tips to hosting your first dinner party
One of my favorite ways to spend time with family and friends is to host a dinner party or get-together. As an experienced event planner, I can come up with almost any reason for a celebration and to have a themed event. I know I’m not the only one with the past two years of restrictions; people are ready to get out and spend quality time with those most important to them. Now that we have been safely navigating the waters, I am more ready than ever to host a dinner party!
Here at Allison Event Design, we love dinner parties. It’s the perfect time to gather a group of friends, family, co-workers, or mentors and try something new together, whether that is a new food, beverage or a game. From your favorite Savannah event planner, here are some tips to hosting your first dinner party -
curate your guest list.
Keep the group smaller and manageable, we suggest no more than 12 for your first few dinner parties. You want to make sure it is a group of people that will not only get along, but will also have different points of view to have an engaging conversation. You want to ensure all guests are comfortable and enjoy the safe atmosphere. Some of our first go-to’s when selecting guests are long time friends, new colleagues and friendly neighbors.
set the tone.
Right from your invitation let your guests know how you want the tone and dinner party theme of the evening to be. Do you want it to be super casual and everyone to attend in jeans, ready to enjoy a fire pit outside. Or do you want to elevate your group to enjoy a little bit of luxury and ask them to dress up a bit? Set that tone from the beginning so that everyone is aware of what to expect. Paperless Post is one favorite ways to invite guests that is a step above sending out a general text message or phone call and not as formal as a mailed invitation. I also love that they put together a great list of unique dinner party themes to get you started.
decorate and plan.
Now that you’ve set the expectation, you need to deliver on that promise. If you are hosting a casual evening by the fire, your dinner table could be set outside under cafe lights with heat lamps around and candlelight on the table. Rattan placemats and family style platters could be placed on your table. If you are hosting a more elegant dinner, maybe you are pulling out your nice china, using cut crystal glassware and hiring a private chef for dinner party to cook and serve everyone. Make sure your tone and ‘theme’ is shown throughout from the moment your guests arrive to the moment they leave. If you are ever feeling stuck and want help, give us a call and we will be more than happy to help!
create the experience.
Your dinner party can be much more than the dinner party menu. You can have a variety of conversation topics ready to go or retire afterwards to a game night to make things competitive. Maybe your guests were selected based on wanting to watch a much anticipated documentary or movie that you premiere and watch together. Maybe that private chef doesn’t just cook, but actually teaches or a mixologist isn’t just a bartender but actually conducts a tasting throughout the dinner. Think about those moments beyond just the meal itself, and always keep in mind to actually create the guest experience.
enjoy.
Don’t forget to sit back and enjoy all that you planned for your guests. You’ve created the experience, you should be able to enjoy it too. Make sure you have prepped anything that might need to be prepped, so you aren’t stuck in the kitchen or setting the table. You want to be able to greet your guests and spend time with each one. Don’t worry if not everything is exactly how you envisioned it, or if not everyone experiences the event the same way. Just sit back and enjoy all of your hard work and the evening you created. After all, you are inviting your closest family or friends, you should enjoy their company.
I wish you the best in hosting your first dinner party, don’t get tripped up with selecting that dinner party theme, the dinner party menu or feeling the pressure to hire a private chef for the dinner party. Let me know how it goes or if you need any help with setting your tone and executing your experience. Like I said as a Savannah event planner, these are one of my favorite ways to spend time with those I love and cherish the most. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! If you decide to plan one this spring, be sure the check out some of my favorite spring blooms that could help you set your dinner table stage.
