A dinner party is a chance to show off your home, to socialize with friends and to enjoy great food, all at once. Whether its a cozy gathering or a lavish affair, here are some tips for making your event a success.
Have a Theme and Stick to it
Giving your dinner party a theme can help to make it a more memorable occasion. On top of being able to have fun with the food and décor, you can get your guests to dress up and join in the theme. If you want an excuse for a formal dress-up event, you could do a Victorian theme or a James Bond theme. You could even organise a murder mystery evening. If you want something more casual and fun, you could consider theming it around a decade such as the 70s or 80s, or have a beach themed summer party. There may also be events that you can theme your evening around such as Burns Night, St Patrick’s Day, Chinese New Year and Halloween.
Do check your guests’ dietary requirements
It’s worth forewarning your guests about what you’ll be cooking. This way you can find out if anyone has any dietary requirements to cater for such as not eating meat or a nut allergy. There may even be guests that simply don’t like a certain food. Checking with your guests will allow you to keep them all happy and give you time to plan an alternative meal for these people.
Keep You Guest Count Under Control
If you’re planning a sit-down event, you don’t want too many guests coming along. It will be more work for you and everyone will be struggling to fit around the table. Dinner parties work best when inviting only a handful of friends. If you’re looking to host a bigger event, it may be better doing a barbecue or a buffet.
Don’t worry about mismatched dinnerware
Unless you’re trying to stick rigidly to a theme, you don’t have to go out and buy new dinnerware. A dinner party could be a chance to show off all your quirky glasses and plates. This could help to add more character to your evening.
Use a Tablecloth That Doesn’t Distract
To protect your table from spillages, it’s worth putting on a tablecloth. Not only does it have practical benefits, you can use it to contribute to your theme – for example, a Burns night could have a tartan tablecloth, whilst you could go psychedelic for a sixties night. Look into how to calculate tablecloth size so that you get a tablecloth that fits. A large tablecloth with a big drop is more suited to a formal event, whilst a more tight-fitting tablecloth with a smaller drop is better suited to a casual event.
Light up your favorite candles
Candles can help to create a sense of warmth at your event. They can also be bought to match the theme of your dinner party. You can buy candles in all kinds of shapes and colours online. There are also scented candles to consider, which can help to bring exciting aromas to your evening. Make sure to place candles strategically so that they’re not going to get in the way.
Don’t obstruct conversation with large centerpieces
A large floral display in the middle of the table can create a dramatic impact visually, however it could obstruct conversation by preventing your guests from talking across the table. Try to keep flowers subtle so that they don’t get in the way. You should also watch out for large candlesticks or bottles of wine in ice buckets, which may also be an obstruction (these may be better suited placed on a separate small table in the corner of the room).
Don’t skimp on alcohol
You don’t want to run out of drinks half way through the evening, so make sure that you stock up beforehand. To satisfy all wine drinkers, it’s worth getting some red and white wine. Make sure that you’ve also got some soft drinks for non-drinkers. Guests may bring along alcohol to your event, but you shouldn’t rely on them.
Do consider eating outdoors
An al fresco dinner party can be a little riskier as you have to factor in the elements, however it could make it a more memorable event. You’re best planning the events in the summer when you’re guaranteed better weather. You may also want to take several precautions just in case the weather does decide to take a bad turn. Placing your table under a gazebo or marquee can protect your from the threat of rain, whilst also providing shelter from the sun. For protecting against the wind meanwhile, it could be worth using some clips to keep the tablecloth on. It may also get dark and cooler in the evening, so it’s worth having some form of exterior light and an outdoor heating source at the ready such a patio heater or a chimenea. You can also take precautions against bugs such as buying wasp traps or lighting citronella candles to ward off mosquitoes.
Don’t spend all evening in the kitchen
The biggest crime many dinner party host commit is spending too much time away from their guests in the kitchen. You want to be around you guests both to make them feel comfortable in your home and to enjoy time socializing with them. When cooking food for the event, try to prepare what you can before your guests arrive. This could include chopping up vegetables, making sauces and preparing the dessert. This will allow you to spend more time with your guests for the duration of the night. Alternatively, if you’re hosting the dinner party with a friend or partner, you might be able to share out hosting duties throughout the night, so that you’re each doing some of the cooking and each getting to socialize with your guests.
