Whether you are celebrating a special birthday, a graduation, or simply want the chance to catch up with friends this summer, you can’t go wrong with hosting a dinner party. This is because they give you the chance to spend quality one-on-one time together in a relaxed, informal setting.
However, this doesn’t mean that planning a dinner party is easy – as many people feel stressed at just the thought of inviting others into their home for the night. After all, you’ll want to impress your guests.
Photo by Stefan Vladimirov on Unsplash
Despite this, planning (and hosting) a successful dinner party can be a lot of fun – and here are some top tips that you can use to pull out all of the stops and impress!
- Choose a theme. Many people mistakenly believe that themed parties are just for kids – but this doesn’t have to be the case. In fact, themed parties can be a lot of fun for adults too, especially if they get to use their imagination a little or wear a costume. Choosing a theme is a great way to make the planning process a little more straightforward too – as you’ll be able to base all of your future decisions such as the menu, drinks and decor around this theme.
- Plan the menu. Given that it’s in the name, the most important aspect of your dinner party for you to tackle is the dinner. After all, guests will likely arrive hungry and ready to eat. However, it’s important that you don’t panic too much about this – meals don’t necessarily need to be fancy in order to be good. Instead, focus on cooking something that you know you do well and that all guests will enjoy. Be sure to check ahead of time if there are any dietary requirements you might need to consider. You might also want to prepare some separate dishes for little ones if they are bringing along kids (or for fussy eaters).
- Dust off the tableware. Hosting a dinner party is the perfect excuse to dust off the good stuff – such as the Ceramic Tableware you usually reserve for special occasions. This is because it adds an extra touch of class and sophistication to your evening, making the whole event feel that much more special. Furthemore, you’re bound to get more compliments from your guests!
- Spring clean (some of) your home. Cleaning your home and brushing up on your gardening is another essential step when hosting a dinner party, as you’ll want to create a welcoming atmosphere for your guests. However, it’s important to remember that you only need to focus on the areas of your home your guests will actually be spending time in – such as the living room, dining room, bathrooms and garden. This lightens your workload and will take some of the pressure off your shoulders. Once you’ve cleaned, you can also start focusing on the fun stuff, such as decorating your home for your party. For example, you could get crafty and make personalised table decor for each of your guests.
