Did you know that dinner parties are growing in popularity again? With the rebound from the coronavirus pandemic, more people want to spend time with their loved ones in fun ways.
Have you ever wanted to put together your own dinner party? Here are some things to think about when coming up with dinner party ideas for a unique evening.
Plan a Date in Advance
You should try to schedule your dinner party date a few weeks to several months in advance. This depends on factors such as how many people you want and the complexity of your party.
If you have access to your friends’ calendars, you can look at them to see their availability. You may also need to work with suppliers and caterers to coordinate dates.
In general, you should aim to have your party on a weekend night. More people are free and can stay up late without obligations such as school or jobs the following day.
Dinner parties around major holidays are also a good idea. For instance, a dinner party during December may be a popular choice because all the guests will be in the festive holiday spirit. Keep in mind that you may have to plan these parties well in advance due to already existing holiday obligations.
Put Together Your Guest List
After you decide on a date, you need to assemble a guest list. Dinner parties tend to be more intimate, but it depends on your preferences and how large your home is.
You should invite people who will make good conversation and enjoy a fun gathering. In addition, consider how well your guests will get along with each other.
For a large dinner party, consider sending out invitations well in advance. This will give people time to respond to your offer, and you will have sufficient time to plan the event.
Never invite too many people and bank on some of them not showing up. It is better to have extra room at your party than not have seats available because everyone responded that they can attend.
Set a Dress Code
When you think of a dinner party, you may envision people dressed in finery, eating off of fine china. However, the dress code of an event like this can vary depending on your preferences.
A summer event may only require guests to wear casual clothing, such as linen shirts and sundresses. Or, you can have a very formal dinner party that is white tie and asks for formal wear.
You need to make sure that you put the dress code on the invitation that you send to guests. This way, they will not show up overdressed or underdressed and everyone will match the level of formality.
If your party has a theme, you should include that in the dinner party planning process and the dress code. Costumes are a fun way to spice up the evening and look stylish when everyone is in the same type of clothing.
Send Invitations to Guests
Once you have the guest list finalized, you can make sure that everyone knows about your dinner party. If you want to go the traditional route, paper invitations add a degree of pizzazz that will impress the receiver.
You can design your invitations using a word processing or publishing program. This is the best way to customize your invitation with everything you need on a budget.
If you want to take it to the next level, you can even hire a custom stationery company for the invitations. Some websites have pre-made templates that you can order and tailor for your special event.
Make sure to verify addresses before you send off invitations in the mail to your guests. You can write the addresses, print custom labels, or even hire a calligrapher to handwrite the information.
For a more casual and cost-effective method, you can use email, social media, or a third-party invitation website. This is an easy way to track responses and even allows people to note additional guests.
Choose Your Food Items
Your food menu is perhaps the most important element of planning a dinner party. When your guests leave, they will remember the meal they ate and how much it impressed them.
If you want food that everyone will love, you can send out food surveys or questionnaires with the invitations. Guests can write down their suggestions or dietary restrictions beforehand and you can work around them.
You will need to plan your appetizers, main dinner courses, and a delectable dessert. All of the food flavors need to work together and complement each other for a memorable experience.
When it comes to your food options, you will either cook the food yourself or hire a team to do it for you. Each option has both benefits and drawbacks for the success of your dinner party.
Home Cooked Food
Dinner parties are a great way to show off your culinary skills if you love cooking for others. You can try out a new recipe or bring out tried and true recipes that you know your guests will love.
In addition, you have more personal control over the menu if you prepare all of the food. It is easier to guarantee that you honor the dietary restrictions of your guests, such as allergies.
You may also be more efficient when cooking in your kitchen, as you are familiar with your appliances and kitchenware. However, when you cook food, you may sacrifice time with your guests.
A good tactic for keeping food hot while you socialize during a dinner party is using a warming drawer. You can take courses out of the warming drawer without having to worry about your appetizers or entrees going cold.
If you want to cook a meal and appetizers for your guests, you should do a run-through beforehand. This will help you iron out the timing of the courses so that nothing gets burnt or cools down before it is served.
Hiring Caterers
For a large dinner party, a catering company may be the best option for feeding your guests. These culinary professionals are trained to produce large amounts of high-quality food and keep it coming.
If you are a social butterfly, you may not want to spend a minute away from your guests. You can socialize and entertain without having to worry about checking on food or serving the next course.
In addition, caterers usually have special equipment for keeping food hot, such as portable warming pans. When they use their supplies, you will not have to suffer wear and tear on your equipment.
A catering company will also clean thoroughly before they leave. That means that your kitchen will be sparkling after the dinner party so that you will not have to wash endless dishes.
One drawback of caterers is that they often cost more than cooking the food yourself. However, if you have a higher number of guests, then you can factor catering into your party budget and cut back in other areas.
Consider Beverage Choices
Keeping your guests refreshed is pivotal to ensuring that they are happy and comfortable throughout the evening. At a traditional dinner party, there is usually a cocktail portion of the evening. This involves alcoholic beverages and appetizers before the main course begins.
A good one-size-fits-all option is a bar cart that has accommodations for guests to make their drinks. You can include various types of liquor, syrups, garnishes, and ice for customizable cocktails.
Planning a family reunion or a particularly large dinner party? If you have it in your budget, it may be better to hire a bar service for the evening. Catering companies often include beverage services as well, so you can get a package deal.
Try your hand at designing a custom cocktail for the dinner party as well. You can display it on a fancy sign so guests know its name when they order. Or, you can make it yourself and offer it to your guests instead of their usual cocktail.
Mocktails and Nonalcoholic Options
It is always a good idea to have a wide selection of drinks to choose from that do not contain alcohol. People may not drink for a variety of reasons including:
- pregnancy
- sobriety
- underage
- designated driver
If you create a custom cocktail for the party, make sure that you have a nonalcoholic version you can give guests who do not want to drink. Have staples in your arsenal such as nonalcoholic liqueurs, ginger ale, soda water, and tonics.
Let the waiter or catering staff know as well if someone is not drinking. This way, they will be able to give them a nonalcoholic version of any drink when they ask for a refill.
One of the most popular mocktails of all time is the Shirley Temple, which includes Sprite, grenadine, ginger ale, and cherries. By knowing which combinations work best for nonalcoholic beverages, the options for your guests are endless.
Work Around a Theme
One of the best parts about planning a dinner party is choosing an entertaining theme. Dinner parties are great for socializing and conversation, but costumes can be a great topic of discussion as well.
If you cannot decide on a theme, ask your guests to write them down or send in ideas on the RSVP card. You can coordinate a theme that works for everyone.
Some dinner party ideas go over the top, such as murder mystery parties. Usually, these involve dressing up for a certain time period, usually the nineteenth to the early twentieth century.
Once you establish your theme, you should coordinate every element of your dinner party with it. You may use standard china, but restaurant industry placemats can add a pop of color or even a custom design.
To dive deeper into the theme when planning a dinner party, you can even modify your food choices. The flavors and fun dishes will immerse your guests even more into the theme.
Bring in Fun Games
Games add a little extra fun to every gathering, and a dinner party is no exception. Put out games that match the theme of the party, or simply a collection of your guests’ favorite board and card games.
You can have people play games during cocktail hour before dinner, or afterward while you wait for dessert. Games are a good distraction if there are problems getting the food out as well.
If you host something like a murder mystery party, there will be an ongoing game throughout the party to try to guess the murderer. Your guests need to ask each other for clues in a detective style to determine who committed the crime.
A good rule of thumb for party games is that they are short and easy to play. For instance, Jenga is more likely to be a hit than monopoly when you have limited time during cocktail hour.
To involve your guests more, you can ask everyone to bring their favorite game. You can specify on the invitation that it needs to be easy to learn and be played for a few minutes each round.
You also cannot go wrong by bringing out a deck or two of cards. This opens the door for many fun card games or even card tricks. Guests can show off their magical side or talent you may not have known about.
Throw the Best Dinner Party
If you want to host a dinner party, you should feel confident that your event will go without a hitch. With this guide, you can plan the perfect evening with your family and friends.
Want to learn more about how you can bring your parties to the next level? Take a look around our site for all of the ideas and inspiration you will need.
