Are you planning a holiday party this year? Don’t let stress get the best of you. At Smith Insurance and Financial Services, we believe a home or office party can be as fun to host as it is to attend if you know our top five stress-busting secrets. Continue reading to learn our top 5 secrets to hosting a safe and fun holiday party that will be the talk of your neighborhood.
- Stay Organized – Sometimes making a list can help visualize the tasks at hand and order them according to priority.
- Delegate – Enlist fellow hosts, friends or family members to help you prepare. The simple act of delegating can save hours of frustration and last-minute scrambling. So let someone else pick up the cake or make the eggnog this year.
- Cook Ahead – Stay ahead of the game by cooking as much of your menu as possible prior to party time. Cold desserts, soups, stews, and many types of hors d’oeuvres can be refrigerated or even frozen in advance. This can save hours the day of your party and also help with the clean-up.
- Save Money – Nothing can make a party more stressful than overspending. Save your dough by shopping for second-hand or repurposed holiday décor at your local flea market.
- Prevent Awkward Conversation – If your guests are uncomfortable, you are too. Help set the mood with a festive holiday playlist, or bring out the karaoke machine for some crowd-pleasing fun.
Bonus Tip: Consider Your Liability
As the host of a social gathering, you are ultimately responsible for the safety and well-being of your guests. If someone is injured or assaulted on your property, you may be held liable. You can also be held legally and financially liable for the actions of a driver who leaves your party visibly intoxicated.
For example, imagine you have several friends over for a party where you will be serving beer, wine or spirits. They bring along their own friends or acquaintances, one of which consumes too much alcohol over the course of the evening. The guest leaves your house heavily intoxicated and collides with another vehicle on the way home, severely disabling the other driver and passengers. Your guest is charged and arrested. A couple of days later you find out that you have been served with a civil lawsuit that names you as a liable party to the collision. Could you afford to pay the legal fees, medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering associated with the litigation?
Perhaps you are hosting an office party for the employees of a small business you own. Despite not serving alcohol at the party, one guest arrives intoxicated. Over the course of the evening, he inappropriately touches or makes disparaging remarks to a female employee, and she files a sexual harassment lawsuit against your business. Would you be covered?
Unfortunately, these are the types of serious circumstances many holiday party hosts face every year. Even if you think your existing homeowners liability or EPLI coverage will protect you, waiting to review your coverage when you need to file a claim could be too late. Don’t wait to find out what is and is not covered in your policy. For help reviewing your existing coverage and identifying gaps in your liability protection, contact our office to schedule a consultation.
