Ready to host your next gathering for your friends? Why not make it a brunch? Guests often expect hearty meals at gatherings hosted in the evening, but a brunch—a meal that’s eaten late morning as a replacement for lunch—gives hosts the flexibility to set the tone.
Brunch can be a posh event fitting for a bridal shower or a casual gathering bringing together people to watch a daytime sporting event. Brunch also allows hosts to set the hours for gathering as short or as late as they would like, but also gives guests the flexibility to leave the party to attend to other commitments. Most of all, brunch helps your guests get their day started on the right foot by having them in the warm and inviting atmosphere of your home. The following tips can help you host a brunch that strikes the right tone for putting your guests at ease.
Set the Tone With the Right Menu
Brunch gives hosts the flexibility to choose from foods that are either traditionally held for breakfast or lunch. Hosts can opt to serve fruits and light salads, savory dishes like bacon or omelets, or delectable pastries like cinnamon rolls or crepes. When deciding your menu, first choose a brunch theme. Is it a Mother’s Day celebration? A baby shower for a friend? Or a gathering to watch an afternoon of football? If it’s a brunch surrounding the celebration of a person, you could choose to serve the person’s favorite foods.
If you’re making the food yourself, opt for food that you can make ahead of time and serve to large groups. Breakfast casseroles, waffles, and French toast are some of the foods that you can do food prep the night before and quickly make before the guests arrive. Your menu is also dependent on the number of guests you expect. If you are planning to host a large number of guests, a buffet-style, make-your-own meal can free you up to host guests without needing to constantly serve food. A make-it-yourself waffle bar or taco bar helps to promote interaction among your guests.
On a side note, remember to take note of how you plan to serve the food. If you’re having a buffet-style brunch scheduled to run throughout the whole afternoon, make sure that the serving dishes have proper heating so the food will continually be safe to eat throughout the day
Spike up Your Gathering With Brunch Cocktails
Cocktails are not limited to an evening cocktail hour. Serving brunch cocktails toes the line between classy and casual. They work well with nearly any brunch theme, bringing the cherry on top to your theme and party atmosphere. All you need to do is choose the right mix.
Bloody Marys and Mimosa drinks are traditionally the go-to brunch cocktail for a New Year’s Day brunch—a time when especially you need a morning cocktail to wake you up from staying out all night and early morning—and continue to dominate the cocktail brunch scene.
But as a host, you can spike up your beverage menu with a variety of light cocktails that play well to your brunch theme or party mood. Is your brunch a nod to the spirit of southern hospitality? A spiked sweet tea may set the tone of warmth and grace of a Southern Belle. Can’t make it in person to the Kentucky Derby? Bring the jovial and chic atmosphere of Churchill Downs right to your living room with a mint julep.
Here’s a tip: if you’re hosting a large crowd at your brunch, the easiest way to serve brunch cocktails is a large jug or glass pitcher that shows off the ombre coloring and varying hues of your favorite mixed drinks.
Bring on the Fun With Entertainment
A brunch isn’t all about the food and the booze. As a host, you need to provide an entertaining atmosphere that helps your guest socialize and enjoy the party. Karaoke is always a great option to help guests loosen up and enjoy the musical talents (or laugh at the not-so-musical talents) of friends. If it’s a brunch outside, make sure to set up a couple of yard games like bocce, corn hole, or even badminton. Even when a sporting event is the reason for the gathering, having other entertainment options can help other guests who are not into sports feel that they are enjoying the party as well.
Hosting a brunch as your next gathering gives you the flexibility as a host to make it as small or as large as you want. These tips can help your run your gathering without a hitch and set the tone of the day for you and your guests.