10 Hot Tips to Host the Perfect Dinner Party

You’ve asked your friends over for a dinner party. They’re all coming. Now – what do you do to make it perfect? There are several things you can do to make your dinner party the perfect event.

Prepare your menu in advance.

As soon as you can, maybe even when you’re sending out invitations, prepare your menu. Choose the main dish and any sides, as well as appetizers and dessert.

Planning it out as early as possible helps you write your grocery list, make sure you visit cookware stores in Perth if needed, and you won’t feel as rushed.

Cook what you can the day before.

Anyone who’s cooked a meal for several guests can tell you – anything you can cook the day before is going to reduce your stress. You may need to heat a side in the oven just before guest arrive, or take a dessert out of the refrigerator to bring it to room temperature, but it’ll be that much that you don’t have to rush to cook the day of your dinner party.

Choose the perfect dishes and glassware.

Your dishes help set the mood for the dinner party. A set of classic white plates go with any decor you add, or you can choose seasonal styles that reflect a theme you’ve set – maybe you’re going for spring, or Halloween. Maybe you just love an eclectic mix of plates to show your style. Either way, make sure you have enough plates, flatware, and glasses for all your guests, and that they reflect the theme you want for your dinner party.

Set the table in style.

Besides the dishes, you need to make sure you have a table cloth or runner, centrepiece, and any other décor you’d like your guests to notice. These will help ensure that you set the right mood – either fun and festive or a little more relaxed.

Cook before your guests arrive.

You don’t want to still be cooking thirty minutes after your guests arrive. Cook everything you can before they get there, and make sure you’ve chosen dishes that you can keep warm while you wait for everyone to get settled. No one wants to eat dinner the moment they arrive, but they also don’t want to miss you while you’re in the kitchen.

Play mood music.

Music is a great way to set the mood. You can play relaxing music if you want to chill, or something more upbeat if you want to get your guests moving.

7. Greet your guests with a drink.

When everyone arrives, put a drink in their hand to get the dinner party started. You don’t even have to pour yourself – you can set out a cocktail mix or bottles of wine – just make sure you have glasses available where your guests can find them easily.

Use serving dishes.

Plating each course individually for your guests is a nice thought, but you’re having this party because you want to have a good time with your guests. Instead of plating, serve the food family style, letting each guest serve themselves. You’ll have more time to chat and have fun, and your guests can choose how much of each dish they get.

Make sure you have games!

You may not plan to play board games when your guests arrive. But if the conversation lags or someone mentions a game, you want to have some available. Keep some games, either card or board games, around the house. That way, if you need to, you can pull one out and continue the fun with your friends.

Relax!

After all your work, the only thing you need to do is relax and have fun with your guests. If you’re constantly working on dinner, clean up, and everything else, you’ll have people wanting to help or just being distracted by the fact that you’re not there. Dinner is great, but they want to see YOU, so relax! After the party, you can put all your leftovers away with those kitchen storage solutions in WA that you found while you were out shopping.