How To Throw An Unforgettable Dinner Party

There is something so fun about throwing a dinner party. It’s a great excuse to get people together, dress up, have delicious food and enjoy the comfort of your own home at the same time. It can be cheaper than going out somewhere fancy (especially if everyone chips in or brings a bottle) and you don’t need to worry about venturing somewhere to have a good time. But throwing a dinner party can also come with a fair amount of organizing and it’s good to be as prepared as possible. In this article we take a look at some top tips on how you can throw an unforgettable dinner party that your guests won’t stop talking about for months.

Organize a theme

One of the first things you should do when looking to throw an unforgettable dinner party is decide on a theme. This could be something specific such as a Caribbean evening, whereby you collate all the decor, food and drink items to be from this part of the globe, or it could be more generic such as a black tie evening where everyone has to dress up in something fancy. Think about what you want to cook and serve as drinks and how in-depth you want it all to be. Adding a theme can be great fun, but you want to ensure you do it right, so give yourself enough time to factor this not only into your own plans, but your guests too. If you want them to wear costumes, make sure you give enough notice so they can get them sorted out.

Decide on a menu that’s impressive but not too complicated

The food is the main focus on a dinner party of course, so make sure you spend some time perfecting what you want to serve. You want to settle on a menu that impresses everyone, but that can be prepared mostly ahead of time and you don’t have to be slaving away in the kitchen for too long on the actual night of the event. If you are doing something with seafood on your menu, you should look into getting Fresh clams shipped, making sure you leave plenty of time. These can taste utterly divine and also make for the perfect starter, particularly when looking to cook for a large number of you. Think about the ingredients you will need, how you will present them and also take into consideration the dietary requirements of your group. Always find out if there are any allergies ahead of time so you can cater to this. There;s nothing worse than not having anything prepared for someone who can’t eat what you have cooked.

Be mindful about where you buy your food 

Instead of just nipping to your local supermarket, what not take some extra time to find high quality ingredients Think about where you are getting your food from and head to places such as farmers markets for fresh dairy, cream, fruit or meat. You could go to a bakery if you want to serve bread, and consider heading to a vineyard if you want to sample some local wine prior to serving it with your dishes. Most vineyards enable you to sample the wines they make and their level of knowledge and expertise can ensure you serve a wine that goes well with the food, as opposed to just picking one on the shelf which has the best looking label and marketing ploy!

Consider a drinks list

As well as the food you are going to serve, a well executed drinks list will never go amiss. You could consider making some cocktails and mocktails for the night, particularly if you are already doing a theme as these will fit in nicely. You could knock up a few different ones and then offer these to guests on arrival and through the evening. You could also look at getting a few different wines that are red, rose and white, so people have a preference. For those that prefer beer, have some in the fridge to stay cold and don’t forget to get some soft drinks and other non-alcoholic options for those that might be driving or don’t drink. 

Think about entertainment

While the food is the main part of the night, you also want your guests to be entertained and just have fun. There are many forms of entertainment you can do for them when they are around, including choosing a good music playlist to be on in the background and finding games you can play after dinner. These could be board games such as Monopoly, or classics like charades or even cards against humanity. Try and come up with a playlist ahead of time that will work well in the background while you are eating dinner, but perhaps a more lively one for later in the evening if you fancy a bit of a dance!

Prepare as much as you can the night before 

There is nothing that will help you more during a dinner party than being prepared. The night before, get as much done as you can, whether this is cleaning your house, or laying the table. You should also see how much of the food you can get prepped ahead of time, doing things such as peeling and chopping vegetables, preparing sauces, and marinating meat so it can soak up the flavour overnight. The more you have done the night before, the better it will be on the day as you won’t have to worry about not seeing everyone and can instead feel more relaxed and focus on socialising and popping in to check on the food as opposed to getting everything ready while everyone else chills. 

Give your home a clean

You want your home to look good before people come round, so give it a good tidy the day before. Ensure you vacuum all areas, wipe all your surfaces down and pop some fresh flowers in a vase. Light some candles or spray some room perfumes and it will feel like the perfect spot for hosting. 

Set the table 

The table is a large part of your setting so you want it to look good. Consider things such as matching place mats and coasters and add in a table runner if you want a more decadent look. You could throw a tablecloth over and add decor such as candles, flowers or other items that can really pull it all together. Try and get this ready the night before, laying out the right glasses and cutlery, as well as getting your salt, pepper and other condiments out. 

These are just a few things you can do that can help you to throw an unforgettable dinner party. Dinner parties are a fantastic way of getting everyone together and with these top tips you should all be able to really enjoy it. As a host, it can be tricky sorting it all out, but once it’s done you’ll feel relieved and a real sense of accomplishment knowing everyone had such a good time! As long as you prep as much as you can the day before and keep the drinks flowing and music on, everyone will have a great time guaranteed!