7 Things Every Event Host Forgets (Until It's Too Late)

Save this for your next event

You've spent weeks planning the perfect celebration. The decor is on point, the food is sorted, RSVPs are in. But there are crucial details that even experienced hosts overlook until guests start arriving; and by then, it's too late to fix them.

Whether you're hosting a milestone birthday, wedding reception, engagement party, or any celebration really, these seven overlooked details can mean the difference between a smooth event and an awkward one.

---

1. Extra Hand Towels

The Problem: One damp towel for 30 people - a wet hand towel feel gross.

You've set out your nice decorative hand towel in the bathroom. It looks great for the first few guests. But by guest number five, it's soaked. By guest fifteen, people are awkwardly wiping their hands on their pants or just... not washing their hands. Not ideal.

The Solution:

Put out a visible stack of 6-8 small hand towels in a basket or on the counter. Guests will naturally grab a fresh one when needed. Way easier than trying to remember to swap them out mid-party when you're busy hosting.

Pro tip: Buy a pack of inexpensive towels specifically for events. You won't stress about them getting stained or having no towels the next day.

---

2. Hide the Decorative Pillows

The Problem: Your couch fits 4 people, not 4 pillows and 2 people.

Those throw pillows look great and pull your room together but when guests arrive and need somewhere to sit, those pillows become obstacles. People end up awkwardly stacking them on the floor, squishing them behind their backs, or perching on the edge of furniture because there's no actual room to sit.

The Solution:

Stash decorative pillows in a bedroom before guests arrive. Functionality and comfort beats aesthetic here.

Pro tip: If you're hosting 20+ people, do a quick walk-through and count actual sitting spots. Can everyone sit comfortably? If not, borrow folding chairs from friends or rent them. Standing for hours isn't fun for anyone.

---

3. Take the First Bite (For Them)

The Problem: Nobody wants to be the first person to eat. Pre-remove a few items to break the ice.

There's always that awkward moment at the food table. Everyone's hungry. Everyone's looking at the charcuterie board or grazing table. But nobody wants to be the person who "ruins" the perfect presentation. So everyone stands there, waiting.

The Solution:

Before guests arrive, mess up the display a bit yourself. Take a slice of cheese, grab some crackers, remove a few items from each platter. Make it look like someone's already started so guests don't feel like they're destroying your hard work.

Pro tip: Say "Started without you!" with a smile as guests arrive. This one phrase makes the food instantly approachable. People will dive in immediately.

---

4. Clearly Marked Bins

The Problem: "Where's the bin?" asked repeatedly is not fun for anyone.

Guests holding empty cups, plates, and napkins shouldn't have to hunt for a trash can or keep interrupting you to ask where things go. It creates awkward moments and makes you the designated trash director all night.

The Solution:

Place bins in obvious high-traffic spots—near the food table, by the drinks station, in the main gathering area. Even better, add a small sign or mention it as guests arrive: "Trash is in the kitchen by the door."

Pro tip: If you care about recycling or composting, make it foolproof with clear labels. Otherwise, accept that everything's going in one bin and deal with sorting later.

---

5. Actually Good Non-Alcoholic Drinks

The Problem: Not everyone drinks—and nobody wants flat Sprite from 2019.

You've put thought into your drink menu. Maybe you've got a signature cocktail, selected wines, or stocked craft beer. But your non-alcoholic options? A forgotten bottle of flat soda and tap water.

Here's the thing: Not everyone drinks alcohol. Designated drivers, pregnant friends, people who are sober, or those who simply don't drink shouldn't feel like afterthoughts at your event.

The Solution:

Sparkling water + fresh fruit = effort shown. Slice up some citrus, berries, or cucumber. Put it in a nice pitcher or dispenser. Present it the same way you'd present the "real" drinks.

Pro tip: Grab a few interesting options—flavored sparkling waters, fancy sodas, fresh juices. Serve them in actual glassware with garnishes, not plastic cups. Your non-drinking guests will appreciate being treated equally.

---

6. A Spot for Shoes, Coats & Bags

The Problem: Guests awkwardly holding jackets and bags all night? Not a vibe.

Picture this: Guests arrive with coats, purses, jackets. There's nowhere obvious to put them. So they drape coats over your dining chairs, pile bags in the entryway, or worst—hold onto them all night because they don't want to assume where things should go.

The Solution:

Designate a spot for belongings and tell people where it is as they arrive. Simple as that.

Pro tip: "Coats go on the bed in the first room on the left" takes two seconds to say and makes everyone infinitely more comfortable. If you don't have a coat closet, use a bedroom. Lay coats on the bed, set up a shoe area by the door, done.

---

7. A Way to Actually GET Guest Photos

The Problem: Your guests won't send the party pictures "later". You need a system.

This is the number one regret we hear from event hosts. You throw an amazing party. Everyone takes photos—you see people snapping away all night, capturing moments, group shots, the fun stuff your photographer (if you have one) might miss.

And then you get maybe 25 photos. Total. After 3 weeks. If you're lucky.

Why the Traditional Methods Don't Work:

"I'll AirDrop/send them later"

Real talk: They won't. It's not that they don't mean to. Life gets busy. Phones get full. People forget. That amazing candid shot from your wedding or 30th birthday? Gone forever because it's sitting on someone's phone who forgot to send it.

"Here's a Google Drive link"

Sounds organised, right? Except nobody actually uses it. You send the link at 11pm after your event. Maybe 4 people out of 50 remember to upload. There are 5 steps for uploading from phones. And honestly? After spending thousands and several hours on event decor, asking people to upload to what looks like their job's filing system feels like a letdown.

Group chat chaos

Photos get scattered across multiple group chats, text threads, different platforms. Good luck finding that specific moment from your celebration three months later. And when people leave group chats or change numbers? Those photos are gone.

What Actually Works: Real-Time Shared Galleries

The only photo collection method that consistently works is making it happen DURING your event, not after. When guests can upload photos instantly and see them displayed live, they actually do it. When it's easy (like scanning a QR code), they participate. When they see their photos appear on a screen in real-time, they get excited and take more.

This is exactly why we built Keepsake.

How Keepsake Solves the Event Photo Problem:

The Setup (Takes 2 Minutes):

1. Create your event - Add basic details, connect your Google Drive or OneDrive
2. Share RSVP link - Guests can RSVP directly in their browser
3. Display QR code at your event - Print it, put it on a sign, make it visible - you even get templates to use in the Keespake Event Success Kit

What Happens at Your Event:

1. Guests scan the QR code - Takes literally 5 seconds, download the free app
2. They upload photos - Take photos and videos in-app or upload from their camera roll
3. Photos appear in real-time - Shared gallery everyone can see immediately
4. Display on screens - Show photos live on your TV/projector (highly recommended, it's amazing)
5. Everything auto-saves - To YOUR cloud storage (Google Drive or OneDrive)

Why This Actually Works:

• It's easy - QR code scan is the simplest possible entry point
• It's instant - No "I'll do it later," photos upload during the event
• It's engaging - Live slideshow creates entertainment and encourages participation
• You're in control - Pause uploads during speeches, remove unwanted photos, manage everything
• You own everything - Photos save to your storage, not ours. You keep them forever

What You Get After Your Event:

• Every photo from every guest, organised and permanent
• No chasing people for weeks asking "did you send those photos?"
• Complete documentation of your celebration from every angle
• Candid moments your photographer couldn't capture
• An actual, complete album you can look back on

---

Real Event Host Experience:

The difference between having a photo collection system and not having one is stark. Without a system, hosts typically end up with less than 10% of the photos their guests actually took - or worse, their guests don't take any pictures at all! With Keepsake, you get the vast majority of photos because it's happening in the moment when people are engaged and excited.

---

Your Complete Event Checklist

Before your next celebration, run through this:

Day-Before Prep:

• Stack of 6-8 hand towels visible in bathroom
• Decorative pillows hidden away, seating maximised
• Food displays "pre-started" (remove a few items)
• Bins placed in high-traffic areas
• Quality non-alcoholic drink station set up
• Designated coat/bag area chosen

Photo Collection:

• Keepsake event created with RSVP link shared
• QR code printed and displayed prominently
• TV/screen set up for live slideshow (recommended)
• Cloud storage connected for automatic saving

---

The Common Thread: Think Like a Guest

All of these overlooked details have something in common: you don't think about them as a host because you're focused on the big stuff. But your guests experience these small friction points throughout your event.

The best hosts anticipate needs before guests have to ask. They create an environment where people feel comfortable and can actually enjoy themselves rather than dealing with awkward logistics.

---

Stop Losing Your Event Photos

If you're planning a wedding, milestone birthday, engagement party, or any celebration, don't make the photo collection mistake that thousands of hosts regret.

Try Keepsake

We're currently beta testing with event hosts who want a better way to collect guest photos.

What's included:

• Online RSVP management
• QR code guest access
• Real-time photo uploads
• Live slideshow display
• Automatic cloud storage (your Google Drive or OneDrive)
• Organiser controls for managing uploads
• Ability to promote attendees to Event Manager

How to join the beta:

→ Visit: keepsakeapp.io, click 'Join beta' and follow the steps to install.

---

Final Thoughts

Hosting an event should be about creating memories and enjoying time with people you care about - not stressing about forgotten details or spending weeks chasing people for photos afterward.

These seven things might seem small, but they're the difference between guests feeling comfortable or awkward, between having a complete photo album or wondering what happened to all those amazing moments.

What would you add to this list? What detail do YOU always forget when hosting?

---

Related Topics: Event planning tips, wedding photo collection, party hosting advice, milestone birthday planning, guest photo management, event RSVP systems, celebration planning

---