Hosting a dinner party is such a fun way to gather the special people in your life and share a meal together. Catching up with each other over a great meal and maybe spending the night on the couch playing games is one of my favorite things to do. Plus, it’s one of the best ways to build community whether it’s just your closest friends, or something more formal like a holiday meal with out-of-town guests.
How To Host A Dinner Party
Whether it’s the holiday season, or just a random weeknight, hosting a dinner party is always a bit stressful. I’m sharing my guide and tips on how you can host a fun and memorable dinner party, and reduce the stress and overwhelming feelings that can come with hosting.
Let’s dive into what makes a good dinner party and how to execute a successful one for yourself and your guests. These are some of my best tips and tricks to keep in mind for your next dinner party.
What Makes A Good Dinner Party
A Warm And Welcoming Atmosphere
Having ample seating when guests walk in so they can sit and relax before dinner is key. Various seats, easy-to-access coasters and drinks, and a few snacks upon arrival welcome guests in a very warm way.
Good Food, But Not Complicated!
Great food is key for a good dinner party. But it doesn’t have to be complicated. No need to make a fancy prime rib. Spaghetti and meatballs are just as good!
Thoughtful, Personal Touches
Having a few personal and thoughtful touches at a dinner party can make it truly memorable. This can simply happen by making sure you cater to people’s dietary restrictions and needs, have a beverage you know someone really likes, or having something special at each seat that is a personal sweet touch.
Music That Sets The Mood
Nothing makes me crazier than being at someone’s house without music on. It’s essential to setting the mood. There are several great dinner party playlists and vibes to choose from on Spotify or Apple Music. Just make sure the volume is low enough so people can speak. There’s also something so miserable about music being too loud at a dinner party. Low enough to hear, but not loud enough that you have to raise your voice to talk over it.
An Elevated Tablescape
You don’t have to do anything fancy, but elevating your everyday table with something is key to a great dinner party. It’s a special night after all, so add anything from simple candles, some fruit or veggies of the season and some small bud vases with cheap flowers. In the fall and winter, I even love adding branches and greenery! There are so many easy fall tablescape ideas to try, or holiday ones like this.
A Relaxed Host
When the host is stressed, the evening feels stressful for guests too. A relaxed host always makes a good dinner party. Have a hard time relaxing? Figure out the things that stress you out most when hosting (if it’s the food, then you’re catering or ordering in pizza!) to ensure you can all enjoy the night together.
How To Host A Great Dinner Party
Now that we know what makes a great dinner party, here’s how to really accomplish it. From how to plan the dinner, setting the menu and space, and tips to make sure you aren’t stressed.
Choose A Menu
Hosting a dinner party means you are the menu planner. From the snacks when guests arrive, to dinner and dessert. And don’t forget the drinks. Choose a menu that makes sense for your guests, and your own capabilities. My rule of thumb is we are not trying new recipes. Stick to tried and true favorites to reduce your stress. And if the menu allows, delegate something to friends. While I don’t love a potluck as a dinner party, it can be nice to dedicate some simple things like a friend bringing a dessert, or bread, and so on. But if we’re doing a real dinner party, we’re the ones handling everything!
How To Plan A Dinner Party
It’s important to plan your dinner party ahead of time. There’s no throwing something together last minute, even if you’re Martha Stewart. From my experience with hosting, it’s good to come up with a plan and flow for the dinner party and then work your way back. You’ll need to come up with a menu, shopping list, and a plan for prepping everything.
Once you have a list of all the things you need to do, and make, it’s time to plan it out. Schedule time for your grocery shop, figure out which dishes can be made ahead of time and on which days you want to do that. And don’t forget about planning time for setting up the table, buffet and even tidying up your home. Make a plan, a schedule, and start checking things off.
By planning everything in advance, and dedicating certain days for shopping, cleaning and setting things up and so on, you’ll ensure you don’t miss anything. I even like to set up the buffet and add post-it notes to the dishes so you know you have enough dishes and space. Plus, you’ll easily see if there’s something you need, giving you ample time prior to the party. You can find more tips on how to set up a buffet here.
How To Entertain Guests At A Dinner Party
Entertaining your guests is key to a great dinner party. Keeping friends talking and chatting is essential. This may fall on you as the host to ask questions and get two people chatting by mentioning something they may have in common if they’ve never met before.
But also, you can go fun and low-key and play games like cards, a board game or something else you enjoy. This is great for post-dinner entertaining over dessert and coffee. These are some of my favorite and best board games for adults to try.
Have A Flow For The Evening
Come up with a flow for the evening. Do you want people to hang out in the living room first before heading to the dining room and table? Do you have a kitchen that can house everyone and that will be the main hang out? Come up with a time you want dinner to be ready so you can have a flow for the evening from appetizers and drinks in the living room, to dinner, and then dessert and maybe games.
Offer A Signature Drink
One way to make life easier is to come up with a signature drink when guests arrive. You can batch make some great things for dinner parties. Or have a bottle of bubbles ready to welcome guests with champagne. When a guest arrives in your home, it’s key to get them right into the experience and this is a perfect way to do just that.
It can also be helpful to set up a small bar setup so guests can help themselves to what they need. It’s one less thing you have to do, so you aren’t playing bartender. Include a bottle of wine or two, a couple of general liquors like vodka and whiskey, and simple mixers like soda and tonic water.
The Ultimate At Home Bar Essentials Guide
Something happened a few years ago, the bar cart blew up and now it’s a staple in everyone’s home. It’s no longer something just bloggers have or that you only see on Pinterest. I’m seeing it in most of my friends’ homes now and I kind of love it. But my question to you is,
Read The PostHow To Set A Table For A Dinner Party
Setting a dinner table for your party is quite important. I like to set this ahead of time, several days, to ensure you have everything you need. Plus, it’s one less thing on your to-do list on the day of your party. Always start with a placemat and an optional tablecloth. Then add your dinner plate, salad plate and bowl if serving soup.
On the left of the setting are the forks. I always remember this: LEFT has 4 letters, and FORK has 4 letters. Over on the right, your knife is placed along with a spoon if serving soup. Add a wine glass and a water glass to complete the setting in the upper right corner. Bread plate and knife in the upper left corner. For napkins, you can do so many easy things to more complicated napkin folding.
You have a few options for dessert. I sometimes just do a dessert bar and leave a pile of plates and forks to grab. Or you can set the table with your dessert fork and spoon, which will be placed at the top of the plate horizontally.
How To Fold Napkins For A Dinner Party
You can have some fun with your napkin folding or go really simple. I like to usually just layer a folded napkin under the salad plate and let it hang over the lower plate a bit. You can also tie a simple loose knot and lay it across the plate at an angle. Also go classic with a napkin ring that’s suitable for your dinner party theme. Here are a few fun napkin folding ideas to try if you want to go above and beyond.
Start Your Party With An Empty Dishwasher
Something I try to always do is start my party with an empty dishwasher and a clean sink. Ensure you are ready to go once dinner is over so you can start putting things into the dishwasher. You may not get everything in there, but starting on empty is key. This will make the following day’s cleanup even easier. Don’t try to do clean-up all in the same night while guests are around. Fill up your dishwasher with what you can, run a load, and then leave the rest for later. Enjoy your guests and be present!
There you have it, my best tips for hosting a dinner party. From simple spaghetti and meatball nights or pizza, to more elaborate evenings like Thanksgiving or a multi-course meal, these tips will have you hosting and executing a dinner party like an expert!
