Have you offered to host a large crowd to celebrate a special occasion? Whether you’re celebrating a milestone birthday, retirement, promotion or wedding, there will no doubt be great anticipation surrounding the event. If you’re an experienced host, you’re most likely already running the planning details through your mind. For novice hosts, this might prove to be enough to trigger a case of nerves or light headache. Take advantage of the awesome deals offered by Groupon coupons and snag an Advil coupon and keep the on hand should your headache continue and you need pain relief. The secret ingredient in all successful events is adequate advanced planning. Follow these basic suggestions from the seasoned entertaining gurus and event planners and you’ll pull off the even with the aplomb of a seasoned hostess and actually enjoy yourself in the process.
Determine the approximate number of guests to anticipate, the time and date of the celebration and the venue. Presumably, the event will take place in your home. Send out eVites to guests. eVites are a simple and inexpensive way to invite guests and keep track of responses with a very easy to navigate dashboard.
The simplest way to entertain a large crowd is by setting up a buffet. This is not the occasion to experiment with new recipes. Consider cooking one of your favorite dishes that has always pleased your family. This choice should be something that can be prepared well in advance. Consider a menu of lasagna, tossed salad and fresh bread. This is almost always a crowd pleaser. Lasagna can be prepared well in advance and a tossed salad can be assembled the day of the event and tossed with dressing just before serving.
Set a buffet table in the dining room or kitchen. Have plates and flatware at opposite ends so guests can help themselves from both sides of the buffet table. Identify the places where serving dishes will be placed and have hat pad holders out as needed. Select a fresh bouquet of flowers for the centerpiece. To allow for optimum flow, select a separate area to set up a bar. Have plenty of glasses, ice and alcoholic as well as non-alcoholic drinks available.
Welcome your guests with a warm smile and plan to have a terrific evening. You did it!