Good Lifestyle

Accommodation takes work. Between planning the concept of your event, the preparation of food, drinks and decoration and cleaning your space before the big day, there is a lot of efforts that take place in the realization of a transparent gathering. Customers know this and, in many cases, will ask what they can bring to lighten the charge.

Of course, there is Things you should never ask contribute them. For example, the dishes, the reimbursement and the last -minute dimensions and ends that you forgot to pick up. On the other hand, party experts and label also say that there are things you can ask for customers to contribute that will really benefit the event. Here, they share 10 creative and practical articles to ask customers to bring if they offer to lend a hand.

In relation: Ina Garten reveals the worst hostess gift n ° 1 - and what to bring instead .

The traditional gifts of the hostess tend to fall into three categories: food, wine and decoration. So why not change things by asking people to bring an activity?

"Instead of habit, I ask friends to bring their favorite card or cards game," said Jaye Harrison , owner and founder of Personal parties . "It's a fun way to break the ice and see which games everyone likes."

You could play the game at the party or put it away and host everyone for a dedicated match evening. Do not forget to write a thank you note by saying how much you liked to play.

Cassie Lamere , founder and creative director of the luxury event planning company Cassie Lamere events , said: "It is a charming way to allow customers to contribute to the atmosphere."

"I love to suggest that guests send a favorite song in advance to add to the evening playlist," she shares. "It triggers a conversation and adds a deeply personal element to the atmosphere. You will hear a track and automatically connect it to the person who chose it."

Read this then: 5 things you should put away in your kitchen when guests come .

"Most people like to contribute something to the table, and the dessert is a flexible category and flat to the crowd," said Geneviève (Jenny) Dreizen , COO and co-founder of Fresh departure register and the host of Jenny says it Advice podcast.

"You can say something like:" If you have a favorite bakery nearby or a dessert that you like to do, we would be so happy to try it! "She suggests." It creates a feeling of community without interfering with the main meal. "

It never hurts that guests bring a bottle of wine, that you plan to serve it to the event or to indulge in the following. However, Jodi Smith , label consultant at Mannersmith's label advice , said that there is a particularly good request.

"When I know that someone has a demanding taste for wine, and that they offer to bring something, I will let them know what I plan to serve and allow them to bring wine to peer," she shares.

Lamere adds that you can never go wrong by asking a guest to bring a bottle of sparkling or champagne wine.

"Whether served during the event or nestled for a post-cleaning toast with your inner circle, champagne always feels festive-and never goes unused," she says. "It is a timeless gesture that transforms After-Party into a celebration in itself."

In relation: 6 items you need on your bar basket before the guests come, according to the mixologists .

"For cocktail rallies, ask the guests bring something unique that contributes to the bar such as candied ginger, blood orange slices, fresh herbs or their favorite cocktail mixer," suggests to the mother. "It is festive, functional and allows guests to feel as if they have added an experience to experience."

It works as well with cocktails, so everyone can be included.

Some of your friends and family members are probably known for certain dishes.

"If I know they have a specialty that will adapt to the menu I plan to serve, I will gladly ask them to bring their signature dish," explains Smith. "A childhood neighbor is a master of the marinated salad; a friend made macaroons of French level; another friend has a dish to accompany asparagus that I have not yet duplicate."

You can also ask visitors to bring a dish or drink that represents their culture or experience. "You would be surprised by the flavors and stories that come out when everyone shares a piece of their story," said Harrison.

However, be aware of whether this dish will require an assembly or a preparation once it is at home.

"You don't want additional people in your kitchen, taking space to prepare their dish and create more dishes to wash," said Jo Hayes , founder and expert in label at Labelieexpert.org .

In relation: 10 Best things to serve for brunch, say the experts .

The unloading of the salad course to a guest can allow you to focus on other tasks in a dinner .

"Vegetable trays, green salads, fruit salads - they must all be prepared during the day and take the time to wash, cut and prepare," says Smith. "It's incredibly useful while I cook, cook, clean and put myself in place so that someone makes a fresh salad."

Give clear instructions if you expect something specific.

If a future guest travels soon, you can ask them to bring an original memory.

"This adds excitement to the party and arouses conversations on unique experiences," said Harrison.

If they have not planned any trips, plan to ask them to go locally: see if they can bring a favorite regional delicacy of their neighborhood or their hometown.

In relation: 6 items that you should always have in your living room when guests come .

"Yes, really," said Lamere of his advice to ask the guests to bring ice.

"It's not glamorous, but it's still in demand, especially in the hottest months," she said. "Recommend guests to pass with a bag or two ice to keep the drinks perfectly cooled and complete the freezer hiding place. This is the kind of thing that is never in mind until it is suddenly urgent."

"Sometimes the most powerful thing that a guest can bring is their voice," says Lamere.

“I love to ask the guests, especially during birthdays, birthdays or striking dinners, to prepare with a toast or a memory to share.

In relation: 6 best wines to serve during a dinner, the label experts say .

Sometimes the best gift is the presence of the guest himself!

"I like the guests to wonder and offer, but they must be respectful if I refuse," explains Smith. “This can be for a number of reasons; I can have the event that takes care, or I can have guests with allergies or food restrictions. ”

Whatever the reason, do not feel obliged to allow customers to bring something. This is your event and you establish the rules.

Rick Newman , event planner and CEO of UCON exhibitions , said there is one thing to avoid asking when a guest asks what he can bring.

"Avoid the classic trap" Bring everything that is polite. "Instead, have an essential list of five items and let them choose. Everyone wins, and no one brings six breads of bread."