7 Ways to Host an Unforgettable Evening with Friends

Hosting an unforgettable evening with friends doesn’t have to seem intimidating. We’ve put together 7 tips that are sure to wow your guests without having to put forth a lot of time, effort and money.

Brighten Up Your Living Space

It’s hard not to focus on your home’s imperfections, especially when you’re having guests over. Instead of scrambling to change your kitchen cabinetry or update your furnishings, focus on making your home an inviting atmosphere for your friends. To cut your cleaning time in half, keep up with your housekeeping. If your home is cluttered, empty storage bins will help you organize the mess. Dependent on the number of guests you’re hosting, make sure your living space has the right amount of comfortable seating for everyone. Colorful pillows, area rugs, and a throw draped across the back of your couch or chair are budget-friendly fixes that will brighten up a room.

Figure Out a Guest List

Once you’ve determined the number of friends your home can hold, you’re ready to figure out a guest list. For intimate occasions, you may want to make your evening unforgettable with a few of your best friends, and their partners. If you’re worried your intimate evening may not run as smoothly as you may like, invite friends within a similar age and interest range. Notify your friends via phone, text or email well in advance of the date to ensure that they have sufficient time to clear the date and get a baby sitter if necessary.

Find Clever Ways to Serve Food

There’s no need to spend a fortune on serving containers for your evening with friends. There are some unique and clever serving tricks using items that you probably have around your home. A pizza stone is a great way to serve snacks and keep foods warm. Plastic storage bins filled with ice can keep soda, beer and white wine chilled. Wicker baskets make excellent holders for utensils, plates, chips, bread, and crackers. Use your cutting board to hold meats, cheeses, nuts, and olives. Are you serving sandwiches, hot dogs or burgers, a muffin tin is a great way to house condiments such as mustard, ketchup, relish, onions, and tomatoes.

Slowly Build Your Pantry

Whether your gathering is an impromptu affair or you’ve set the date well in advance, always have standard staples stocked in your pantry. To alleviate significant costs that can come with entertaining, slowly purchase these standard foods such as crackers, chips, nuts, and dips. Many of these items will keep without perishing but check the expiration dates before you actually serve them. When you’re finally ready to have guests over, you’ll have most of the ingredients on hand, and your evening won’t seem like a major ordeal. A stocked pantry can also cut down on your cooking time.

Plan the Perfect Menu

Spending time with friends should be an enjoyable evening for both guests and hosts. Remember that certain foods are easier to serve than others. When planning your menu choose items that won’t keep you in the kitchen while everyone else is having a good time elsewhere. Appetizers are easy to prepare ahead of time. Select items that you can prepare well in advance of your guests such as cheese cubes, veggies, salami, and olives. Pair with crackers and dips, and it will seem like you’ve spent hours on the bountiful feast. If you’re looking for hot appetizers, pizza can be made ahead of time using prepared dough and toppings. Simply throw in the oven once your guests arrive and serve piping hot. Brownies, cookies or cake can be baked the night before. If you’re short on time, look for some tasty prepared items at your local market.

Stock the Bar

Stocking a bar with everyone’s favorite brand of liquor can be costly. You can still meet the desires of your guests by ensuring you have the alcohol basics. Most party revelers enjoy beer, wine or soda. If you’re looking to stock the harder liquors, aim for vodka, gin, and tequila. Since you probably have your friends drinking favorites in mind, spend money on items you now will be used. You could also prepare a specialty drink of the night such as margarita’s and sangria or pina coladas and mai tais. The Internet will showcase top recipes that will have you mixing beverages like some of the bartender pros.

Keep Guests Entertained

Keep your friends entertained by thinking up a theme for your evening get together. If you’re into movies, host a movie night where you feature the newest release. Serve goodies that go with your movie theme such as popcorn, candy, and nachos. A couples themed party is ideal for your best of friends. Play games to see how well each couple knows their partner. Offer erotic goody bags as prizes your friends can try out in the comfort of their own home. Weloveshag offers intimate toys, books, edible treats and lingerie your guests are sure to love. Game nights are another brilliant idea that will bring your friends together. Have everyone share their favorite board game.

Gathering your friends together for a fabulous evening doesn't have to be complicated. We've broken the party planning down into 7 easy steps that are sure to guarantee an unforgettable evening.