My Love for Hosting

So one thing you all should know about me is that I LOVE hosting. I’m that crazy person who will throw a party for the heck of it even when there really isn’t time in our schedule. I love throwing dinner parties or small gatherings – even when there isn’t anything to celebrate!

One small dilemma I run into when hosting is that they can be SO expensive! Do any of you party planners run into this as well? It’s like you want to throw the most beautiful and fun party but how do you do this when on a budget? Well ladies with fall entertaining in full swing and the holidays quickly approaching, I’ve put together a list of my favorite budget friendly entertaining tips.

TABLESCAPE

When you are entertaining guests, having a beautiful fall themed tablescape is a great way to make things feel more festive. This doesn’t have to mean go run to Pottery Barn. I mean if you can do that by all means, but for the rest of us, there are cheap and easy ways to create a pretty table. Try clipping greenery from your backyard to create arrangements. This might sound crazy, but really any kind of bush will do and it gives your table a very earthy whimsical vibe.  You can also use seasonal elements like apples, pumpkins, ornamental corn, jars or candles. Try mixing different textures such as burlap and metallics.  Get creative, there are many ways to turn your table into an Instagramable (is that a word?) evening!

AMBIANCE

Music is one of the easiest ways to create an ambiance for your dinner party. Keep in mind that while background music prevents awkward silences during the meal, the volume should be kept low enough that it won’t interfere with conversation. We have a Sonos system which makes it super easy to have music playing in the background. You can have different stations playing in various rooms and control everything from your phone. These speakers are my favorite. We usually link ours to Pandora or Spotify shortly before our guest arrive and don’t have to fuss with music for the rest of the night. Just saying – the Mariah Carey holiday station has been on repeat this past week..it’s so good!

LIGHTING

Keep the lights on low. Soft lighting brings people closer, creates cozier affairs and can even make small spaces seem bigger. Variations in lighting can change the mood from room to room and keep your guests circulating. I like to remove the overhead lighting as well. Light shining from above can sometimes be harsh and cast unwanted shadows down on people’s faces. Make sure to experiment with different lighting before your guests arrive!