Casual Brunch Hosting 101

Throwing a social gathering at your place. We understand it can be stressful planning one for your first time! Here are the basics of hosting a mimosa brunch. Make each of these ideas your own by adding your personal flavor.

The List. This essentially decides the vibe of your party. Inviting old and new friends is a phenomenal idea but make sure you do introductions.

The Mood. The size of your guest list will determine the location. Whether indoors or outdoors, if you invite 20 guests, ensure there is comfortable seating for at least half of the party. This is actually perfect since social gatherings involving cocktails are at their best when attendees are roaming and mingling, not sitting. For background music, have an upbeat playlist for your guests to enjoy. If your party has a theme, make a playlist specific to the theme and have a separate playlist with current music.

The Chow. We may be biased but brunch boards are the way to go here. Your menu does not need to be cohesive; you can throw together a number of yummy appetizers and let your guests decide were to start. It's also very welcoming for return visits to nosh. If you have a small event, a brunch board and a few side dishes will suffice. For a group of 6 or more we suggest a charcuterie table runner complete with menu of light appetizers (fruit, veggies, cheese, meats and crackers). If you think your event will be an all day event, we would recommend adding perhaps a pasta dish and salad. It is inexpensive and easy to make.

The Drink. For your first party I’d strongly recommend a mimosa bar with various refreshing juices; orange, peach, mango, pineapple, watermelon, blackberry...you get the picture. Having a robust mimosa bar and a couple of bottles of wine will ensure you don’t need to have a fully stocked bar which could be expensive, not to mention messy. Stock yourself with plenty of prosecco, you can make 6-8 mimosas out of every standard 750 ml bottle of sparkling wine, so for a party of 20 people where each guest will have two or three drinks we recommend buying about 6-8 bottles. Don’t forget water and soda for those who would like non alcoholic beverages.

The Invite. The invite sets the tone of your event. A free online invite (think Evite, Paperless Post or Punchbowl) provides you the ability to theme the party, encourage participation ahead of time, send a reminder the week of the event and thank you’s afterwards.

The Party. Once you've planned, set up and your guests have arrived, just enjoy! Regardless of any hiccups, your guests came to enjoy YOU so if any little thing was forgotten, leave it behind. Remember to take video and pictures!

Tips:

• Mingle with your guests and have a short conversation with all in attendance.
• Walk around to top off your guest’s cocktails and encourage them to enjoy the food.
• Don’t forget the dessert. I’d recommend something that needs no utensil, like cookies or cupcakes.
• Accidents happen. Understand that there may be a broken glass or spill. Take it in stride.