From hostess gifts to gracious goodbyes, following these dos and don’ts will guarantee you’re the best guest at the party.
Failing to RSVP is a major faux-pas, not to mention a huge hassle for your host when it comes to planning party food and drinks. Send your RSVP as soon as possible — no later than two weeks after receiving the invitation and one week before the party — even if you aren’t attending.
Looking for a surefire way to be a good guest? Bring something besides yourself to the party. You don’t have to splurge on the best gift ever, but a bottle of wine or flowers is a sweet and simple gesture to show your thanks.
Whether your host wants you to show up in costume or get gussied up in a sequined dress or suit and tie, follow the dress code — even if it means forgoing your favorite pair of jeans. When in doubt, dress it up rather than down if a dress code isn’t specified. Still not sure what to wear? Clear up any confusion beforehand by giving your host a quick call or sending a simple text.
Unless you’ve cleared it with your host prior to the party (or the invitation gives you the go-ahead), stay on the safe side and show up solo. Your hosts have already prepped and planned the menu around the number of attendees, and arriving with an unexpected guest may put a strain on supplies. If you don’t want to be upfront about asking, try this: Politely decline the invitation by saying something like, “My cousin is in town for the weekend and I don’t want to impose. Have fun!” If your host has no problem with you bringing a plus one, he or she will likely respond by giving you the OK.
Showing up right on time, or worse yet, early, is a no-no (unless you’ve been asked to bring party supplies or help set up). Last-minute party prep is almost inevitable— don’t add extra stress by arriving right on the dot. Instead, aim to get there 10 to 15 minutes after the official start time (unless it’s a huge blowout, in which case it’s okay to come later).
Sure, say hello to your host when you first arrive, but don’t stay attached to his or her hip the whole night. Instead, make an effort to mix and mingle with other guests — that takes the pressure off your host and gives you the chance to connect with someone new. Need some quick conversation starters? Check out our top 10 things to talk about with a guest you’ve never met.
Live in the moment and remember why you’re there — to enjoy the company of your friends, not check Instagram on the couch. If you’re attending a casual open-house style party, it’s more acceptable to sneak a quick peek at your cell, but as a rule, keep your ringer off and your phone stowed away.
Keep it classy and drink in moderation. If you’re expecting your evening to involve shots of Jägermeister, recruit a DD prior to the party or ask your host to confiscate your keys and plan to call a ride-sharing service.
Don’t ghost, thank your host. You don’t have to say sayonara to every guest in attendance, but do give your hosts a proper goodbye before you head home (they did feed and entertain you all evening, after all). It might seem old-school, but you should also send a follow-up digital thank-you card, text, email or phone call within a few days of the party.
There’s no hard and fast rule on when to head home, but unless it’s a dance-all-night kind of rager, plan to leave when the host starts dropping hints (think clearing dishes, putting drinks away, loudly announcing “Wow, is it 1 AM already?!”).
Ready to host a party of your own? Get started by sending this free Evite Invitation or another one of our hundreds of digital designs.
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:
Choose Evite SignUp Sheets for the easiest, most streamlined way to get volunteers and signups for your next event!
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.
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:
When it comes to signup sheet information, there are some essentials to include regardless of what you’re organizing:
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!
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:
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.