Hostess with the Mostess: 3 tips on how to host
First, making a timeline. This is probably my go-to hosting tip and it's one that I always share when my friends ask me "wow, this must have taken you ages" or "did you do this all today?!". I love doing as much planning and prep as I can in the days or weeks leading up to the event. Firstly, because I really enjoy the prepping side of things when I’m relaxed and secondly, it allows me to stay calm once my guests have arrived - after all it's important to me that I can really enjoy the evening regardless of the work involved.
So to start, write down a complete list of everything you need to do in your notes app and I mean ‘everything’. Then highlight the tasks that can be completed in advance of your guests arriving - long term (weeks ahead), medium term (days ahead) or short term (perhaps one day ahead).
In my opinion, the more people I invite, the bigger the workload so I try to make my life easier when I’m catering for a bigger table; pre-making salads that can be served at room temperature, buying pre-mixed cocktails instead of making my own or offering just one main dish rather than two.
My Dinner Party Checklist:
2-3 weeks before:
Choose a theme, if you want one. I've seen a couple of great TikTok's around themes and some include: 'Pink Encouraged', 'Breakfast for dinner', 'Taylor Swift cocktail night', 'Bring a friend others don't know', 'Farm-To-Table' and 'Bring your own board'.
Send invitations. If the dinner I'm hosting is formal I love using Paperless Post for e-invites. They have designs suitable for weddings, holidays, birthdays etc.
Plan your menu. I take lots of inspiration from Pinterest and Instagram. Some of my favourite foodie creators include: Meredith Hayden, Science of Foods, Gizzi Erskine and Smitten Kitchen.
Create a playlist.
One week before:
Organise tableware, cookware and serving dishes.
Set a seating plan, if you want one. I try to place everyone next to one person that they know and one person that they don't know so well to give a good mix.
Three days before:
Shop for food and drinks.
Clean the house.
One day before:
Do as much of the cooking as possible.
Lay the table and purchase flowers.
Ice all drinks.
Personalise your event. I really enjoy personalising the events I host and this can range from the products I buy, to the table arrangements or to the theme of the event.
For the table, I love purchasing customisable menu cards and place names from either StudioYCreative, an eco friendly, Sydney-based company who sell bespoke event and wedding stationary that is all plantable and compostable or from Papier - I love their collaborations with the likes of Matilda Goad and Laura Jackson. There are also lots of very affordable options on Etsy from sellers such as PulpTemplatesCompany, that allow you to print out for yourself.
Make the evening interactive, let your guests get involved if they’d like to. The level of detail in my mentally-noted itinerary is always dependent on how many people I’m hosting and how well they know each other but I thought I’d share a few of my favourite activities to weave into this plan.
I usually start off the evening with drinks before sitting down to eat - try not to forget to chill the drinks before your guests arrive, no one likes a warm cocktail! I love to create a little drinks station for my guests to help themselves whilst I’m doing the final prep or to create a ‘diy cocktail station’ with recipe cards for different cocktails. This essentially involves me emptying the cupboards and setting out what I can find, slicing up some fruit and putting the mixers out on the kitchen island. It's definitely a lazy hosting tip but a fun one too - it makes the evening more relaxed, more interactive and possibly more fun for your guests too. I usually provide recipe cards for all my favourite cocktails; picantes, espresso martinis, palomas and whisky sours but you can really choose anything. And I like to offer both alcoholic or non-alcoholic versions.
When it comes to games, I have a few favourites. Studio Y Creative offers personalised games and quiz cards that are all bespoke and perfect for celebrating someone’s birthday or a hen-do. This type of activity is great for your guests to get to know each other a little more. I also love card games from Let’sDrinkToThat. They offer a pack of cards for all kinds of scenarios including; ‘Double Date Night’, ‘The Family Game Night’ and ‘Girls Night In’ etc.
This Month I Am…
Buying… Moth Aperitivo Spritz pre-mixed cocktails, lower-alcohol rosé from Traces, candles from Ester & Erik and embroidered napkins from Lost Girls.
Listening to… my Dinner Party at Matilda’s playlist on Spotify. My bestie helped me create the perfect party playlist for hosting and it’s always my go-to.
Eating… sashimi grade tuna from The Upper Scale. I love serving this fresh tuna with a pistachio crust and papaya salad - Ottolenghi has a great recipe for this too. The Upper Scale deliver next day and it’s an easy dish to prepare before your guests arrive. For dessert, I made these Pink Lemonade No Bake Cheesecake Parfaits - they can be prepared a couple of days before and they were a great hit with friends. For more inspiration on what to cook, follow my Pinterest.
Drinking… Hambledon’s Classic Cuvee for fizz and Spicy Watermelon Margarita Poptail’s for summer.
Watching… Amelia Edmonson’s TikToks for the best hosting inspo. Millie has impeccable style and all her videos are so creative - I particularly love what she did for her spring fling dinner.
