There’s something very grown-up and sophisticated about holding a dinner party. It’s a little different than having friends over for tea or ordering a takeaway to share. But holding a successful dinner party can take a lot of planning, and can leave you stressed out if you’re not careful.
Set the scene
A great dinner party always has an amazing backdrop, whether you’re giving your everyday dining table a facelift with some amazing dinnerware accessories, or completely redesigning the space and adding designer dining chairs to really up the wow factor.
Give any area that your houseguest may see a good de-clutter and clean. It might seem like a lot of effort but worrying about what people think of your housework standards can be stressful when you’re trying to entertain or cook.
Choose your recipes carefully
The centrepiece of your dinner party is the food. If you make a mistake with you’re cooking, people will remember it. So either choose a recipe you already know you can cook really well, or practice any new dishes at least once before you cook them for your guests.
Choose a theme
Done right, a themed dinner party can be amazing. You can choose to theme the food and drinks, or really go for it and ask people to dress for the theme too. A theme will help to set expectations too. For example, if you’re going for a Mexican or street food theme, then people will expect the atmosphere to be a little more lively and relaxed. If you’re pushing the boat out and going for haute cuisine, then people will expect a more formal event.
Add some personal touches
One way to take a dinner party from good to great is to add some personalisation to it. Handwrite invitations and place cards, and tailor your menus or drinks to particular guests. If you really know your guests and want to make an impact, instead of place settings, why not buy a book that represents the interests of the character of a person. The guests can then discover where they are sitting by the book titles.
Accommodate people’s tastes
It’s always polite to check with people before you cook for them. Not only do you need to know if they have any allergies or dietary requirements, but also if there are particular foods or flavours they can’t eat. You don’t want to risk your guests feeling like they haven’t been thought about when planning your amazing dinner party.
Keep it realistic
In your head, you might want to plan a diverse, six-course tasting menu with wine pairings and signature cocktails but if you’re a novice cook with a tiny kitchen and a limited budget, you might want to scale it back a bit. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself.
Takeaways
The secret to a successful dinner party is preparation and the right guests. You might be nervous at first, but as you gain confidence, you’ll be throwing amazing dinner parties with ease.
Disclosure: collaborative post
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