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My Idiah: Planning a Party At Home

Planning a party in your home can be very eventful! You need to make the guest list, pick a date, organize food and beverages and even pick a theme if you like. I am going to discuss some ways to help you plan a party in your own home.

I hosted a party at my home and the first thing I decided on was a theme. I planned an evening of wine and food pairings, sounds a little overwhelming, especially since I’m not an expert in that area, but it wasn’t. I used local resources to help me plan my evening smoothly! I hired local wine sommelier Kate Wagner Zeke to come to the party and talk to the guests about the wine and food pairings we had chosen. I worked with Kate over email for a few weeks to decide on the type of wine and food I wanted to have and she gave me a list of items to purchase for the party. I did some research on my own and came up with some other food options, but it wasn’t necessary, as she gave me a great list to shop from. Kate works with each host/hostess to come up with a list of wines and pairings they want. She can come to any size of event from corporate to a small intimate home party. Working with a professional to plan your party makes it a lot easier on you!

Since I was offering a selection of 6 different wines, I went to Party Professionals and picked up extra items I did not have at home already. To make our night perfect, I picked up extra white and red wine glasses, a cocktail table for guests to stand at and linens for the cocktail table and my dining room table. This was much easier than buying new stemware and linens, and i didn’t have to wash any of them, bonus! You box everything up and return it the next day. Katrina Sigurdson from Party Professionals says, “We offer different rentals from linens and dishware to a karaoke machine and yard signs for birthdays or special greetings”. If you are having a party, celebration or family gathering, I highly recommend calling or emailing them for rentals to make your party easier on you.

I put together all the food for the wine and food pairing, but I would also suggest contacting a local restaurant if you prefer something catered. many restaurants will let you order off their menu for take-out or even let you work with the manager or chef to help create your menu, which you can pick up before the party. There are many restaurants I spoke with that are really willing to help give you what you want for a special occasion or party. And it beats all the shopping and preparing before the party. Don’t forget your local grocery store may also make custom party trays as well. Talk to your local deli, bakery and meat department for specialty items you can buy already prepared.

I am happy to say that my guests and i enjoyed a fabulous evening of food, wine and even learned more about them. using local resources can really help lighten the load on you when planning your event and the day of. Hiring someone can really help bring the theme together and give you a party your guests will be talking about for months.

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