BLISSFUL DESIGN STUDIO

Get on the retreat interest list

(coming soon!)

(stay tuned!)

Blissful Design Studio

blog

Hosting the Perfect Gathering

July 21, 2020

search the blog

Hi I’m Brittany and I LOVE hosting gatherings of all shapes and sizes. There is nothing that gets my creative juices flowing more than a good charcuterie board opportunity or the chance to have my friends try my latest cocktail recipe! Even though gatherings are smaller these days there are always opportunities to host even the perfect virtual gathering. Here is my formula for creating the perfect gathering.

Decide Who TO Invite

Who you invite is just as important as any other decision you make when it comes to hosting a gathering. Think about what you plan on doing or the vibe that you want your gathering to have and choose your friends and family that fit with that. Is this a fancy coursed dinner with wine pairings? It’s probably best to keep it adults only. Is this a pool party with a casual BBQ menu, then maybe this is the perfect time to invite over a few friends and their kids.

Plan your menu

After deciding who to invite deciding your menu is next. This will set the tone for your gathering. Is it a casual hangout or something a little fancier? Do you want the night to be short or do you want people to hang out for a while? I love a good Italian night with a charcuterie board, crusty garlic bread and a pasta dish. Serve it with wine and end it with an Italian layer cake. Just thinking about this makes my mouth water! For the summertime we love smoking a brisket and serving it with fruit, grilled corn and a salad or maybe some mac n cheese too. Serve some cherry beer and browned butter rice krispies treats and yum! Either way, make sure it’s something fun that you love to cook and make and it helps if you can make some of the items ahead of time too to save time.

Prepare for Guests

This tip is twofold. It’s about preparing your home to welcome your guests and also prepping to make things easier for yourself when everyone is gone. I love to be fully in the moment when guests are over so prepping ahead of time ensures I can do just that! Before my guests come over, I like to pick up my house, especially the areas that are going to be seen by my guests. Adding fresh flowers and greenery makes the space feel really welcoming. Making sure you have a fresh hand towel in the guest bathroom is essential and a candle lit are small ways you can prepare your house for guests. These special touches add an element of warmth to help guests feel special and welcome.

I’ll also share a little secret: I pre-clean my kitchen as well to make sure that my dishwasher is empty. It makes cleaning up after everyone has left that much quicker!

set the table

Using pretty dishes can make your gathering feel special and well thought out. Try using a pretty salad bowl and tongs or a charcuterie board that makes a statement. Sometimes I don’t have time to do a full table setting or maybe I don’t want to do dishes, so it could be as simple as white disposable dishes and a vase of flowers. These simple touches make these gathering feel memorable and add to the conversation too.

Serve Plenty of Food and Drinks

I always like to start my guests with a cocktail or a glass of wine when they arrive. It’s also nice to have an appetizer out for guests to snack on while you are finishing up dinner. Having a full bar out where guests can make drinks is a great option, but I also like to make a pitcher drink like sangria ahead of time so that I don’t have to keep making drinks all night and can spend time chatting. For dinner, I want to make sure my guests have enough to go back for seconds, so keep that in mind when deciding how much food to make. If there are leftovers, there is no reason to be upset because it just means lunch or dinner for tomorrow. 🙂

If you are hosting your gathering outside, see how you can get your patio prepped and get some recipe inspiration here!

Enjoy YOurself!

The fun of having people over is to have a great time! So, let yourself enjoy your guests and don’t take it too seriously. Give yourself grace if things don’t go according to plan. Have some good conversation and don’t forget to laugh!