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Whether it’s been a while since your last party, or if you’re just wondering how you can make the experience even better, this list is here to help! Here are our top tips for being a gracious host AND guest.
6 ways to host graciously
1. Ask beforehand if they need anything extra
Include a note on your invitation asking your guests to let you know if they have any food allergies/sensitivities/restrictions, pet allergies or anything else you should take into consideration. This way, you can plan to accommodate their needs ahead of time, and they can feel comfortable RSVPing “Yes” to your get-together.
2. Curate a harmonious guest list
Balancing various groups of friends, family and coworkers can be tricky when it comes to party planning. Make sure everyone has someone they can chat with and that the group as a whole can mix and mingle with ease.
3. Make your guests feel at home (and make introductions!)
Once your guests arrive, show them where they can leave their coats, bags and anything they brought to the party to share. If they aren’t familiar with your home, give them a quick tour—or at least show them where the bathroom is! Let them know what things they can help themselves to on their own and what they should go to you for if applicable.
And make sure you introduce them to their fellow revelers. If they’re meeting someone for the first time, try to work a little personalization into the introduction (example: Have you met Samantha? We work together, and she has the cutest corgi!). Give your guests something beyond just a name to ease them into starting a convo.
4. Remember what each guest likes
This is a fantastic quality to have as a host! From their go-to drink to an hors d’oeuvre you know they love, presenting them with their favorite things before they ask will win you major hosting points. It wasn’t uncommon for hosts back in the day to keep a written record of guest preferences, and frankly, it’s a pretty great idea to bring back.
5. Give your guests something to do
Put on some good tunes, play a movie in the background or set out some games for people to enjoy. All of these are great ways to get the conversation flowing and keep your guests occupied.
6. Thank your guests as they leave
Make sure you say goodbye to each guest and thank them as they depart. If they brought a gift or dish to share, comment on it to let them know how much you sincerely appreciated their gesture.
BONUS TIP: How to (politely) get your guests to leave
As fun as a party is and as much as you may adore your guests, eventually, they have to leave. You can include an end time on your Evite invitation, but if you don’t (or if your guests forget that part), don’t worry, there are other ways to nicely wrap up your party.
- Clear away the dishes and leftover food. Once the food disappears, the guests are likely to disappear too.
- Ask your guests if they’d like anything packed up to bring home or if they’d like a cup of coffee before they go. It’s a gracious but firm way to let them know the party is ending while offering them something they may actually want.
- Turn off the music. It’s not super subtle, but it is generally recognized as a “time to go” signal.
- If they’re still there, let them know that it looks like the party is wrapping up and make a comment about something you need to do before you go to bed. Then ask them if they brought a coat or if there’s anything else you can get for them before they go. Thank them for coming, and then walk them to the door!
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6 ways to be a gracious guest
1. Show up on time
Some parties are a bit more relaxed about the start time. But if it’s something like a wedding or dinner party, arriving at the stated start time is very important. Also, don’t show up early unless you’ve checked with the host beforehand. They’re likely still getting everything ready and won’t have time to dedicate to welcoming guests just yet. And don’t bring an extra guest unless you’ve checked with the host ahead of time!
2. Bring a host gift
A good host/hostess gift never goes out of style. Check their Evite invitation to see if they have a “What to Bring” list created. If not, bring something like a bottle of their favorite beverage, fresh flowers, boxed candy or a nice candle.
3. Respect their home
Before you step into their home, ask them if it’s a “shoes on or shoes off” home. If you need something like Tylenol, ask them first before looking through their cabinet. And don’t go through their books or music without asking first if it’s okay.
Don’t smoke or vape indoors, or ask to. If you smoke or vape, excuse yourself and let your host know that you’re stepping outside for that. If they tell you it’s okay to do it indoors, only then is it okay.
Pick up on cues like a stack of coasters left out (use them if they’re there) or when people start to leave/your host starts to clean things up. If you sense that the party is wrapping up, start saying your goodbyes and make sure to thank your host for a lovely time.
4. Compliment their home
Hosts LOVE this! It’s their personal space, after all. With all of the work they’ve put into making their place theirs (and probably making it extra beautiful for the party), tell them that you love what they’ve done.
5. Don’t spend all your time on your phone
Taking a photo or two of you and your friends is fine, but if you’re glued to your screen, it means you aren’t engaging with the rest of the party. Parties are about getting together and spending time with the other people there. If you aren’t doing that, you aren’t really at the party, and your host may wonder why you aren’t enjoying what they’ve carefully planned.
6. Offer to help
While many hosts prefer to load their dishwasher themselves, there are other things you can help with at their party. And even if they have everything under control, they’ll still appreciate your offer!
All right, now go forth and be the best host or guest in town!
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What makes Evite SignUp Sheets different from other signup tools?
Developed hand-in-hand with community organizers, PTA presidents, parents and teachers, Evite's signup sheets are designed to make organizing volunteers a breeze. Here are a few ways SignUp Sheets are different than other signup tools:
- 100% free: SignUp Sheets are free to use.
- Ad-free: No popup ads ever! Our signup sheets remain clutter-free, keeping your volunteers focused on signing up.
- No extra login required: Seamlessly use your Evite account to create and manage your signup sheets, keeping all your events in one convenient location.
- Automatic reminders and notifications: Stay on top of your event with automated reminders and notifications for you and your participants. Perfect for busy parents, teachers and anyone juggling multiple commitments.
- Customization options: Tailor your signup sheets to your specific event, whether it's a school fundraiser, potluck, volunteer opportunity or team activity. Add custom tasks, time slots and requirements for smooth coordination.
- User-friendly experience: Our intuitive interface makes creating and sharing signup sheets simple for everyone, regardless of tech experience.
- Real-time updates: Get instant notifications whenever someone signs up or makes a change, so you always know where things stand.
Choose Evite SignUp Sheets for the easiest, most streamlined way to get volunteers and signups for your next event!
What is a SignUp Sheet?
Signup sheets are the perfect way to streamline scheduling, volunteer recruitment, class parties, snack duty, potluck organization, parent-teacher conferences and more! You can think of them as your digital assistant for coordinating events and tasks and ensuring that your event is a success.
Evite SignUp Sheets offers parents, teachers and event planners customizable online forms that organizers and volunteers can access and update effortlessly. Volunteers can choose their preferred time slots, sign up for tasks or indicate what they'll bring to the event. It only takes organizers a few minutes to create a signup sheet and send it out with a shareable link, so they can get the word out via text, email or social media—whichever way they prefer!
Long story short, SignUp Sheets save everyone involved tons of time, avoid scheduling headaches and ensure everything runs smoothly before and during the event.
How do I create a SignUp Sheet?
Creating a signup sheet has never been easier than with Evite! Here’s how to create a sheet that’s sure to make your event an absolute success:
- Go to Evite SignUp Sheets and choose the template that best fits your needs. Evite offers multiple signup sheet templates perfect for every occasion, including:
- Signup sheets for one day events (without different time slots), perfect for when you’re organizing a class party, potluck or end-of-season party.
- Signup sheets for single or multiple day events (with time slots), perfect for when you’re organizing concession stand volunteers, fundraisers, parent-teacher conferences, meal train, post-game snack duty or during appreciation week.
- After selecting your sheet template, create a title for your signup sheet and add the date, the location, the time (if applicable), who the organizer is, the organizer’s phone number or email and an optional note describing the event to your volunteers. You can also change your signup sheet background and title image if you wish!
- Next, create slots for your signup sheet. If you aren’t logged into your account, you will need to do so at this point, but luckily, you can use your existing Evite account (no need to create yet another login!). What you’ll include here will depend on what your event needs, but you can include a list of what’s needed (along with optional descriptions), how many volunteers are needed, and dates and times.
- After creating your slots, you can then add a wish list from any retailer or include supply suggestions from Evite’s retailer partners. These are to help your volunteers find and purchase supplies quickly and easily.
- Finally, review your sheet, copy your shareable link and send it out to everyone on your list! Every time a volunteer signs up for a slot on your signup sheet, Evite will email you. We will also send reminders to you and your volunteers before your event so no one will forget about it, and we’ll even let volunteers know if you remove their slot or cancel your event sheet so you don’t have to!
What information should be included on a SignUp Sheet?
When it comes to signup sheet information, there are some essentials to include regardless of what you’re organizing:
- A title for your signup sheet. Tip: Aim to keep your signup sheet title concise but clear. You want volunteers to read it and have a general understanding of what your event is about, and also make it easy for them to look for later if they need to reference your sheet again. You have the option to include a more descriptive note in a different field about your event, so save the more in-depth details for that!
- When and where the event is taking place.
- The organizer’s name and phone number.
- Slots for volunteers to choose from. Once you choose the SignUp Sheets template that fits the occasion, the slots you’ll need for your sheet will be right there and ready for you to add the relevant info, such as dates, times, items to bring and tasks to complete.
When adding your slot information, clearly define what people are signing up for, especially for a what-to-bring list or role assignments. If you want someone to bring healthy snacks for kids to enjoy after a game, specify that. You want your volunteers to feel confident in what they’re bringing and to make it easy for them to know what’s expected of them. It will save them time and stress (and you, too!). That being said, if you make your ask too specific (for example, asking for a hard-to-source item or something expensive), you may not end up with a volunteer for it. So be clear about what you expect, but also be reasonable!
Aside from providing the basic signup information, you can also add optional descriptions to both your entire signup sheet and individual slots. While not required, they can help guide your volunteers further and provide more information. You can add information about allergies, preferences and general info about the event. You can also add a wish list to make it easier for your volunteers to bring exactly what you need!
What are the benefits of using a SignUp Sheet template?
Signup sheet templates offer a ton of advantages for both organizers and volunteers and with Evite SignUp Sheets, you'll enjoy even more benefits than other digital and paper signup sheets! Some benefits our signup sheet templates offer include:
- A 100% free experience (no subscriptions required!).
- Shareable links for quick and easy sharing.
- No need to create another login—you can use your existing Evite account.
- The option to add a wish list to help your volunteers out.
- Automatic reminders—we’ll remind everyone on your behalf.
- An easy-to-use experience with eye-catching guided templates.
- Clean, modern designs with no pop-up ads.
With Evite SignUp Sheets, you can enjoy organizing and coordinating all your events with ease. Signup sheets streamline the signup process for everyone involved, ensuring that everything will go to plan on the day of your event while saving you precious time in the process.
