Throwing a dinner party is a great way to spend time with your friends. However, trying to ensure that your party is a success can be stressful.
If you don’t know where to begin or are just looking for new ways to improve your hosting skills, try implementing these dinner party ideas into your next event.
Pick a Theme
Choosing a theme will make your dinner party appear more put together and is helpful to have during the planning process. Once you have your theme picked out, it becomes easier to decide what music, food, and decorations to include. Plus, your guest will appreciate the consistency. To really bring your party’s look together, we suggest adorning your dining table with a tablecloth that accentuates your theme and makes everything look more put-together.
Set the Mood with a Playlist
Don’t underestimate the power of a good playlist. The right song can really set the mood for your event. If you’re throwing an elegant dinner party, play soft, classical music. If you’re having a fun get together, consider playing more upbeat tunes. Try to tailor the length of your playlist to the duration of dinner, and make sure to keep the volume low enough so that it doesn’t impede conversation.
Focus on the Main Course
Don’t stress about having a huge, elaborate spread of dishes. Instead, focus your energy on the main course and keep the side dishes simple; this way you won’t spend your entire party running in and out of the kitchen. If you’re looking for the perfect main course, consider checking out one of these helpful cookbooks for inspiration.
Prepare the Night Before
Clean, set up decorations, and do as much meal prepping as possible the night before your dinner party. You don’t want to cause yourself or your guests stress by leaving everything to the last minute.
Make Place Cards for Everyone
By setting place cards, you not only eliminate the awkwardness of who should sit where, but you also give people the opportunity to mingle with someone they aren’t familiar with. Consider splitting up couples so they can enjoy chatting with your other guests instead of just talking to each other the whole night.
Keep Meal Presentation Casual
Instead of individually plating each dish, consider serving your dishes buffet or family-style. By letting guests serve themselves, you can spend more time mingling with everyone instead of worrying about and feeling the need to prepare multiple dishes.
By implementing these dinner party ideas, you’re sure to throw a fun, stress-free event that you and your friends will love.
This is awesome! Hosting a dinner party doesn’t require advanced culinary prowess or a fully-stocked home bar. You will just probably need these tips to be able to be stress free host.