There is nothing as satisfying as hosting a good party. When hosting a brunch, you want to relax, have a good time with your guest, not run around panicking while trying to deal with last-minute mishaps. These tips for hosting a brunch will help you host the perfect brunch that you and your guests will enjoy.
18 Tips For Hosting a Brunch at Home
We bring you creative brunch ideas and tips on how to host the perfect brunch at home. We’ll explore tips on how to make your guest feel special and welcome, how to make your house feel homey and how to serve the most elegant brunch menu.
Tips to make your guest feel special and welcome to your home
1. Treat your guests
Make your party memorable by ensuring each guest feels special and appreciated. Treating your guests is one sure way of doing that, but don’t strain your resources trying to outdo others.
2. Create elegant invitation cards
The elegance of your brunch begins from the point of invitation. You can invest in beautifully designed invitation cards that match the theme of your brunch or go for custom-made cards that are personalized for every guest.
3. Give gifts
Giving your guests some gifts is a great way to be a gracious hostess. By knowing your guests, you’ll know the type of gifts you could give them. Scented candles gift sets make awesome gifts, but you can explore more options. Have a gift at each place setting, complete with a nametag.
See also: Perfect Hostess Gift Ideas: How to Choose and Give the Right Gift
5. Decorate champagne flutes as party favors
Not only will your guests fall for the charm of decorated champagne flutes as part of the table decor, but they will also be awed to realize that they can take them home. You can personalize them by painting names on each so that they also direct the seating arrangements.
Tips for making your home feel homey
Try picturing how you’ll satisfy the five human senses of your guests as they come in, and even during the party. A homey environment puts everyone at ease.
1. Set your table in advance
Setting your table in advance helps you know what could be missing, as well as any space issues that might need to be addressed. Have your guests in mind, and take care of any who might be having a disability of any kind.
See also: Dining Etiquette: Proper Table Manners
2. Set the mood
No matter how much you cook, your guests would definitely not appreciate it if they don’t feel at home. The atmosphere has the ability to either create an attraction or a repulsion from your guests. Arouse sweet memories and let them relax by using pretty colors for the decor, playing relaxing music, and filling the air with familiar scents such as those of popular dishes, flowers, and candles.
3. Put yourself in the shoes of your guests
Imagine yourself as a guest and try to picture what your guests would be going through. If the place is too cluttered, they’ll definitely be put off. If the place is extremely spic and span, they would fear touching anything or even moving around.
4. Keep bugs away
If you intend to hold your brunch outdoors, ensure you get rid of bugs that would scare away and irritate your guests. Use lids to keep the food safe. You can also use citrus scent or light candles; these will ensure the outdoor space is clear of bugs.
5. Relax and avoid being panicky
Keep calm and enjoy your party. Nothing kills the party mood like a host/hostess who frets over every little thing and keeps jumping up and down, always expecting the worst.
Tips for an elegant brunch menu
Like every other party, food is one of the most important elements when hosting a brunch. However, most people fail to achieve the best results because of cooking harder rather than smarter. Here’s how to perfect your hosting brunch menu:
1. Serve family-style or buffet style
Having all the dishes on the table enables the guests to enjoy themselves without having to get up for the food. One only needs to serve and pass it on. If you opt for the buffet style, that would still be convenient for your guests. It’s all about the space, the nature of your guests, and your preference.
2. Choose foods that can be prepared in advance
If there’s plenty of space in your freezer, you can even prepare meals a week or so in advance. Waffles, pancakes, frittatas, and muffins are some of the dishes that can be frozen for long and still serve you well on D-day. Consider having every meal on your menu ready, the night before the brunch. This would make you less panicky and give you time to interact with your guests.
3. Keep the foods simple and customizable
When preparing your menu, include the local dishes that you know your guests would love, and add a few specials. Having a variety makes the food customizable for each guest since everyone has a different taste. However, having too many dishes at the same time would also confuse your guests, so you need to keep it simple.
4. Explore bakeries and grocery stores for more options
To add more variety to your elegant brunch menu, buy muffins, donuts, cinnamon rolls, bagels, and whichever pastries you’d like. If any of your friends would like to help, you can assign them to scout the bakeries.
5. Keep your food hot and enticing
Good food is never good when it turns disgustingly cold. Store the food in metal pots and any other dishware that can keep them hot for long. If you have no lids, cover them with Aluminium foil to retain the heat.
6. Get boozy with choice cocktails
Do your research on good cocktails that would go well with your brunch menu. Helping your guests unwind with a touch of alcoholic drink doesn’t mean you’ll have to be the bartender as the party progresses. Some easy-to-go drinks like sangrias, Mimosas, and Bloody Mary would save you the stress.
7. Include popular breakfast beverages
Since other guests may not be interested in drinking early in the day for several reasons, popular beverages would do just fine. A pot of hot coffee and tea would suffice for those interested in hot beverages. Orange juice or any other fruit juice alongside a pitcher of water would be enough for those who want cold beverages.
8. Select strategic dishware
Hosting a brunch party isn’t cheap. When hosting brunch on a budget, find ways of playing with psychology to your advantage. For instance, smaller plates would make guests eat less compared to bigger plates. If you are worried about costs, be strategic in your choice of dishware. Your close friends can also chip in if they are comfortable doing so.