How To Plan The Perfect Dinner Party

How To Plan The Perfect Dinner Party
Photo by Nadia Valko on Unsplash

Throwing a dinner party is a fun way to gather and can be the perfect chance to impress your friends with your cooking skills. Whether this is your first party, or you’re a regular host, you’ll want things to run smoothly as possible. Check out these tips will help you plan anf host the type of dinner parties that everyone will be talking about.

1 . Plan Your Theme And Menu
Choosing a theme can make the process of menu planning more efficient. Once you have a theme, coming up with a menu should be easy.  You should take your time with this part and do this with care. Your menu can really ‘make or break’ your dinner party, and all the courses should complement each other. You’ll also need to think about food and wine pairings and choose the best wines for your dishes. You might already have a few ideas in mind. If not, do a little research. Some people like to stick with their tried and tested favorites while others prefer to take a chance and cook something brand new. Whichever way you choose to go or maybe a combination of both, there are plenty of places that you can get recipes and ideas, including Instagram, food blog recipes, recipe books, and foodie podcasts. Remember that for parties, the key is to find dishes hat aren't labor intensive that yield a large quantity.

2. Check Allergies And Dietary Restrictions
Write out your guest list. Once you’ve done this you’ll need to contact your guests, and check if they have any allergies or dietary preferences. There’s no use spending lots of time putting together an epic menu if most of your guests can’t even eat it. .Once you’ve gathered all the info you need, you will find that your process will be much easier. Plan to make at least two or three of the courses suitable for everyone.

3. Arrange The Decor
Throwing a dinner party isn’t just about the food. The decor is also very important. Decorating your home and setting the table just so will help you to create the right atmosphere. You can choose to match your decor to your theme or you can keep it simple and go for a casually elegant setting. You might opt for a formal setting with a tablecloth, flowers, a table centerpiece and candles. If it's warm and you have an outdoor space, you might want a more relaxed setup that encourages informal sharing. Add some greenery, flowers and decorative items to set the mood and add visual interest to the table. Make sure you get out all the serving pieces, plates and cups and flatware you've been saving to show off. 

4. Practice If Necessary
If you’re serving dishes that you’ve never made before, it's probably a good idea to do a practice round or two. Practicing your dishes will help to boost your confidence, plus it’s a chance to correct any little errors or anything that you’re not happy with. Remember, it’s normal if you don’t get things perfect the first time. Cooking involves precision but some experimentation can also pay off. Keep in mind that good presentation can turn a relatively simple dish into something really special so work on those finishing touches like a garnish of fresh herbs, a drizzle of seasoning or a dollop of cream.

5. Prep Beforehand
Try to prepare everything ahead of time so you just have to assemble and plate come party time. The more organized you are, the more likely that your dinner party will run smoothly. Ideally you want to spend more time with your guests than in the kitchen. To ensure this, include some low-maintenance appetizers which your guests can serve themselves. Focus on a few dishes that are tasty crowd pleasers, like a garlic bread recipe or vegetable tarts. A cheese and charcuterie board can make a beautiful centerpiece that your guests can keep snacking on. 

Following these steps will help you to plan a perfect dinner party that will impress your guests. The key is strategic planning and to start getting ready way in advance. From the wine served to your dessert, you’ll want everything to be just right. Remember it's your party and have fun.

This is a contributed post.

2 comments

Jackie Harrison said...

This post is so helpful when you planning any event great tips.

Pablo Parra (Fungi) said...

Oooh woow Rolala,

These are very meaningful and useful tips when it comes to preper the perfect dinner with our beloved ones. And I think there's always a special situation to plan a lovely gathering or a dinner party.

For me the best part is to plan the menu and then select some aesthetics to set up the table with my favorite objets or you can also decor with fruits or other food!

Take care :)

Pablo
Hey Fungi