Throwing a dinner party is a great way to get together with your nearest and dearest or wow your clients or colleagues. Whether you host your dinner party at home or choose a different location, you need to pay attention to the specifics of the events to ensure everything goes without a hitch. The last thing you want is to spend weeks planning this event only for it to fall apart when your guests arrive.
This post looks at some ways you can host an incredible dinner party that will ensure your guests are happy, fed, and lubricated and that you are the perfect guest for the evening.
Hire Out
Your first option is to hire out the planning, cooking, and serving to a third party to take over. This option is perfect for larger gatherings or those times when you really need to pull out all the stops. Choosing to work with a service provider who can take care of all the details for you can take a weight off your mind and leave you free to mingle with your guests. Your party organizer will cover the decor, seating arrangements, drinks, and food menu and have a schedule for you to follow to ensure everything goes to plan to take all of the stress from your hands.
Choose A Theme
If you are taking control of all the aspects of hosting a dinner party, you need to start with the night's theme. This will dictate the night's decor, dress code, food, drinks, and overall ambiance. If you require a more formal night, you can request everyone in sinner suits and gowns and choose opulence, elegant decor, and a more formal dinner service. At the same time, a more relaxed evening can see you creating a more casual vibe for people to enjoy. This all depends on the impression you need to make and the type of guests you are hosting.
Creative Decor
You need to pay attention to the decor and table decorations you use, as this will make your theme stand out. You want to dress up your dinner table or tables according to the night. A popular trend currently is the eco-trend which incorporates lots of bamboo accessories and flower arrangements along with tables dressed in more natural earthy-toned colors. Think lighting, seat covers, table accessories, and even the cutlery and dinner service you use can be a part of pulling the theme together.
Location
Next, you need to pay attention to the location of your dinner party. Summer soirees can be ideal for making the most of the lighter nights and warmer weather; however, it can make your guests feel a little uncomfortable if it is too hot outside. Maybe a good compromise is holding your party indoors in a room with a view that can open up into your outdoor space to make the most of both settings. You also need ample room to navigate the table to serve the food and allow guests to move frequently to converse.
Personalise The Evening
Wow your guests, by adding small touches that speak to them personally. Find out a little about them and then incorporate this into their evening with you. Be it having a bottle of their favorite tipple on hand or a sweet dessert. Or you could offer a small token of appreciation for attending by way of something they would appreciate. It's the small details that can elevate the event and make it stand out for all the right reasons.
Dining Preferences
While setting the tone and the menu for the party, you need to consider the setting and general vibe as well as people's food preferences, dietary requirements, and allergies. Make sure you request any important food-related details from your guests, such as whether they have a nut allergy or are vegetarian, gluten-free, or vegan, so you can tailor your menu to meet these requirements.
Then you can decide on your menu. Suppose you are hosting a more informal get-together and want to focus on fun, good food, and relaxation. In that case, you want to develop a menu with their taste buds watering and meeting the level of formality you set. You can try this seafood salad recipe, or are you hosting a BBQ dinner party? For more upscale menus, you can try your hand at a Beef Carpaccio salad, for example, seared salmon or a truffle chicken. Remember to stay within your cooking limits if you are doing all the prep work to ensure you can handle the meals you need to make and pull it all off on the night.
Conclusion
Hosting the perfect dinner party isn't exactly a step-by-step formula. What marks a dinner party special can depend on a number of variables and will depend on your guests, the reason for holding the event, and how you prepare yourself. Remember to stay within your capabilities, personalize the small details and ensure you are welcoming a gracious host at all times.
