3 COMMON PARTY-HOSTING MISTAKES WE ALL MAKE

With the warmer weather firmly in place, you can finally throw that summer party you’ve been waiting for. But before you send out the invites, here are three common missteps to avoid.

---

MISTAKE #1 TRYING NEW RECIPES
You may be excited to finally have a crack at that roast recipe you’ve been wanting to try out for ages, but steer clear of experimenting with new dishes. The chances of a cooking misstep are high and (worst-case scenario) you may end up not able to serve your guests the dish. “Hold off on trialling any new recipes when you’re hosting, especially time-consuming ones. Go with tried-and-true classics you know well,” says Courtney Zentner, co-founder of The Drifter, a culinary and event design company.

MISTAKE #2: NOT ASKING FOR HELP
Hosting a party is a daunting task, especially if you’re doing it on your own. Rope in your friends to help pour the drinks, serve food and help you clean up afterwards. Chances are your friends are waiting for you to ask. “Too many times I see hosts running around trying to make everything happen and before they know it, the party is over and they barely got to spend time with the people they invited. I think that hosts often feel like asking for help is a weakness, but actually it is the true strength of a host,” says Kelly Soule, owner of Kelly Elizabeth Events.

MISTAKE #3: NOT BEING PRESENT AT THE PARTY
Try and enjoy the moment. Hosts often get so frazzled about things going wrong that they completely forget to have a good time themselves. “Remember, your guests will not know what was planned and if anything goes wrong unless you tell them. So, try to remove the stress and pressure of making it perfect and remember why you’re gathering in the first place. It’s time to enjoy hosting,” says Frischkorn.