Welcome Home!
"Home is where Love resides,
Memories are created,
Friends are always welcome and
Laughter never ends."
If someone you know has been away from home for a long time, you might want to celebrate their return with a special event. Whether they were travelling for work or pleasure, away for college, deployed with the military, or living overseas, a welcome home party can be a great way to show your friend or loved one they were missed.
Keep the guest of honor in mind as you plan the gathering. Plan a party you know they will enjoy, whether that’s a large or small gathering, an informal shindig or a formal sit-down dinner.
Also consider how long they’ve been gone, and why they were traveling: someone who has been away for months or years, or was away for military service, may need more time to rest and adjust before they’re ready to celebrate.
Invite everyone they know and love
Create your guest list first so that you know how many guests to plan for. Once you have determined your guest list, it will be easier to start looking for a venue that can accommodate your guest count.
Invite the guests 1-3 weeks before the party. The method you use to invite guests should be determined by the formality of the party: a larger affair or a sit-down dinner suggests printed invitations or perhaps an evite. A call, text, or social media message is fine for more casual gatherings.
Make the menu their favorite food
Food conjures memories. The best way to make someone feel at home is to feed them something comforting and familiar. This would be an especially great idea if they didn’t have access to a specific type of food while away or if they got stuck eating the same three things repeatedly.
Serve all of the party person’s favorites from a local restaurant or, if home-cooking is what they missed most, make all of their favorite homemade dishes.
Don't forget dessert!
Cakes aren’t just for weddings and birthdays. A cake decorated with the words “Welcome Home” is a must-have for your welcome home party.
You can also switch it up and serve a pie, cookie cake, or ice cream cake, as well as cupcakes with individual letters or decorated/customized cookies, based on the party honoree’s preference. Basically, if you can fit words on it, you can serve it!
The Song Remembers When
Like food, music connects us to memories. So if you curate the perfect playlist, you can make them feel right at home again. Check out the honoree’s public Spotify playlists, do some social media snooping, or ask their closest friends for ideas of bands, songs, and genres that they love most.
Host a toast to the guest of honor
Show them how much you care and how much everyone missed them while away by hosting a toast. Grab some champagne, sparkling cider, or their drink of choice and some lovely flutes or glasses. On the invitations, ask everyone to prepare to share some words at the party. Public speaking might be nerve-wracking for your more introverted guests, so consider laying out a journal where everyone can write a message to the guest of honor.
Go all out with the decorations
There isn’t exactly a template for decorating for a welcome home party. At the very least, you can’t forget the “Welcome Home” banner, but you can also decorate your party space with balloons in their favorite colors, flowers and photos.
To make decorating more manageable, consider picking a theme! For example, if they were abroad, theme the party around that country, or use a patriotic theme when returning from deployment. If you can’t think of anything else, pick a color scheme or movie they like and run with it.
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