Preparing To Host Again
How To Make People Feel Comfortable in Your Space
Greet your guests at the door! Make your guests feel like you were waiting just for them and don’t forget to plan ahead. Is there a book you’ve been meaning to lend to them? Have it ready when they arrive!
Have a clean house! Deep cleaning is more important now than ever. It’s about more than just reducing clutter. It's about disinfecting and keeping surfaces bacteria and virus-free! Keep disinfecting wipes or spray handy on countertops for easy cleaning.
Burn candles, especially in your bathrooms. Our new favorite candle brand that we carry is Ranger Station. Not only will this create an ambiance if you have more than one candle going, but having a fresh scent sends a welcoming message to your guests. It shows consideration and preparation.
Make a playlist. Having a low volume background music makes things more festive and helps guests relax. You might even consider sending it out ahead of time and make it a collaborative playlist for guests to add some of their favorite songs.
Keep a comfortable temperature in the house. Make sure to turn off the heat or turn the AC down if you will be having big groups of people over. Having a temperature between 60 and 70 degrees depending on the time of year is a safe range to avoid stagnant air. And don’t sweat it, someone is still going to be either hot or cold.
Make conversational seating arrangements. Design spaces for people to clearly be able to gather around. Everyone knows the feeling of being in a living room that doesn’t have enough seating options. It’s uncomfortable! If you need to move some furniture around, do it.
The lighting of your space sets the mood. Avoid too dark of a room or too harsh of a light. Having lamps around help if your overhead lights are too harsh. If you anticipate having your guests on the back patio, consider purchasing string light bulbs for the ultimate outdoor experience.
Make it apparent that you have more than enough food to offer. You don’t want guests to hold back or feel like there isn’t enough. You want them to be able to enjoy themselves. Double the recipes or order the extra plate of food. Send them home with leftovers to up your hospitality game.
Put your pets away. If you know your guests love your pets, feel free to keep them out, but keep in mind that not everyone is an animal lover.
Take dietary restrictions into consideration. Having gluten and dairy-free options or alternatives to your food selection is the perfect way to make your guests feel comfortable.
If you don’t have an ice machine in your house, buy a lot of it. No one likes room temperature drinks! Always be sure you have enough ice on hand for coolers, cocktails, and non-alcoholic options like lemonade and iced tea.
Send invites 3-4 weeks before and especially during holiday seasons. Google calendar invites are a great way to invite others when the event is less formal.
Plan for the mess. There is always cleanup involved when having guests over. Plan ahead to make the clean up easy. Empty e dishwasher before the party begins and don’t forget to take out the trash! Always start a party with fresh trash bags and empty bins.
Invest in nice wine glasses. It is easy to tell the difference between a quality wine glass and a cheap replacement glass. You know we preach investing in your wardrobe. You should invest in drinkware the same way!
Play a card game after dessert in a different area of the house: Mad Gab, Heads Up are our suggestions.
Don’t apologize for the food. Even if your food seems slightly overcooked, own it. Remember that you are your own worst critic. Don’t downplay your cooking ability with your guests. Chances are, you are doing just fine!
If you are having overnight guests, stock their rooms with some light non-messy snacks, plenty of towels, and travel-sized basic toiletries like toothbrushes and razors. You can even go above and beyond and leave some magazines for them to browse. Be sure to always provide clean linens. If the linens in your guest bedroom are clean but haven’t been used in a while, throw them in the dryer with a dryer sheet to freshen them up.
If kids are coming with your guests, invest in a couple of games they could play. Always be ready to offer the names of a babysitter if you are hoping for a kid-free night. Heads Up and Catch Phrase are great games to have on hand.
Follow up with a thank you text or have a handwritten card ready to give your guests to tell them to thank you for coming. We like to do this via email.
Post on social media. Sharing a memory from the night can be a sign of gratitude of your guests attending your event.
What We Learned From Our First Event Back from COVID
We recently had our first event back at Jackie HQ since February. It was called Captured and it was a beauty event inspired by our love of good photos and beauty treatments that we had been missing in quarantine. Guests were able to sip and graze from charcuterie boards and wine while they got their hair and makeup done by some of our favorite local beauty artists. This all led up to getting their photo taken by our in-house photographer. It was an incredible opportunity to have everyone back in our space and we are looking forward to resuming our monthly events.
We did have to make accommodations due to COVID, but we were still able to have a wonderful event that made guests feel like we are on our way to resuming life as usual. There were temperature checks at the door upon entry. Guests were encouraged, but not required to wear masks. Since our event count was larger, we had signage about keeping a distance when possible. Thankfully our 8000 square-foot space allows for that distance. We also had sanitizing stations readily available. We had Oscura Cafe pour the wine to avoid guests all touching the same bottle and other surfaces. Vendors sanitized between servicing guests. This was also the thought process for individually wrapped desserts. During the exclusive shopping part of the event, we discouraged cash payments and steamed all clothes immediately after being tried on. If guests were nervous about coming by the time the event came around and had already paid, we offered them a ticket credit for the next event.
Remembering Why We Host
We are hosting again because we believe in the power of face-to-face community. It brings people together to form long-term relationships and connections. We know that encouraging women and empowering them where they are can change during the course of their life. Making women feel included in our community is a driving force behind our events. We remember this “why” before each event, so we can do our part in fulfilling our mission with each event we host. We encourage you to think about why you love hosting. Maybe you’ve never hosted at your home before, but you’re ready to take on the role of a hostess. Know that the Jackie community is always here to support you in creating the life you’ve always dreamed of calling your own.
