Good food, drinks, friends and amazing conversation are what dinner party dreams are made of. If you are someone who loves entertaining, hosting a dinner party can be an incredible way of showing off your amazing cooking and entertaining skills while enjoying the company of friends and dear loved ones. However, with great (entertaining) power also comes great responsibility, and hosting a dinner party can quickly turn from fab to drab if you’re not well prepared for the task ahead.
To help you achieve a fun-filled gathering that everyone will be talking about for months to come, here are 5 ways to make your home perfect for hosting dinner parties. Read on to find out more!
1. Consider Dining Al-Fresco
The great thing about being a dinner party host is that you’re in charge and you get to make all the executive decisions (who doesn’t like that?). If weather permits, a great idea is to consider taking your party outdoors. If you have a verandah, back porch or balcony, dining alfresco under the stars can be a fantastically unique way to entertain guests and offer them an exclusive dinner party experience. You could even fire up the outdoor kitchen BBQ with homemade pizzas or burgers on a warm Spring or Summer’s night to really kick up the excitement factor.
If hosting outdoors, we recommend taking a few precautionary measures in the form of citronella candles, bug spray and/or outdoor heating to ensure that your guests are shielded from the elements (and critters) for a comfortable and enjoyable experience.
2. Declutter Like A Pro
When hosting a dinner party, it is so very important to ensure that your home is clean, tidy and ready for guests. The last thing you want is for your guests to be met with clutter, so begin by tidying up the rooms that will see the most traffic during your dinner party. In most cases, this will be the entryway, living room, kitchen, dining area and bathrooms. Be sure to remove personal items, clutter and general mess from these spaces in order to create an inviting and cosy environment for your guests.
To make things less stressful, we recommend scheduling a routine spring cleaning extravaganza at least a day or two prior to your event. This way, you can focus your efforts on other elements of your party such as the food and drink on the day of, instead of having to worry about trying to squeeze some house cleaning into your tight schedule.
3. Create A Warm and Welcoming Space
You always want your guests to enter your humble abode feeling welcome and excited for what the night has in store. A great way to make a powerful statement from the get go is to go the extra mile by decorating your porch area or front door with festive signage, theme props, or even balloons – anything that fits the occasion and style. Keep the theme going by tastefully decorating your interiors with accents that will remind your guests of what you have in store for the rest of the night. Another great tip is to ensure that your bathroom or powder room is stocked with some basic essentials such as hand soap, cotton buds, breath mints, toothpicks, floss and extra toilet paper for your guests.
For more ideas on how you can decorate your home for a dinner party, be sure to check out this informative article.
4. Set The Table With Style
The main star of any dinner party is of course, the food, and setting your table with style can be a great way to elevate your party to the next level. Aside from showing your guests that you care, a carefully set table also creates the perfect backdrop that is guaranteed to make your food stand out. Depending on the type of party you are hosting (basic, casual or formal), table settings and decor will differ.
To get you started, here are some basics on setting the table for a more casual or laid back dinner party:
- Cover the table with a neutral tablecloth (we love neutral shades of cream or grey).
- Lay a placemat at each seat of the table.
- Set a dinner plate on each placemat. If you are serving salad, set the salad plate atop the dinner plate.
- Lay a napkin to the left of the placemat.
- Place forks to the left of the plate (on top of the napkin) and knives to the right of the place. If serving salad, set the salad fork to the left of the dinner fork and the salad knife to the right of the dinner knife.
- Set a water glass in the top right corner of the placemat, above the knife.
- Set wine glasses to the right of the water glass.
5. Create A Stress Free Kitchen
Last but not least, creating a stress free kitchen is key to hosting any successful dinner party. When it comes to food, we recommend getting all the prep work out of the way sooner rather than later. Whenever possible, ensure that all your mise en place is done well before guests arrive and wash cutting boards, knives and cookware right after you are done with them so that there is way less to clean up during and after the party. Another pro tip is to prepare your dessert the night before. That way, when it comes time to serve, all you have to do is heat it up (crumbles, pies etc ) or simply slice and plate up your chilled dessert.
Also, remember to avoid spending too much time in the kitchen. A dinner party is meant for bonding with friends and loved ones, so don’t forget to mingle and have fun!
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And there you have it – 5 simple and practical ways to make your home perfect for hosting dinner parties. By following this handy advice, we guarantee you will be prepared for any dinner party or event at your home.
What are some of your top tips for preparing your home for guests? Be sure to leave a comment and let us know!