My wife and I love to entertain in our home. A lot can be said for having friends over: you save money on food, you control the volume of the environment and if someone gets too drunk, they can sleep it off in your living room.
The most important part of entertaining though is being a good host. Being a good host is much more than making sure everyone has a frosty beverage or a tour of the abode, you must make your guests feel comfortable. Many times I have visited a friend's home and could not wait until 9:00 when I felt it was safe to make my goodbyes. Other times I felt so comfortable I almost took off my shoes and laid down on the couch.
I have found one thing to be the deciding factor when it comes to determining what kind of experience I will have and that is the greeting I receive from the host(s). I make it a point when people come into my home to approach them. Unless I have my hands full putting out a fire, I walk up to my guests and welcome them. You make a couple of seconds of small talk, shake hands, kiss cheeks and introduce them to the others. You make sure that they have a comfortable environment to walk into. Nothing bothers me more than having to find the host and than wade, on my own, through a sea of strangers.
Remember the next time you have a party in your castle to APPROACH and GREET all guests. You have to be the port in the storm for the people that do not know anyone. You make get stuck in the corner talking to the guy that has seen Lord of the Rings 54 times, but that is the price you pay for making people happy in your home.
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