Throwing a dinner party can be stressful. You have to take care of everything, from the food, drink, the right atmosphere, and music. This will need to be considered when planning to host a dinner party. Especially if you prepare it by yourself, it is only natural for you to eventually feel overwhelmed with everything that you need to do. 

When hosting a dinner party, you want it to be successful. To help you manage all successfully, we have curated the best tips for you to follow!

Organized all in writing

Make sure all the necessary lists are in order, starting from the guest list, food list, shopping list, and other lists that you might need. Create a timeline for each, thus you have a deadline to finish all things you have to do. Make sure you do lots of planning and have enough time to do it.  Some things left behind can mess up at the last second.

Select the right time to host the event

The date is also an important element for you to consider to host a successful dinner party. Pick a date when most people are free. Thus why it’s better not to have a party during the weekday, and opt for a weekend when planning to host your dinner. Saturday is a good choice, because the guests who attend the dinner party will have more time to rest a little more or nurse their hangover before needing to work on Monday.

Keep the number of guests

Remember that you are hosting a dinner party, not a corporate conference. Thus, you should be wise when inviting guests and keep the number of guests. It is better if you put a limited number of guests. Because for you to be able to host a good party, you should take care of each of your guest’s needs. This will be difficult to do if you are hosting a party with lots of guests coming in. 

When you are inviting guests, you should also put in mind that they might bring extras to the party. Thus be mindful of your guest list. Remember, you are going for quality, not quantity, be it for the food or your guests. Also, make sure guests also have enough time to make reservations before D-day.

Serve simple but delicious food

You’re hosting a dinner party, so there should be delicious food to serve. Good food is the ultimate factor that contributes to the success of your party. You don’t have to prepare five-star quality food, no one expects that from you. It is okay to prepare for a simple dinner or something you’re sure will turn out okay when cooking for a dinner party. You definitely don’t want to try something new, to reduce the chances that everything goes awry on D-day. 

When planning a menu, choose foods that are simple and can taste good even when served cold or at room temperature. You should also cook the main courses in advance, thus you have enough time to prepare for other things. You should also ask about the guests’ food preferences. Check whether there are guests who have allergies to certain foods, and ensure that you put a note on that. This will assist in the planning process, to make sure everyone can eat freely and without worry.

Set the atmosphere

When hosting an event, you should not only pay attention to the food and drink. You should also ensure that the atmosphere is set, thus everyone can have a good time. To set the mood, you can start by decorating your house and dinner table to make it look charming. You may need to push your furniture a little bit, to create a more spacious room to accommodate your guests. 

Also, don’t forget to set the mood even more by creating a song playlist and setting it to entertain your guests. Thus, they can jam to your song or it can be the perfect background noise to ensure there will be no awkwardness between guests. You should also throw some discussion on the floor to keep the conversation going.

Don’t forget to stock up on extras

Always have extra on hand. Be it extra food, bulk bottled water, and or seating just in case. You don’t want to look like a failure in hosting your dinner just because you don’t have enough food when guests arrive with their extra. Running out of food even before all of your guests arrive is a nightmare! Thus be prepared beforehand, to prevent this embarrassment.

Prepare the night before

The night before the dinner party, you should clean the house, tidy up the dining table, prepare some cutlery, and start the cooking process.

Make a checklist of things that you have done, thus you can identify what other things you have not gotten the chance to do. Organize everything before you go to bed to avoid the last-minute problem. You should also put a label with the guest’s name on their seating,  thus when they arrive, they will no longer need assistance to know where they should sit. 

Enjoy your time 

Last but not least, have fun. You’re the party organizer and you’ve worked hard to make the party a success, so why not have some fun?  Your guests will have a great time if you do too. 

Instead of criticizing everything you have done, you should praise yourself for hosting the dinner. Do yourself a favor because you deserve to relax and enjoy the event as well!