Top 5 Tips for a Perfectly Prepared Host
1. STAY ORGANIZED WITH TO DO LISTS
I am a huge proponent of keeping lists on lists. There’s something to event planning and hosting where your brain will just turn to mush if you try to keep everything locked in there by memory. You’ve got guest lists, supplies, food, florals, recipes, and then everything else you tackle on a normal day-to-day. The way I keep things on track and organized is embracing a bit of the obsessive compulsive via a series of to do lists and digital apps. In my personal tool kit of organization apps, I use Wunderlist for all my random ideas and shopping lists, Evernote for the deeper brainstorm ideas and party concepts, iCal for all my meeting requests and appointments, and the Clock app on my phone for daily alarms and timers for recipe execution.
2. BUILD YOUR CATCH ALL TOOLBOX
Over the years of planning and hosting events, I’ve built a very helpful catch all box of tools, knick knacks, and a MacGyver-esque collection of objects. Every party has its issues, and those random tasks that come up can usually be resolved with something in my catch all toolbox. It’s sort of my real life Barney Bag. (If you grew up watching Barney, oh you know.) I keep my box handy for all my events and it’s usually never more than five feet away from me at any given point.
Here’s a quick rundown of what I keep on hand: hot glue gun - duct tape in various colors - glue sticks - wood glue - two pairs of scissors - fabric shears - stapler - steel galvanized wire - floral tape - patterned and plain twine - garden shears - wood skewers - floral glue - assortment of pins and needles - green tacky - black electrical tape - screws, nails, and eye hooks - green floral wire - assortment of batteries - twinkle lights - frog pins - sharpies - sticky notes
3. LOAD YOUR GLASSWARE IN CATERING RACKS
Early on in my party planning journey, I invested in a series of catering glass racks from my local restaurant supply store. I can’t tell you how many times these racks have been a complete life saver. I keep 4 to 5 of these racks stored in my garage and any time I’m planning an event offsite and want to bring my own glassware, I whip the racks out, load in the glassware, and stack them up. It’s super convenient for load-in and load-out and it keeps things protected in transit. I’ve tried the wrap the glasses in hand towels and stack them in a grocery bag route, and let me tell you, not that effective. It’s a small investment up front, but worth it!
4. PREPARE BATCHES IN CANNING BOTTLES
Every good party needs libations or a bubbly beverage to keep things afloat. If you are hosting a party with more than 4 to 6 guests, plan for batching a few drinks and easy to grab drinks. I’ve tried to play bartender to a party of 20+ and that did not pan out the way I expected. Let’s just say I wasn’t able to spend time with guests and there might have been a few cocktail casualties. Being able to have a hired bartender is a nice luxury, but isn’t always needed for every event. I keep 8 to 10 of these Bormioli Rocco clear glass bottles on hand to prep drink mixers, batched lemonades, and cocktails for all occasions. They fit nicely in my fridge and the secure lid keeps from spillage in transit. I recently shared one of my best batched cocktails using these bottles. You can read it here: Sartorial Host’s Best Batch.
5. CLEAN UP WITH INDUSTRIAL TRASH BAGS
Alas, every good party must come to an end. The last thing you want is to be empty-handed when it comes to clean up. All those advertisements for stretch trash bags and durable ties really can’t compete with industrial strength contractor clean-up bags. I know it may seem like a bit of overkill, but there’s nothing more satisfying at the end of a party than knowing that all the trash, broken glass, food, and liquids are safely stored in bags and ready to be tossed into the dumpster. You can find Husky contractor bags at your local hardware store or online.