Hosting the perfect dinner party is an art form. You want to be sure your guests are adequately entertained, well fed, and thoroughly enjoying themselves. It take practice and patience, but can be really rewarding and FUN once you've got a rhythm down.
Feel confident that you’ll be capable of hosting the perfect dinner party with these helpful tips:
Decide on a menu ahead of time
Make sure you find out how many guests you’ll be entertaining well ahead of time so you can plan out proper portions for each dish.
Planning out a menu ahead of time can, not only, save you time, but also the headache of having to accommodate for any dietary concerns at the last minute. Talk to your guests beforehand and determine if any of them are vegetarian or vegan, have specific food intolerances, sensitivities, or allergies.
Do as much cooking as you can the day or evening before the party. You want to be able to socialize with your guests instead of being stuck in the kitchen cooking all night. If your friends or family offer to bring a dish or help out with the cooking and cleaning, let them!
Stick with what you know
Unless you’re a gourmet chef, a dinner party isn’t necessarily the best time to try out a new recipe. Create dishes you’re familiar with to ensure there are no kitchen catastrophes.
Know your guests – make sure you invite people who will mingle well together and won’t start debating hot button issues at the dinner table.
Pay attention to the details
Small details such as setting matching plates, cutlery, glasses, and even napkins can make a huge difference. Also, try to set the table the evening before to save yourself some time the day of the dinner.
Ensure there’s enough wine and spirits to happily accommodate your guests. Oh, and don’t forget the dessert!
Does your party have a theme? If so, decorate your home accordingly. Subtle decorative fixtures and accents can help set the tone for the evening.
It’s all about the ambiance
Getting your guests into a cheerful mood is an important part of hosting any dinner party. You can set the mood with music and lighting. Dim lighting tends to be more intimate and less abrasive, and you can never go wrong with some smooth jazz playing quietly in the background.
Be equipped with working tools of the trade
Make sure your kitchen appliances are working properly before the gathering. You don’t want your old range or wall oven to break down while you’re in the middle of cooking the main course. In addition, a functional dishwasher can save you the hassle of having to wash all of those dirty dishes by hand at the end of the night.
Practice makes perfect
Don’t worry if things don’t go exactly according to plan. Hosting the perfect dinner party is an art in and of itself; and something to be mastered over time. All you can do is plan everything out ahead of time, cook to the best of your ability, and try your best to pay attention to the small details. If something goes wrong, embrace it, and laugh it off. After all, it is a party; it’s supposed to be fun.
