If you’re looking to host a small house party with a big impact, look no further! We’ll show you exactly how to host one, safely and securely. Now, it may seem a little odd to some that we’re hosting house parties in the middle of a global pandemic, but listen… We’ve been stuck indoors for over a year and when done safely, a small house party could be just what the doctor ordered (pun intended!).
Okay, perhaps not, but let’s be honest. We ALL need to figure out what socializing in 2021 (and beyond!) means and we think starting off with a small house party with some close friends is a great place to begin! Agreed? Great! Read on and have some fun… We’ve got you covered, girl.
Hosting A Small House Party During COVID-19
In all seriousness, hosting an intimate party for your nearest and dearest can totally be done. With the right tools and pre-planning, really anything is possible! All you need to do right now is grab a little glass of wine and a pen and paper and get note-taking! We’ve taken care of the rest, promise!
Invite Your Guests
Okay, so this may seem like an obvious one, but do you know how often we forget to invite someone? OR worse – invite too many people! A guest list is an absolute must when hosting a small house party (or any size party for that matter!) and it’s guaranteed to help you in the long run.
Send out your invitations – we recommend e-vites to reduce postage stress. Ask your guests to RSVP as soon as they can so you can ensure you’ve catered for the correct amount of guests (especially if there are certain dietary requirements involved!).
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Style Your Layout
Styling small spaces is probably the most enjoyable – and equally most stressful – part of party-planning. When you have a large space to entertain, it’s easy to spread out different sections and allow for a natural ‘flow’ throughout the house. However, when it comes to hosting a small house party, there’s definitely a little more attention required.
Our advice? Draw out your entertaining space and map out where your food and drinks will be served, where guests can hang their coats and bags, and lastly, where they’ll be sitting..!
Add Your Seating
Where you decide to seat your guests is a little trick we all need to learn when hosting a small house party. No, it’s not as simple as putting a bunch of chairs next to each other and letting them figure it out – this typically ends in disaster! As you have to take social distancing into account, too, you’ll need to make sure everyone feels comfortable with your seating arrangements.
Use a variety of seating choices, such as sofas, chairs, cushions, and poofs, and make sure there’s a good flow between each seat for ease of movement between guests. If the weather allows, try to go 50/50 indoors and outdoors. It will give everyone a little more breathing room and ultimately, you, with some extra space when needed!
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Cleanse Your Space
Probably THE most important part of hosting a small house party in the middle of a global pandemic is cleanliness. This step you’ll need to take pretty seriously if you want your guests to feel both confident and comfortable in visiting you and your home. Start with the most used areas such as bathrooms, living spaces, and the kitchen, and work your way out to the rest. Oh, and of course, the same applies when the party’s over.
Extra tip: Have some hand sanitizer at the door ready for when your guests arrive, and if you so feel the need, have a spare box of masks there, too. Your guests will appreciate the extra effort and it will do a lot to ease the COVID-19 paranoia.
Want to know how to master contactless hosting? Have a read of this
Choose Your Decor
Much like styling your space’s set up, choosing the right decor for your small house party really makes – or breaks! – the mood you’re trying to set. First up, decide on the vibe you’re going for and work from there. When it comes to finding unique and exciting party decorations, we’re pretty huge fans of Etsy. Feel free to scroll through their house party decorations pages and see what works for you!
One thing to remember is that with a small house party naturally comes a cheaper hosting experience and less clean-up at the end. Try to keep it this way and don’t go overboard on decorations – sometimes less is more!
Prepare Your Food
The best piece of advice when can give you in terms of food ideas for your small house party is this: Keep it simple. Try to prepare almost everything in advance to prevent that inevitable last-minute rush. Another thing to keep in mind is that with new social distancing rules, it’s best to prepare mini platters for each guest wherever possible, or even their own individual pre-plated meals.
Whether you decide on finger foods or a full three-course meal, we know you’ll come up with something very special! We’ll leave the presentation side of things for you to decide, so just be sure to think and plan ahead. You’ll be thanking us post-party, we promise!
Set Your Convo(kin)
Looking for a quirky game for your house party guests to enjoy? Check out Convokins: The ultimate conversation starter! Convokins are literally the party lifesaver and help you as the host to avoid any and all potentially awkward silences!
Place one Convokin on each guest’s place and ask them to go around the room reading theirs aloud, one by one. Watch as your guests fall about with laughter and the atmosphere eases into something amazing. You’ll have the party hustle-and-bustling in no time!
Design Your Drinks
Now, the real fun for your small house party begins! If you’re looking for a unique way to host your drinks, why not consider a mimosa bar from Cotier Brand? We may be a little biased, but this mimosa bar kit has everything you need to make your dream mimosa bar come to life!
Whether you want to learn how to make a mimosa bar from scratch, or just add mimosas to your epic house bar, it’s guaranteed to take your small house party to the next level! A little bonus? You can pre-make a bunch of them so there’s minimal interaction at the bar (because you know, social distancing and all!).
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Play Your Music
Now the seating plans have been arranged, the food has been prepared and the drinks are bubbling away… What’s left to get your small house party going large? The music, of course! We all know everyone has their own music taste, and depending on the kind of party you’re hosting, this may well determine what kind of music you’ll play.
In our opinion, it’s definitely worth putting a Spotify playlist or two together. Try not to let someone play DJ for the night – it totally kills vibes and your guests will most likely get irritated with the repetition of “Oh, just another classic ladies!”… You can see it too, right?!
New to hosting? Overcome your fear of entertaining with this handy guide
Bring Your Vibe
Last but most certainly not least, is bringing your own vibe to your small (but epic!) house party! It’s imperative that your guests feel a little bit of their host everywhere, and of course, see how hard you’ve worked to pull this whole thing off!
Whether you decide to give out little party favors or provide a new kind of experience for them to try, make sure you give them something they won’t forget! In the words of the great Oprah Winfrey, “Know what sparks a light in you, then use that light to illuminate the world.” After all, every brilliant hostess does.
Small House Parties In 2021
So, there we have it, ladies! If you’ve made it this far, you’ll have learned just how to host a small house party with everything you could possibly need to host it brilliantly – despite these crazy times we’re living in! We know this pandemic has created a real wedge in genuine connection, and we hope we’ve helped to reignite some excitement in that hostess-with-the-mostest brain of yours!
From all of us at Cotier Brand, we wish you a safe and very happy hosting for your next house party – no matter how small it may be this time around.
Which small house party tips are you most drawn to and how will ensure you keep a good social distance between guests at your event? Let us know in the comments. We’d love to see some photos of your small house party, too!
For more inspiration, party ideas, and tips and tricks of navigating 2021, join our mailing list here and follow us on Instagram @cotierbrand
