My Three-Step Hosting Plan That Never Lets Me Down
A real-life approach to hosting that doesn’t require superpowers, a personal assistant, or an insane budget.
Let’s be honest: even when you love hosting, it can feel like a lot. The cleaning, the prepping, the grocery hauling, the sudden “omg do I have enough forks?” spiral. I get it.
Over the years (and after hosting everything from birthday brunches to bridal showers to taco Tuesdays), I’ve learned that breaking things into phases is the secret to not pulling your hair out from stress and still enjoying your own party. Creating mini to-do lists within the big to-do list is my favorite way to make a big task feel manageable and ensure I’m still having fun along the way.
Here’s how I do it—and how you can too!
Phase One: The Vision
This part is fun. You light a candle, open Pinterest, and imagine how you want your guests to feel when they’re at your event. This is where I ask:
- What’s the vibe? (Are we keeping it low key? Do I want a theme? How extra do I have time to be?)
- What’s the reason we’re gathering? (If it’s in honor of someone special, make sure you take their preferences/favorite things into account when choosing what you want the vibe to be!)
- Do I want this to be inside, outside, sit-down, buffet, etc.?
- What am I excited to make or serve?
Once I have a general vision, I (try to) give myself one focal point—maybe a fun table moment, a signature drink, or a cute menu printout. Everything else can be simple. Reading that last sentence a million times over until I can get it through my own head, too!
Phase Two: The Prep
This is when the magic starts to feel real (and when I start setting alarms on my phone).
A few days before I:
- Make a menu and grocery list – Aldi, Costco and Trader Joe’s are my hosting bffs
- Check what I already have (don’t forget napkins hiding in the back of the drawer!)
- Set out serveware the night before and label it with sticky notes—game. changer.
- Set a rough day-of timeline (when to cook, clean, shower, etc.)
- Start prepping all the food I can like chopping veggies, making sauces, and chilling the bevys.
- If I’m co-hosting, I make sure everyone knows what they’re doing—no vague “I’ll help however I can” energy allowed.
Phase Three: The Party Day
The big day! My two must-do’s:
Take 15 minutes to myself before guests arrive—shower, put on real clothes, maybe dance to a pre-party playlist. In order to make your guests feel great at your gathering, you need to feel good about yourself!
Write out a day-of timeline with times and tasks (and set alarms! Seriously, this saves me every time.)
Want More?
Checkout my subscriber-only blog, The Guest List, on Substack! There, I’m sharing:
💛 My actual hosting timeline with times and to-dos
💛 A printable checklist you can reuse for every gathering
💛 The prep-ahead items I never skip
And so much more! That’s the latest from this side of the table! See you on The Guest List later this week. Love you, mean it!
Tori
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