"Loop Events to offer advice on entertaining to the cash rich - time poor of Nottingham via FHP Magazine..."

With Christmas fast approaching and all too soon the New Year upon us, Sadie Nicholas - writing for FHP, writes about how you can be creative by entertaining at home. Loop provided her with ideas and inspiration.

First appeared in FHP Magazine Jan 2005

Party on

It’s not a good feeling. You’ve spent all day cleaning the house, moving furniture around, preparing food, cramming drink into fridges and arranging candles and flowers. You’re trying to get into your party outfit, dry your hair and locate your favourite bottle of perfume all at the same time, aware that you invited people to arrive at 7 and it’s already 10 past. The doorbell rings. You’re knackered, harassed and half-dressed and the party hasn’t even started.

If you’ve ever entertained at home you’ll know it’s easy to spend your night worrying if everyone else is having a good time instead of concentrating on enjoying it yourself. The good news is that there are simple steps you can take to stop this happening, the best way being to follow in the Manolo-heeled footsteps of well-practiced hosts and hostesses by hiring your own personal party planner. They’ll organise the whole shebang and do the running around before and during the event so all you have to do is get on with the important business of enjoying it.

If you think that’s a bit excessive or you fancy having a go at things yourself first, read on. Party expert, Anna Thurman of Loop Events (www.loop-events.co.uk), gives FHP the inside info on how to ensure you feel like a guest at your own party.

Anna says:

When people hire me to organise events for them, it’s usually for one of two reasons. Either they’ve hosted a party in the past and found the whole experience utterly stressful, or they’ve never entertained before and are scared to death at the prospect.

The most common regret is that hosts spend too much time rushing around and not enough with their guests. It’s easily done but the secret to a stress-free party is planning ahead and keeping it simple until you’ve got a few successes under your belt.

Establish a budget

Decide how much you’re willing to spend. The main cost of a party at home is for food and drink and a drinks party will usually work out less expensive than a sit down dinner unless you opt for a fine wine and champagne tasting party of course.

Numbers game

Consider how many people you want to invite and how much space you’ve got at home. Too few people and the party will feel empty, too many and it’ll be uncomfortable to move around.

If your name’s not down…

Decide who you want to invite but make sure they stand a good chance of getting along. PR your invitees to one another - think about celeb gatherings, celebs attract celebs so get the right mix of people and you’re on to a winner.

Be very wary of inviting strangers or friends of friends if you’re asking people into your home, you’ve got to know they’re not going to cause problems with a drink inside them. If you’re planning on a noisy party that runs late into the night, get your neighbours on side by either pre-warning them or inviting them along.

Eat, drink and be merry

Even if you’re just having a drinks party, you’ll still need food to soak up the alcohol. Place canapés on trays around the house so people can help themselves. If you’d prefer a full-on buffet, use a catering company or the food ordering service at Marks and Spencer or Sainsbury’s – it’ll save you hours of hassle shopping and cooking. Beware of sticking to one type of food unless you’re theming your party and have said so on the original invites not everyone likes spicy food, for instance - and remember to cater for vegetarians.

Champagne or mulled wine on arrival saves messing around with individual orders when you’re trying to welcome everyone. Remember soft drinks for drivers and non-drinkers, have plenty of ice in the freezer and when it comes to wine, don’t forget the rose. Sales of pink soared by 50% in the UK in 2004 so no party would be cool without it. Order online from your supermarket and get it delivered to your door or try www.thechampagneshop.co.uk (0870 013 0105) for a specialist service.

Delegate

Divvy up jobs between friends and family - from cleaning, tidying away clutter, food shopping and stocking the fridge with drink, to laying tables, getting hold of extra chairs and moving furniture.

Break the rules

Did you know brunch parties are on the increase? With hectic work and social calendars, young professionals find that often their only free time is on a Saturday or Sunday morning. Get together over Bucks Fizz, fresh coffee, smoked salmon, scrambled eggs and good conversation around a big table. A brunch gathering is less stressful as the expectations attached to a full-on party don’t exist.

Lights, camera, action

A great party needs a great atmosphere before your guests even set foot through the door. Have CDs lined up with tracks that will set the mood for your party and make sure you’ve pressed ‘play’ before your first guests turn up.

Light candles and tea lights around the house for a really flattering glow but make sure they’re positioned safely.

Trim mirrors, windows, doorways and large houseplants with fairy lights or even place them in the bottom of a large, glass vase for an effective table decoration.

Do your homework

Find out a bit about each of your guests before they arrive so you can introduce them to one another with a bit of added info thrown in. Get people talking to each other and don’t let yourself be cornered by people who don’t know anyone else introduce them to others then leave them to get on with it.

You, you, you

Plan your time so that all the hard work’s done before your guests arrive. Leave at least an hour to get ready for the big night yourself and dress to impress but remember you’ll be on your feet all night.

Your carriage awaits

If you don’t want guests to outstay their welcome, pre-book taxis for a given time and state this on your original invite - ‘carriages at 1am’ for instance.

If the idea of hosting a party still feels daunting you can always hire an expert! A good party planner will do everything for you, from co-ordinating invites and replies, to organising a cleaner pre and post-party, waiters to serve food and drink on the night and even hiring in additional furniture you might need. They do the hard work while you get to party with the best of them. Party on.