With the weather getting nicer and nicer, it’s time to invite your friends or family over for a dinner party. Though you’ve probably had plenty of dinner parties before, making sure you throw the best dinner party you can will make a difference to your guests. Even if it’s not the best party ever, putting in a little extra time to make it nice will be appreciated by all. And it can be fun for you to plan everything, too! Following these super simple instructions for how to prepare for guests will help you to make sure your dinner party is not one to forget.
You’re going to want to invite all your friends and family because this dinner party will be the best one ever. Packed with simple and easy ideas, after this, you’ll know how to prepare for guests for any future event you may plan. And your guests will feel all the more appreciated that you took the time and effort to make your party the best it could be. When it comes to those closest to you, you’re going to want to make that extra effort. This means thinking of anything they may want, need, or don’t even know they want. Take into consideration what they may want to eat, what activities they may want to do when they’re over, and what they’re kids may want, should they have any. The most important part of planning any event is planning for the unexpected.
Prepare The House
This is probably the easiest step for learning how to prepare for guests, but house cleaning is a major part of making sure your place is ready to have guests over. You’re going to want to cover all your bases. In fact, 91% of Americans participate in spring cleaning activities. Whether you’ve already done your spring cleaning or not, you’ll probably need to again before you have people over. Starting with the basics, clean and put away all those messy dishes life left there for you, sweep and mop the floor so your guests aren’t stepping on crumbs when they walk through, pick up and put away all your papers and belongings that have been laying around the house, and give your bathrooms some extra attention.
You’ll want to tidy up every room in the house on the main floor at least, and tidying up rooms upstairs is a good idea if kids are coming. You may not have any intention of anyone being up there, but kids will find a reason to go where you don’t want them to. For this reason, plan to make every room in the house available for someone to stop in for a while. It’s possible one of your friends or family will need to sneak away for a private phone call and having that space ready will be good.
The bathrooms will likely be the most important thing you can clean and stock because it’s possible if you’re eating and hanging out outside, this is the only time someone will come into your house. Make sure it is clean, smells nice, and has everything they may need. Even putting some extra phone chargers in here is an added touch that could go a long way. Cleaning up clutter around the house will also be a big one. You want the place to look like you’re expecting people, not like your guests are catching you by surprise. Tidying up the dining and living room is also a good idea before having guests over. Even just fluffing pillows and vacuuming the carpet will make a difference. Cleaning is a huge part of planning for any kind of event, so make sure you don’t forget this crucial step.
Additionally, while people are inside, you’re going to want it to be nice and cool for them. Especially if you’re planning on having people stay outside for the majority of the event, making sure everything is set with your ac installation so that when they do come inside, it’s nice and refreshing is an important touch. If you’re having people come in and out of the house a bunch of times, plan accordingly to either keep the air conditioner up higher to accommodate this or down lower to try and save some money. Either way, don’t forget to think about this when you’re planning how to prepare for guests.
For a dinner party, it’s likely you’re going to be in the kitchen preparing food or snacks for your guests. As a result, this is also a good place to focus on cleaning. Like mentioned before, make sure the dishes have been washed so you have the space to cook. You’ll also need counter space cleared, too. Don’t forget to go to the store and get whatever groceries you may need to make your dishes. Preparing the food will be the most important thing you do for a dinner party. Whatever it is you decide to make, make sure if any of your guests have a food allergy, that you have an alternative prepared for them. This is an important part of how to prepare for guests for a dinner party because you want everyone to feel included. Inviting someone to a dinner party and then not having food prepared that they can eat is just cruel, so make sure you don’t do that to one of your friends or family members.
Burritos, pasta, pizza, and burgers are easy meals that can be adapted for any dietary restrictions. Having fruit and vegetables as well as chips and less healthy snack food available is another good way to make sure there’s a little bit of everything for everyone. Don’t forget the drinks, either! You’ll probably want a little bit of everything here too. Water, soda, juice for the kiddos, and any type of alcohol the adults prefer.
If you’re not cooking for your dinner party, there are dozens of pizza places open and that offer delivery so you don’t have to leave the party or get it beforehand and have it get cold before anyone has a chance to eat it. Pizza is a safe bet for any party and topping options make it easier for people with allergies to avoid. It’s also possible to find gluten-free pizza if any of your friends have a gluten sensitivity. Whatever you decide to have for food, having plenty of options is the best way to ensure there’s something for everyone. No one ever complains of having too much food at a dinner party, so feel free to overdue it here a little bit.
Preparing Outside Your House
If you’re planning to spend the majority of your time outside, there’s a lot of different things you can do regarding how to prepare for guests. Something not everyone may think of but can have a big impact on time spent outside is bugs and bees. If you’re prone to having bees nests, it may be a good idea to have an exterminator come and work on your house. Although a bee sting isn’t the worst thing in the world, having to constantly shoo away bees or wasps while sitting on the deck or patio will take away from the event. Should one of your guests be allergic, this could become a big issue. It’s best to just play it safe and at minimum, check it out yourself with some insect-killer spray.
Speaking of your deck or patio, doing some quick maintenance and/or decoration to this area is a nice touch when you’re expecting guests. For instance, making sure you have the right outdoor furniture will be really important if you’re planning to eat and hang out outside. Make sure you have enough chairs and tables for everyone to sit at. Also, space rugs make for a nice subtle touch to decoration and are super cheap to get from the dollar store. Don’t skimp on decor when you’re having guests. Setting up lights outside on your patio or tiki torches for when it gets buggy are nice simple touches that make a big difference, especially as it gets darker.
If you have a pool or hot tub, making sure these are open and ready for use is another great tip for how to prepare for guests. Especially in the summer months, it’s likely your guests would at least want to dip their toes in, if not practice their cannonball form. Additionally, if you have a fireplace, make sure you have enough wood and s’ mores for the night.
Next is lawn care. It won’t be a huge deal if you haven’t mowed your lawn, but it’ll look a lot more inviting if you have. Doing this a few days ahead of time will help make it so the grass doesn’t get tracked into the house as easily. Plus, if you or your guests have kids coming, taking care of your lawn will be more important. Having space for them to run around a play will be critical. This goes for weeding too. Any attention to landscaping will be an added touch. Planting flowers, shrubs, and trees around your yard not only look nice and can be fun to do, but they also add curb appeal and value to your home if kept maintained.
Additionally, if you have neighbors nearby, adding trees can provide a sense of privacy for your home, which would be beneficial for get-togethers. The most important aspect of tree care is preventative measures. You do not want an old, dead tree falling onto your shed or house and wrecking it or potentially hurting any of your guests in the process. This would absolutely not be included in party etiquette, so make sure you deal with this beforehand if you have any trees that look like they’re on their last leg.
Speaking of kiddos, you’re going to want to make sure they have fun things to do while they’re at the party so the adults can spend time together less interrupted. Some simple things to make sure you have would be soccer balls, footballs, baseballs and mitts, or frisbees to play with. Any yard games will do. If you want to do something really special though, invest in a bounce house. These are definitely more on the expensive side, but it would be a huge way to show your friends and family you know how to prepare for guests with kids.
Planning for parking space is something that’s easily overlooked. If you’re only having a few friends over and you have the space in your driveway, then you won’t need to worry. But if you’re having a lot of guests and don’t have room for all the cars, make sure you have a plan for where all your guests should park. If there’s a nearby parking lot available or you live on a street that isn’t as busy, plan to give your guests those directions so they don’t arrive and not know what to do.
Another great way to learn how to prepare for guests is by paying attention to the things provided at parties that you attend as a guest. Make note of what you found useful, fun, or liked the most and integrate those things into whatever party you host. For instance, if you go to a party and the decorations they used were top-notch and it made the environment more fun, you’ll probably be more likely to pay attention to the decorations you use for your own party. Knowing how to prepare for guests gets easier and easier the more you do it, so have as many dinner parties as you want!
If you’ve followed all these tips for how to prepare for guests, chances are, the dinner party you throw will be one to be remembered. If all your guests feel welcomed, expected, included, and appreciated, the party will be a great time for everyone. Additionally, you’ll probably feel good knowing you put your all into thinking of everything so that nobody was left without something they needed. Being a good host is all about thinking ahead.