January 17, 2025

How to Throw a House Party: Why I’m Really Good at It

The evolution of how to throw a house party successfully has been just that: a journey, an evolution. It wasn’t something I saw modeled for me in my family almost at all, so I had no idea how to do it when I decided it was something I wanted to try. Hosting people and helping them feel comfortable in my home seemed foreign, and it was, but I was determined to master it. Because I own two businesses that involve people and community, creating a space of comfort in my home was imperative for me to grow. First, I selfishly like being at my house because I am more at home (pun intended) there. Second, inviting people into your home and them feeling like they belong is a divine experience for everyone involved. I’m going to share how I throw my house parties, and what elements I have found are key to a successful one.

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Fried Okra - Easy and Yummy

Good Food

Having good food is one of the key ingredients (again, pun intended but I’ll stop now) of how to throw a house party well. And by having good food, it doesn’t mean that it has to be complicated food. Nor does it have to cost you a fortune to purchase or make. What I have found is that people like a variety of options. There are many people who get invited to my home that are vegetarian, vegan, pescatarian, and all kinds of other “arians” that I’m not sure I can name. My goal is to gently accommodate all and not alienate others. I choose a few simple dishes that I make well, because I do love to cook, and I make them for almost all the parties. Sometimes I combine this with food I purchase. When my guests come, they know there will be simple and easy-to-eat dishes that will fit their dietary needs, and it makes them feel seen. It also doesn’t take away from the regular eaters in the crowd, because I always make sure to have food that simply tastes delicious. Need some tips? I will help you with that - just email me!
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Ready to Serve

Dinnerware

Depending on the size of the party, I have dinnerware that is appropriate for the event. A while ago, I invested in some reusable plastic plates that I can throw in the dishwasher afterwards. I’m a huge fan of reusable products, so this was aligned with me cutting back on disposable paper and plastic. Here are some wheat straw plates that are nice and colorful, and help people identify which plate was theirs. You know how people forget after a couple of drinks! Another great idea of how to throw a house party successfully is having a second set of silverware ready to go in a caddy. There is nothing worse than eating from flimsy plastic forks or spoons, much less trying to cut with a pathetic excuse for a knife. Make it easy on yourself and your guests and get real (and inexpensive) silverware. I picked mine up at Sam’s Club and they’ve lasted me years. They sit in their caddy and I grab it and put it on the counter when people come over. Easy, easy.
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Wine is Easy and Good

Drinks

In the drinks department, I often love to overcomplicate things. When giving advice on how to throw a house party, I tell people to keep it simple. If only I followed my own advice! So many people are into so many types of drinks: alcohol-free, CBD, this type of beer, only red wine, only white wine. Complicated! After thinking about what guests really want out of a party, they want something to sip on and the enjoyment of other people. No need to have 16 different types of drinks. Providing infused lemon water in a drink dispenser, a few fizzy flavored waters, some beer of my choosing, red wine, and white wine is all my guests really need. And hey, if they want something different, I encourage them to bring it and put it on the drink table to share. It’s a communal party, after all.
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The Right Guest List Indeed

The Right Guest List

My humble option is going to be stated boldly here: your guest list is the most important thing in how to throw a house party. At least if you want it to be a hugely successful one. The most common thing that I hear from guests after a gathering is: they feel like they belong; the crowd is a good mix of age ranges; there is always someone interesting to talk to; the guests are always rotating or there are several new people to get to know. I always ask for feedback from a few people at random to know how they felt about it. Some text me the next day thanking me and saying they want to come back for another party. My biggest hope is that everyone there knows they belong. If there is ever anyone who makes my life or the lives of others uncomfortable, they are off the list. No more invitations to my parties, because the people I have at my house are 10/10 humans. Otherwise, find another party to attend!
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Grab and Go for Everyone

Utilize Your Space

Don’t wait until the last minute to set things up and arrange things. Know where you want your guests to get food, drinks, dessert, and hang out. In my new house, I have a laundry room that connects the kitchen and the living room, so I decided to put a 6 foot table in there with the drinks to bridge the gap between the kitchen (where everyone naturally gathers, at least in New Orleans) to the living room, where people would be more comfortable sitting. It was a great way to use the space and get people moving around the house, instead of parking it in one room and one location. Thinking about how to throw a house party, make sure to think about the spaces in your house. Get creative, and your guests will find a natural flow. And you’ll reduce traffic jams as well, especially in a smaller house like mine.
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Conversations Are Enough

No Loud Music

Loud music is the absolute bane of my existence. It’s one of the reasons I don’t go out to eat much or to live music shows. My brain doesn’t function well when I have a lot of background noise. In some cases the music is so loud that it’s the front ground noise. A complete nightmare for those of us who are very sensitive to it. Music is not even present at my house when I have guests typically because of this, and people having multiple conversations is like music to my ears anyway, and I would rather hear that. If you’re wondering how to throw a house party without a lot of extra noise, ditch the music idea. Feel like you absolutely need it? Keep it low for the guests who can’t think about what they are saying and listen to your choice of Metallica playing at the same time. Please and thank you.
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We Like Our Sleep in this House

Time Matters

As I get older, I realize how important a few things regarding time is in relation to parties. Making a start and stop time give people a boundary that they are welcome to stay within. It creates less stress on you, as the host, especially. Take it from me who has learned this the hard way and had people show up for hours on end in trickles. For me, it’s a persona hell I will not revisit. Another good tip of how to throw a house party in regards to time is to start it rather early. I like my parties starting no later than 6 pm, but usually in the 5 pm range because I want people out in time for me to get to sleep at my usual bedtime, and that’s early. If it’s a weekend, you’ll find many people have plans, so being able to stop in on the early side give you both the chance to see each other. Starting early is a win-win, at least that is what I have found in my extensive entertaining world.
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Enjoy Your Guests

Friends, do not get so caught up in hosting that you forget or don’t give yourself the opportunity to enjoy your guests that are there. I’ve gotten good at delegating throughout the night to help me keep the party going, and it takes the pressure off of just me. I’ve done it all which ways, like waiting on people the entire time, sort of enjoying but having low grade anxiety that everyone who is there actually hates it and is only there because they feel bad for me. None of that is fun to deal with, so I had to make some changes. In order for me to enjoy my guests, I have everything ready for when they arrive (at least within the first few minutes) and I can start visiting. They are there because I invited them, and they want to talk to me, as well as the other guests. Why wouldn’t I want to enjoy my own party and talk to my guests?! In my ever-evolving how to throw a house party experience, enjoying my guests became a priority, and I’m so glad it did. And it makes me continue to want to throw them. Again, win-win.

Are You Ready to Party?

Hopefully this list of how to throw a house party has helped and motivated you into throwing your own. They can be wildly rewarding if you get it right, and there is now right way to get it right, sans some basic information. And that is what I have here: basic information to throw a really good and simple house party. Remember, guests are typically not coming for a theater show. They want to mingle with you and other amazing humans and feel connected. At least that is the type of house party I am throwing., not the showy and fake kind that some people throw. If you follow these simple steps, and keep amending and working on your skills, you too will have a great recipe for a house party. Your guests will leave wanting more, and that is exactly the feeling you want them to take home. You’ve got this, and I can’t wait to hear about your party!

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