There are various ways to entertain friends and family, but during this extremely hectic season, I choose to throw an Open House party. A gentle stretch of time with people arriving and going as they want, rather than a large sit-down supper or a hectic, crowded 2-hour cocktail party.
This type of party allows guests to come and go as they choose, and stay as long as they want – and it also allows you to welcome a large number of people in one day, presumably in a smooth flow.
You can create a relaxing ambiance with a serve yourself bar and an array of (mainly) room temperature food, and people will understand that the whole goal was to get to meet for a little bit and have a drink and something wonderful to eat.
Based on my experience, here’s how to throw your own Open House party.
Evenings are fun, but if you’re inviting a lot of families with children, try an afternoon party. A four-hour time limit allows for a smooth flow of individuals arriving and departing, allowing you to spend some quality time with your guests. Send a physical or online invitation with all of the specifics.
Make a list and plan ahead of time.
Make a list of everything that needs to be done, from brining the pork loin to buying flowers to packing the bathroom with towels and soap.
Make a list of everything you want to buy (and when you want to buy it — non-perishables, including all drinks, should be purchased as far in advance as possible).
Make a list of what can be prepared ahead of time, and especially what can be frozen.
Make a schedule for the day of the event, including what needs to happen and when everything will be served, so nothing goes missing (and make a list of who is accountable for each item!).
Serving food
The words “make ahead” and “room temperature” are crucial. You may choose one or two dishes to offer hot, such as small quiches, and bake a few batches over the duration of the party — or not! Another easy warm offering is hot dips like Hot, Creamy Spinach and Goat Cheese Dip or Hot Corn Queso Dip.
Consider a buffet and the types of items that are happy to sit out for a while. Don’t feel compelled to create a large menu; four or five options would be enough.
You’ll probably want to create extras of certain dishes so you can switch out a plate as the party progresses and new guests arrive.
Consider color, things that go well together on a plate, and make sure you have something from each of the food categories – and don’t forget to have a vegetarian and gluten-free option if you know some of your visitors will be looking for these.
Include a few dessert options (utensil-free brownies and cookies, for example), and set up a separate place for them if possible. You can’t have too many desserts during the holidays, it seems, if people ask if they may send something.
At the very least, the night before, set out all of the platters and serving utensils. Put the serving utensils on top of each dish and identify each platter with Post-It notes or scraps of paper. Go over your entire menu in your head.
Remove the glasses, plates, silverware, napkins, and other items from the table. Don’t worry if your stuff doesn’t all match; there’s a certain allure to mixing and matching your belongings. For larger occasions, many individuals opt for plastic, depending on the number of guests and the quantity of dishes they are ready to deal with the next day.
Additional suggestions for your party
- Make sure to replace the food as needed to keep the platters looking good and the food from sitting too long.
- If you have a large family, consider splitting up chores or hiring help (local college students are often looking for some holiday income).
- Are you short on space since you don’t have an actual bar? Make a bar for the evening by clearing off a bookshelf—it looks fantastic.
Do you have a better feeling now? As much as possible, plan ahead and enlist assistance. Also, take a time to appreciate how fortunate you are to have so many wonderful people in your life. It’s now time to send out your invitations to your lovely guests!
Free Leaf Rustic Party Invitation Templates
You just send out paper invitations to those who are interested in attending an open house party for a small event such as a graduation or a farewell party when you are preparing an open house party for a small event such as a graduation or a farewell party.
Sending out an open invitation on your preferred social media platform can also be a smart approach to generate interest, but you risk losing control over who shows up. Flyers and marketing can assist get the neighborhood interested in a business open house celebration.
Now, to make it easier on making invitation templates. Take a look for our Free Leaf Rustic Party Invitations which have pretty designs and perfect to be your open house party invitation. As I said it’s free printables, so you can make this yours at no cost at all. All you have to do is just simply download and edit with your party details.
In addition, I’ve made or left a pretty large spaces, so you can freely write or type your party information and it can be crystal clear enough to be easily read by your guests.
How to download
- Firstly, choose your favorite design, then right-click that preview image.
- Select “Save image as” and Locate where you want it to be saved in your device.
- You can leave it as it is, and open it later when the download is finished.
- Open the file with third party apps such as Adobe Photoshop, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Paint, Corel Draw and so forth.
For beginner, it’s better for you to use Ms. Word, and it’s capable of doing that flawlessly and there are many features to help you, like inserting text, changing the font styles and so on. But if you’re advanced, you can edit with Adobe Photoshop or Corel Draw. Canva can be your pals or customizing your templates as well.
