Top Tips for Hosting a Dinner Party

It can be very stressful to host a dinner party if you haven’t hosted one before, but it can also be so much fun especially when you invite your friends over to enjoy it with you. There is no reason to ever think that a dinner party should be difficult or in any way upsetting, but if you are nervous it can help to know what tips will make your dinner party stand out from all the rest. A dinner party should be themed in terms of whether it’s sophisticated or casual, it should include great food, great music and a great atmosphere.

Being a relaxed dinner party host is all about being prepared. From making sure that you pre-buy your skirt steak from lecremedelacrumb.com to ensuring that you buy the right wines and mocktail ingredients, you need to ensure that you are relaxed and that you are able to move seamlessly from area to area in your kitchen. If you want to find your hosting niche, here are our top tips for hosting the perfect dinner party.

Start with preparation

Before you do anything with your dinner party, you want to make sure that the dishes are done and the kitchen is clean. The reason for this is because you can then prepare the party in a space that feels cleaner therefore you’ll be able to think clearer. It’s a simple thing to do but you will be so grateful to yourself as the party goes on. Make sure the trash is taken out, the dining table is wiped down and prepared ahead of time and you have the right mats and posters to help.

Keep your kitchen stress free

To have a stress free kitchen you need to make sure that you get the unpleasant arse out of the way before the party begins. Prepare any food items early that can be prepared, like salads, deserts, and even your starters can be ready and in the refrigerator to be heated up later. You can prepare your veggies by cutting them up ready and getting your potatoes peeled. You should make sure that you have anything that you are cooking with prepared and ready on the counter for you to use.

Stage it

We talked about steaming your dinner party, and there is a reason you should do this. Some people follow quite a traditional style when it comes to tableware, but if you want to set the stage, consider the theme in terms of your centerpieces, your flowers, your tablecloths and everything else. Make sure that you are setting a scene where people come in and feel relaxed and ready to sit down. If you want to go the extra mile, why not write people’s names on place cards in calligraphy for an additional cute touch?

Plan ahead and save

You can plan ahead with your table decorations and pretty much any element of your dinner party and save money. You can buy tableware and things in sales, and you can insure that you are buying your glasses in sales and you can pretty much buy ingredients in sales if you shop at the right time of day for the right supermarket.

Prep your menu carefully

The meal that you serve depends on how many people you are inviting and any dietary conditions that need to be considered. If you want to mix it up, do a potluck where everybody brings a dish. You might find everybody brings something to drink anyway, but it could be fun to share dishes especially if you are all from different backgrounds or cultures.

Set a timeline of the party

Make sure everybody turns up on time, and the best way to do this is to tell people that the dinner party starts at six, but actually it’s going to start at 6:30 but just don’t tell them that part. You can make sure that you start with appetizers and time it’s to perfection so that people have their main meals not long after the appetizers are served, you should also give it some time after the main meal before you start with dessert.

Lastly, enjoy

There is nothing more fun than making memories with your best people, and you can sit back and relax and gather your friends and family around the dinner table to enjoy those moments to perfection. Make it a night to remember and have fun. Dancer music, eat great food that you have made and revel in people‘s company.