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How To Host A Wine & Cheese Party

There's no doubt I enjoy entertaining. I love planning a party, but it can be stressful prepping the day of especially when you throw watching kiddos in to the mix.  I learned the hard way of how long it takes to prepare for a party on a Saturday when you're taking care of 3 young kiddos.

If you want to have friends over but you're easily overwhelmed by planning and hosting parties, I've got the perfect solution for you. Throw a simple wine and cheese party! Here are a few tips on how to put together a no-fuss get together with your friends!


Wine and Cheese Party, Hosting a Girls Night Out, How to Host a Wine and Cheese Party, At Home, Serving ware
Photos by Brooke Taelor Photography
1.) Choose a Date/Time/Guests
How big is this party going to be? Are you inviting all of your girlfriends or just a few. Are men invited or is it a Girls Night Out? Weekend or Weeknight? This would be a great party to throw for The Bachelorette finale! Don't worry about sending out a special paper invite, simply create an event on Facebook with all the details. For this party I simply texted my neighbors the details!

Wine and Cheese Party, Hosting a Girls Night Out, How to Host a Wine and Cheese Party, At Home, Serving ware
Wine and Cheese Party, Hosting a Girls Night Out, How to Host a Wine and Cheese Party, At Home, Serving ware

2.) Don't Pick A Theme
Themes are where I go down a bunny trail when planning parties. I get wrapped up in a "theme" and can't stop buying and crafting things that would be perfect for that specific theme. Keep it SIMPLE and don't worry about a rustic party, chalkboard style party, etc.  Stick with simple napkins, plates, and serving trays. Don't worry about mix and matching.

Wine and Cheese Party, Hosting a Girls Night Out, How to Host a Wine and Cheese Party, At Home, Serving ware
Wine and Cheese Party, Hosting a Girls Night Out, How to Host a Wine and Cheese Party, At Home, Serving ware

3.) Don't Overspend
Shopping for party food is where most people get overwhelmed. You don't need special pairings, and extremely pricey cheese to have a good time. I went to my local HEB and grabbed the following; Brie, Blue Cheese, Parmesan, Sharp Cheddar and Gouda. I bought salami, dark chocolate, grapes, olives, and dried apricots to mix it up. You don't have to buy all of these things to keep your guests full. I was eating these leftovers for days after the party. Don't forget the crackers! Ask your guests to bring a bottle of their favorite wine, and this will keep your expenses down.

Wine and Cheese Party, Hosting a Girls Night Out, How to Host a Wine and Cheese Party, At Home, Serving ware
Wine and Cheese Party, Hosting a Girls Night Out, How to Host a Wine and Cheese Party, At Home, Serving ware
 
4.) Gather Serving Trays & Wine Glasses
Over the years I've collected serving trays, cutting boards and bowls that are great for serving food at parties. They have been extremely handy when throwing last minute get togethers with friends. Taking a bag of chips and pouring it in to a pretty white ceramic bowl immediately makes it look like you've got it together. Or taking store bought brownies and placing them on a cute cake platter...BOOM...immediate Betty Crocker status. The vase, wine glasses and serving ware in this post are from At Home. They have hundreds of serving ware styles and items to choose from!

Wine and Cheese Party, Hosting a Girls Night Out, How to Host a Wine and Cheese Party, At Home, Serving ware
Wine and Cheese Party, Hosting a Girls Night Out, How to Host a Wine and Cheese Party, At Home, Serving ware, roses, table decor, table centerpiece, party centerpiece, flower centerpiece, round vase Wine and Cheese Party, Hosting a Girls Night Out, How to Host a Wine and Cheese Party, At Home, Serving ware

5.) Relax & Have Fun
Put on some fun music, dress casual and chow down! This is a perfect no fuss party that doesn't take a ton of effort to prepare or clean up for.
 
Wine and Cheese Party, Hosting a Girls Night Out, How to Host a Wine and Cheese Party, At Home, Serving ware
Wine and Cheese Party, Hosting a Girls Night Out, How to Host a Wine and Cheese Party, At Home, Serving ware
Photos by Brooke Taelor Photography

I added fresh pink roses to bring in some summer decor. I'm excited to partner with At Home to give one lucky reader a $50 gift card to their store! All you have to do is comment below with how you would bring Summer indoors! (Open to US residents only, must be 18+, Winner will be chosen on 8/1) 

Feel free to pin this post using the image below so you remember next time you're party planning!

Wine and Cheese Party, Party planning, girls night out, moms night out, hosting a party, party planning, cheese plate, how to host a party

This post is brought to you in partnership with At Home, but all opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands I love!

6 comments:

Kimberly Burke said...

I love these suggestions, Jesse!! This looks so tasty, fun, and effortless! Plus, these photos are too pretty.

I would love to bring summer (semi) indoors by entertaining guests at our soon to be new home in our covered patio space! I love entertaining and hosting people, so having a place to grill and chill outside without being scorched by the sun is something we're so looking forward to!

Happy Monday!

Best,

Kimberly

Anonymous said...

I randomly found your blog and so enjoy reading it! I love to bring summer inside by just inviting people over to my apartment. I'm in college so it is hard to do a lot but I love hosting friends! I throw in a couple of pizzas and we all hang out in the air conditioning and talk!

Anita | Fearless Captivations said...

This is so fun, Jesse! Those plates with words on them are my favorite. An indoor summer party is definitely the way to go with the summer heat. I think summer is all about bright colors and fun patterns so I'd bring summer indoors with colorful dishware, napkins and flowers!

Unknown said...

Love your tips! They make throwing a party seem so effortless. I love to bring the outdoors in by keeping the house as open as possible. Often people will congregate in the kitchen, and mine opens to a covered patio. Keeping that door open lets people go in and out, and since it's covered it doesn't get overwhelmingly warm inside. Open windows and blinds help keep things sunny inside and out!

Unknown said...

I love those coasters and cutting boards! And I love cheese. All cheese. And wine. All red wines.

Liz said...

I love to bring summer indoors with fresh flowers. Also, eating a delicious BBQ dinner reminds me of summer nights.