Anyone who has seen the hit Channel 4 show Come Dine with Me will probably have thought at one point or another “I could do that.” But planning and hosting a dinner party is so much more than just knowing a few decent recipes and having a handful of willing friends, it’s about curating an experience.
If you’re considering putting together a dinner party for your friends or family members in the near future, here are a few tips you might want to consider. So put out your best cutlery and let’s get cooking.
Prepare for everything
The work starts days or even weeks before the night itself. As soon as you’ve set a date, start with the guest list. This is perhaps the most important part of the process as the perfect guestlist takes into account which personality types will clash, who might be available, and whether or not your guests have existing history. Next, you need to settle on a theme as it’s the theme that will define the kind of menu you put together.
Experiment with the menu
You never want to hold a dinner party with a menu you’ve never cooked before so consider a few trial runs before settling on a final menu. Always, however, remember to ask your guests about any dietary requirements or allergies before finalizing the food.
Photo by Kelsey Chance on Unsplash
Set the mood
Set the scene with a decent soundtrack that reflects the theme of the night and the tastes of the guests. Then consider the lighting as you don’t want it to be too bright, but it needs to be light enough for you to see the food and each other. Dinner party decorations are also important. Don’t go overboard with tacky plastic decorations. Think natural greenery and décor that suits the theme.
Prep work
Prep as much of the food beforehand as you can so you can spend time entertaining the guests rather than labouring away in the kitchen. The menu should be fit for a dinner party (so no oven chips) but it should also be prepared in a way that lets you actually spend time with your guests. This is why staples such as soup and steak are so popular – they can taste great and take very little time to finish off before serving. So, prepare your saucepans and get ready to make some magic.
Be a good host or hostess
It’s not going to be a successful evening if you’re not enjoying yourself too. That means being the life of the party and holding everyone’s attention. There is no one definitive thing that makes a perfect host, but a range of things that all come together to form a performance that’s more than the sum of its parts. Above all else though. Just be yourself.