housewarming
party ...
Q:
I am having a
housewarming party, but I want to split the time up between an
open house from 2-5 p.m. for co-workers, and guests that can
only pop in for a few minutes, and a party from 5 to 10 p.m. for
my close friends and family that can stay awhile and celebrate.
Should I send out 2 separate invitations?
Is
it okay to put your house themes on the invitations such as:
THEMES: Kitchen - apples, Living room - nautical to let them
know what kind of things to bring for your new house.
A:
While I can
certainly see the appeal of having two different parties, I’ve
hosted enough gatherings by now to know that it’s very, very
difficult to know exactly when a party is going to end. Guests
have a pesky tendency not to show up at the designated time, and
there really isn’t a particularly subtle, graceful way to herd
a big group of people out of your house once you decide you,
personally, are ready for them to clear out.
And it would look mighty weird and not a small amount
off-putting if the guests from party A were being guided out of
the house at the same time that guests from party B were just
beginning to spill in. If you’re dead-set on doing two
separate housewarmings, I’d think it would be much easier for
you as a host to just have them on separate days, to avoid the
almost inevitable awkwardness of that transition period.
Alternatively, if you’re not averse to the idea of
letting the two groups of people intermingle a bit, just make it
one big party – let guests know that the afternoon will be a
chance for people to pop in and get a peek at the house, and
that if they have more time, they’re welcome to arrive later
and help you break in the house by celebrating well into the
evening.
As
for giving guests hints on what to bring you as a housewarming
gift, there’s really no socially proper way to just come out
and tell guests that you want, say, apple-motif dishtowels for
your kitchen.
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