The festive season is a joyous time. Don't overthink it!
6 Entertaining Mistakes to Avoid During the Festive Season
The festive season is a joyous time. Don't overthink it!
There’s nothing like the festive holiday season to spend quality time with the people we love. It's one of the most joyous times of the year and a wonderful opportunity to entertain in style.
Choosing to entertain more at home can be a lot of fun, but also a lot of stress. Hosting in your own home is a wonderful way to welcome people into your space, but it can also be a way of putting way too much on your plate – literally and figuratively.
We're here to help with our guide to the most common entertaining mistakes to avoid during the festive season.
1. Don’t overthink it
Easier said than done, we know. But overthinking your celebration is a surefire way to ruin the mood for everyone, especially you. The most important thing at any party is that the people that you love most are there and that you all have a good time. It’s that simple. Long after the afternoon or night is over, people aren’t necessarily going to remember whether or not the bread you served was at the perfect warmed-up temperature, or whether or not the natural wine was that lovely orange colour.
They’re going to remember the conversations they had, the things that made them laugh, and the time everyone spent together. With that in mind, remember that people are there to spend time together and keep it simple. A great dinner party can be catered with a big pile of pizza boxes – it doesn’t have to be a huge three-course dinner party. Or everyone can bring a dish, or you can plate up an enormous wedge of cheese and a big bowl of crackers and call it a day. Keep it simple. Don’t overthink it. And remember: have a good time!
6. Don’t clean up too early
Nothing says ‘get out of my house’ like the passive aggressive stacking of a dishwasher before everyone’s finished their desserts. Thinking about all the cleaning you have to do after a party can be daunting, but it’s also one of the unfortunate parts of hosting. Make your peace with it before you invite everyone over, because on the night you want to make sure everyone feels comfortable and relaxed without the spectre of the host hovering over them, waiting to swoop down on an empty plate or glass. Sit back, enjoy the evening and think about the cleaning tomorrow.
