Hosting the perfect dinner party
Dinner parties need no special occasion. They don’t need fancy guests and they certainly don’t need a special venue. Hosting a dinner party takes a lot of hard work and a good glass of wine to calm the nerves. There is no guarantee that you will not lose your sanity or need to make last minute arrangements. But hey, it’s all part of the fun. We can’t always afford to go out to eat, sometimes you need to make the most of entertaining at home. When you take a step back and see how much you friends and family are enjoying themselves, that’s when you realise that waiting in line for a smoked chicken at the deli after yours burned, is all while worth it.
The menu
The food is the most important part of the entire evening, after the wine of course. If the food isn’t up to standard, then the drinks should at least make up for it. If you aren’t a Jamie Oliver in the kitchen then keep the dishes fairly simple. Try to prepare dishes ahead of time that won’t leave you running around in the kitchen. However, if you aren’t a whizz in the kitchen, buy some ready cooked meals. With some fancy plating and fresh garnishes, your guests will never know.
The importance of RSVP
Contact the friends and family who you want to invite to your dinner party. For a formal dinner, a written letter to your attendees would be most appropriate. For more modern parties, invites by email or phone are fine, just be sure to include details like the time, date, address, attire and the deadline to RSVP. Be sure to add that they need to reply with any food preferences and allergens.
The decor
Setting up the perfect decor takes a lot of planning, especially if you have a theme that goes along with it. Thoroughly clean your home well in advance of your guests arriving. The worst thing that could happen is having to hide dust when relaxing on your lounge suites with your dinner guests. Remove any personal items that you wouldn’t want your dinner guests to see and be sure to display the fine china. If you don’t have any, then these can easily be hired for the evening instead of having to buy.
Approximately 30 minutes before the dinner guests arrive you should open the wine, light the candles and relax. Now, you’re ready for your guests.