Welcome to Our Home
By Kristen Dee / Photography by Kristina Armstrong
These five local couples love to welcome others into their homes for dinners, holidays, and more.
Read on to learn about their passion for hosting and tips and tricks they have learned along the way.
For Wayne and Laura Brown, hosting isn’t just an opportunity for a dinner party, but a way to give back to their community. Whether it’s a monthly dinner party or a holiday, the couple keeps an open invitation. “We try to include those who might be alone during the holidays, welcoming them as members of our family,” shares Laura. “That also led to the creation of our 2024 monthly Sunday dinners. Attendance was open to all, and we chose a new theme every month.”
The Browns’ monthly dinners often have up to 30 guests in attendance, requiring a divide-and-conquer approach to preparation. “We are party strategists,” Laura jokes. “Wayne is outdoors tackling the grill and setting up chairs, tents, and inflatables. I have a table layout template that makes it certain the tables have enough room for all the meals, and the template allows others to help with setup. For indoor gatherings, I always use the disposable paper tablecloths and provide our guests with a bucket of crayons to draw. The adults enjoy this as much as the children.”
This coordinated approach to hosting is a reflection of the Brown’s marital vision, captured in the acronym R.I.V.E.R. The R stands for refreshing, I for inviting, V for vision-driven, E for economically secure, and R for replenishing. They explain, “This marital vision is the key to the welcoming atmosphere we cultivate. It models a welcoming environment, like a river where guests can relax. We provide safe, kid-friendly spaces for children of every age. We both possess a heart for serving others.”
Most recently, the Browns helped host a large vacation in Orlando in July, inviting friends and family from across the country. “About 30 people gathered for three days in a large resort home. I arranged catered meals to let everyone relax and have fun. Introducing others to friends we’d made during our military journeys was wonderful. For us, a successful event means you’re smiling, well-fed, and feeling inspired after connecting with others,” Laura finishes.
In the Luttrell household, hosting starts before the guests even arrive. “I try and make guests feel special by having my home ready, having a signature cocktail for them, and creating a custom playlist,” shares Paula. She and her husband host throughout the year, throwing birthday parties, curating special dinners, and having holiday parties.
Paula enjoys theming their hosted events depending on the season. For example, she often makes a signature cocktail that reflects the time of year, such as Jingle Juice during Christmas time. She also customizes the background music, choosing a “genre that fits the mood of the evening.” These custom touches not only make guests feel welcome, but also help get the conversation flowing and set the tone for the evening.
In order to pull off the perfectly curated event, Paula and George both contribute. “It’s like a dance,” Paula shares. “He knows his role, I know mine, and it works so well.” As the two are seasoned hosts, they have picked up a few tips and tricks along the way. “Plan ahead with the theme, tablescape, menu, and guest list,” Paula recommends. “I try to plan my guest list with people who will have things in common and be intentional with the list. I look at the weather to decide where I want to entertain, and I lay out the table, settings, and décor the day before.”
The two especially enjoy hosting in the fall season, when the weather cools and the views from their patio become all the more beautiful. “Last year, I hosted a birthday dinner with some close friends. We had a four-course dinner on our lower patio overlooking the lake. Great conversation and reminiscing on past memories made it so special,” Paula recalls. “After we host, we hope our company feels how much we care about them when they leave.”
Jamie and Beth Simpson enjoy hosting friends and family throughout the year for special occasions, but nothing tops their annual wine event, Wine on the Hill. Each year, the Simpsons go all out for Wine on the Hill to share their love of great wine, food, and company. Beth explains, “All guests bring a favorite bottle of wine to share, and we have a blind tasting with different themes. Whoever wins the tasting receives a special bottle of wine to take home with them.”
In addition to the tasting activity, extra touches make the event special for their guests. “We have a wine glass made in the theme every year for our friends to take as a keepsake,” says Beth. “We fill the house with fresh flowers and get catering from High Haute Foods.” While the caterers tackle most of the food, there are often surprises in store from guests. “Every year, someone surprises us with an extra treat,” says Beth. “One year it was fresh tuna caught by a guest. Another year it was a chocolate fountain with an assortment of sweet treats and Benton’s bacon.”
Hosting the event is a team effort, with Jamie and Beth splitting the duties of sending invites, choosing the theme and wine tasting game, and organizing catering. Then the hard work pays off as they watch the evening play out. Beth shares, “My favorite part of the evening is when the noise level rises so high you can barely hear the person in front of you. It brings joy knowing our friends are having a good time.”
While Jamie and Beth look forward each year to planning a new theme and sharing delicious food and wine, the event has become meaningful beyond just a party. Beth shares, “As our children grow older, this event reminds us of the importance of friends, family, and neighbors. We consider them all part of a bigger family. Life gets busy when you are raising children, so to have an evening where time slows down and we get to breathe in the beauty of those who have been on this journey with us is such a gift.”
“We relish in bringing people together and watching new friendships create lasting friendships,” share Shane and Stephanie Painter. “We appreciate seeing people enjoy themselves in the atmosphere we create.” Often, the atmosphere in the Painter home is lively – every year they host a college football kickoff party, a tradition now going on 10 years. “I typically smoke more than 30 pounds of Boston butt for pulled pork sandwiches, and we make a few sides,” says Shane. “Many of our family and friends have been coming for years and bring some great side dishes. We always have a good crowd.”
In addition to the kickoff party, the Painters host family at Thanksgiving and Christmas, enjoying a house full of friends and family and traditions such as a gift exchange, special appetizers, and themed cocktails. “We do a dirty Santa gift exchange around Christmas with family and friends,” says Shane. “We make appetizers, and a real crowd pleaser are the ‘pig shots’ we make, which are a slice of kielbasa sausage with a piece of bacon wrapped around it to form a ‘shot glass.’ Then the glass is stuffed with spiced cream cheese and thinly diced pineapple and cooked on the smoker until the bacon is done.” In addition to tasty appetizers, Stephanie is a master bartender, serving up holiday cocktails often infused with her own homemade simple syrups.
Planning these events is no easy task, with a lot of preparation involved to get the theme, menu, invitation, schedule, and other details just right. While the two enjoy the time spent planning and prepping, the most rewarding part is when it all comes together. “We have a lot of friends from different backgrounds and areas of our life. Our favorite memories are blending friends,” they say. “The most effort we give is to create a space for people to gather and meet – it makes the most organic friendships. We are grateful for these friendships! Our goal is to laugh, enjoy the moment, eat great food, and never let life seem dull.”
Cole and Brittney Murphy have been hosting together since they were married 13 years ago, and they do so as often as possible. “Our home serves Yahweh, and He has given us everything we ‘own,’ so from that bounty we open our home,” shares Brittney. “We feel genuine joy when we gather people in our space. We always end the event feeling more blessed than any of our guests.”
As seasoned hosts, they have nailed down their approach to gatherings, beginning with the invite. “I like to set the tone with a semi-formal invitation, depending on the event,” Brittney shares. “Then comes menu creation. My grandmother taught me how to serve really good food with ease and grace. From there, I enjoy setting a tablescape, complete with fresh flowers, and making sure there is a festive cocktail or nice wine selection.”
As far as making guests comfortable, the couple believes it’s actually quite simple. “We’re a family of huggers, so that’s how we get the party started,” Brittney says. “We put a drink in every hand that wants one. We make quick introductions so new friendships can begin right away. We also make sure our friends know that not only are their children welcome, but it’s a preference that they attend. And I don’t clean beyond a quick tidy and bathroom wipe down. A well-loved and lived-in home invites the beautiful chaos that comes with a house full of people. God has given us this gift of hospitality – it’s not stressful, it’s energizing, to walk in obedience to our Father.”
Now that the Murphys have grown as a family, they have enjoyed watching gatherings evolve over the years. Brittney reflects, “What started as a couple of newlyweds wanting to have the ‘fun’ house has evolved into a family of five wanting to foster deep, spiritually driven relationships. If someone leaves our home feeling full, and not just in their bellies, but in their souls, that’s a success. Whether they got a chance to watch their kids play, they had an intentional conversation they are going to keep thinking about, or they simply got a night off from cooking. A filling of the Holy Spirit – that’s our prayer.”
