How to Host the Perfect Dinner Party

It can be fun to grab some friends and go out to a fancy restaurant for a delicious meal. But it’s expensive. While you may wish to splurge on a delicious outing every now and again, it’s not something you can do all that often. So does that mean that you can’t share a great meal with friends and family members? Not at all! Hosting your own dinner party can be just as good — perhaps even better — than hitting a restaurant. And it really doesn’t take all that much work. In this post, we’ll look at some handy tips that’ll ensure your dinner party is a roaring success. 

 

 

 

Close Friends and Family

 

It takes work to host a great dinner party, but how much work is up to you. Or, rather, it’s up to the number of guests that you invite. If you’re planning on inviting two dozen people, then, yes, you’ll need to set aside a couple of days to get everything ready. To make things easier for yourself, and just to preserve your sanity, it’s best to keep the guest list fairly limited. If you can keep the invites for a manageable 6 - 10 people, you’ll be reducing your workload to the point where you can actually enjoy the preparation process.

 

Cook to Impress

 

There are times when you just want to make a quick and easy meal. But that’s not the approach to take when you’re hosting a dinner party. Keep those meals for Monday evenings. When you’re inviting friends and family around, it’s best to challenge yourself to put together a menu that’ll genuinely impress. This doesn’t necessarily have to be difficult, either. You could make homemade puff pastry to use for your desserts pretty easily, while there are a bunch of delicious and impressive main meals to choose from that don’t require that much work. The main takeaway? Go for the homemade option whenever possible, and use the best ingredients that you can find. 

Create a Restaurant-Worthy Environment

 

To have a restaurant-worthy meal, you’ll need to put together a restaurant-worthy environment. You can do this by investing in the ambiance of your dining area. Is there a way that you could make it more intimate and cosy? For example, by lighting the space with candles and low lighting? If you've recently bought some charming dining wear that you plan to reserve for special occasions, this could be the perfect opportunity to give it its first run. You can also add a centrepiece to the table, and use a nice tablecloth. You may also consider having some light music in the background, but make sure it’s light and quiet music — some soft jazz, for example, can help to create an inviting atmosphere. 

 

Have a Dress Code

 

Finally, tell your friends and family to dress smart-casual for this dinner party. It’ll help to make the dinner feel that little bit extra special. There are plenty of times when you and your loved ones will spend time together wearing casual clothing. This time, have everyone dress like they’re going to an actual fancy restaurant. It’ll help to make the evening more memorable, and plus, the photos will look great.