Make your Home more Welcoming
Everyone wants their home to be an inviting place for all who walk through their door. We want our guests to enjoy their stay and look forward to returning. But how do we make our homes welcoming for our guests? We do this by focusing on hospitality.
Here is a list of the basics to making guests feel welcome:
– Greet them at the door
– Lighten their load
– Give them a tour
– Pour them a drink
– Offer them some food
– Find ways to connect
– Non-awkward goodbyes
Importance of Hospitality
What is hospitality? Hospitality is when you graciously welcome someone into your home. Whether it be a friend, family, or stranger, it is the act of creating an inviting environment for all that pass through your door. Our homes and our actions within them speak to our hospitality.
A Warm Welcome
Whether this is a guest’s first time at your place or not, greeting them at the door is a respectful way to show your guest that you appreciate them. A friendly “hello, I’m so glad you came!” is all it takes to make someone feel instantly welcomed into your home.
This is especially important to remember when hosting a party. No one wants to go to an event and feel like they are lost in the crowd. By taking the time to greet each individual guest as they arrive, they will feel special as soon as they walk in the door.
Add a little sense of welcome to your doorstep. First impressions can mean a lot, and before you are even able to greet your guests with that friendly hello, your front door has already welcomed them home. Consider adding a few inviting touches to your doorway. This can be as simple as a decorative wreath and a welcome mat.
Lighten Their Load
As guests arrive, they often have something in hand. A coat, a purse, party food. Be sure to offer to take their things and let them know where they will be kept. This storage place can be a coat rack in the entry of your home, some extra space in the closet, or just placing them on the bed of a spare room. Always offer for new guests to walk with you while you show them where their belongings will be stored for the time of the event.
If your guest brought something to contribute, be sure to thank them and, if timing allows, set it out immediately for other guests to enjoy. If it is a hostess gift, be sure to thank them for the thoughtful gesture. This gift is yours to enjoy!
Offer a Drink
One of the first things you should offer your guests when they arrive is a drink. This doesn’t have to be alcohol, even water or some fresh lemonade is perfect. I always try to tell my guests where the glasses and drinks are so they can feel free to help themselves. It also gives off that “make yourself at home” feel when people know where things are kept. However, I keep an eye on guests’ drinks so I can offer to refill their glasses for them so they don’t have to.
Offer Something to Eat
It’s always a welcoming gesture to have food available when having guests over. Just a few things to snack on is perfect, you don’t always need to provide a full meal. You just don’t want anyone going hungry or having alcohol on an empty stomach.
Be sure to check with any new guests beforehand to see if there are any foods they do not, or cannot, eat. This will let them know that you are thoughtful enough to accommodate any dietary restrictions they may have.
Give a Tour
All guests should be shown where the bathroom is, at the very least. If a guest is new to your home, it’s always nice to offer a full tour of your home. While I find that many guys have little to no interest in house tours, most women are happy to accept! Giving a tour helps your guests to connect to the house, therefore making them feel more welcomed and at home.
Make Introductions
If you are hosting an event, be sure you don’t forget the introductions! Everyone in your home should know everyone else’s name.
When you introduce guests to each other, try to think of anything they might have in common. Do they share a hobby? Have similar careers? Do they both have a pet at home? Be sure to point these commonalities out when introducing guests to each other.
Find Ways to Connect
Be sure you connect with your guests on a personal level. Check in on their lives, their jobs, their family. Ask how the vet visit went for their dog, or how their weekend getaway trip was. People will appreciate that you remembered what they have going on in their lives!
Connecting to new Guests
If your guest is someone you are not well acquainted with, make sure you take the time to get to know them. Ask what their hobbies and passions are, or how long they have been in the area. If they are new to the area, ask why they decided to live here, and what they like about it so far. You get the picture.
I had a guest ask me once what my dreams were. It was a very thoughtful question from someone I had just met upon coming to our house that evening, and I could tell they were genuinely interested in hearing my answer. I became pretty passionate talking about my career goals and our dreams of a home and some land. It was one of the most thoughtful questions and one I now ask others.
These are the kinds of questions you should be asking your own guests. Find out what their dreams are, what they are passionate about, and who they really are. Don’t invite a coworker over to just talk about work the whole night. Get to know the interesting things about them.
Connect Guests to Each Other
If you are hosting a larger event with any new guests, be aware of how they are interacting. It can be hard being the new person when everyone else seems to know each other. Feel free to re-introduce them to someone while pointing out their commonalities. Subtly help them to find things in common to get a conversation started. Hopefully, they will end up with a new friend by the end of the event!
This is also a great tactic if you are hosting a social mixer (like this fun couples mixer or a much overdue housewarming party) where you are introducing different groups of friends. Know that you might be needing to help spark conversations. Also, be sure to spend some extra time talking to these new guests throughout the evening.
Non-Awkward Goodbye
The end of a gathering can be kind of awkward at times, so here are some tips. For starters, you should always walk your guests to the door. Whether they were your only guest or one of many, this simple act shows appreciation for their visit.
As far as the actual goodbyes, it all comes down to doing what you are comfortable with. If you are a hugger, give them a hug and thank them for coming. If you like to shake hands as your farewell, then do that. Or you can just give your guests a smile, a heartfelt thank you, and let them know it was great to have them over.
It’s all about you doing what you are comfortable with. Your guests will pick up on that and it will make the entire interaction less awkward.
I often like to send guests home with a little something, like some leftover cookies from dessert. This is a great way to say goodbye and can help with that awkward what-do-I-do moment. Lastly, don’t forget to retrieve any of their belonging for them, open the door, and turn on the porch light if it’s getting dark out.
Back to Hospitality
I hope that these tips have helped guide you in your journey to creating a welcoming home for your guests. You can see how a few small, simple things can make a big impact to those that visit your home. If you continue to bring hospitality into your home, your guests will always be excited to return. By being thoughtful, engaged, and inviting, you will have created a welcoming home for all who enter.
Are you are new to entertaining? These party planning basics can help get you started. Also, if you are looking to welcome people into your home but are struggling to find friends to connect with, read this post.
