposable tableware. This makes clean-up 100 times easier and you don’t risk breaking your wedding china because the house was too crowded.
17. Don’t forget that you’re the hostess. You’re a star! Everyone is here enjoying their time because you went through the trouble of organizing, shopping, cooking, and decorating. Enjoy the company of your guests and have a good time.
18. Avoid spending more than 1/3 of the total duration of your event away from guests. If you plan and prepare everything ahead of time, you shouldn’t have to.
19. Take plenty of pictures. You will want to look back at them.
20. Don’t forget to have fun and smile. If you’re doing all this, it should be something that brings you joy in one way or another.
Happy Hosting,