Welcome to our home! My boyfriend Jared and I recently moved into our first house! We have been living in different apartments for the last couple of years but finally landed a cute little 800 square foot house (and yard!) in sunny Orange County, CA. The real estate market (even for renters) is bananas in this area so we are feeling extra fortunate!
We wanted to celebrate right and kick off this new abode of ours with a housewarming party! Follow along as I share some of my best tips and tricks to mastering your own housewarming party and actually enjoying it too.
Mail Out Invitations
When was the last time you sent out a paper invitation? I think email invites can get lost in your guests’ inboxes and it is so much more memorable when you receive something tangible. I love to include a small riddle that encourages your guests to bring a bottle of wine or liquor to the party!
When it comes to your guests… don’t be afraid to invite some newcomers! Chances are, you don’t know a great deal of people in your new ‘hood, so invite some friendly looking neighbors and maybe your new local barista or yoga instructor.
Set Some Time for Tours
Even though our house is only 800 square feet, people were really interested in hearing about the way we designed it! We put a ton of effort into the backyard and kitchen and “renovating” your rental can be tricky! Set up times throughout the evening to take a few guests at a time around the home for a full play-by-play of your space.
Pick an Object for Everyone to Sign
I love putting out one object for guests to sign. It’s sort of like a sign in book at a wedding but way less formal. An activity like this gives your guest something to do if they come early and frees up a little bit of your time for those last minute touches. Things like an empty wine bottle, a tray, or blank canvas are great! At the end you’ll also have a funky home décor piece.
Small Appetizers
You just moved in and chances are not everything is in working order quite yet! Keep the food small and tasty. Think cheese platters and smaller appetizers. You’re not expected to put together a 3-course meal at a housewarming party! For moving parties like this, I always like to go heavier on the cocktails than food. I love this great drink dispenser for batched cocktails. For a super fun twist serve your glassware with a Popsicle for dipping in each cocktail!
Give the Party a Focal Point
While this isn’t a formal dinner, it’s nice to have a focal point to the party. This is where you can put out cocktails, appetizers and have music playing. Chances are, not all of your guests know exactly where everything is in your new home yet. We chose our backyard because it provides the most breathing room in our space. We spend so much time in our “outdoor living room” thanks to our GORGEOUS Cosco outdoor furniture that it seemed like the perfect fit!
