Sunday, 27 April 2025
Dinner parties need careful planning, from guests and menus to dinner table sets. Find out how to host a dinner party using our checklist...
Dinner parties are a popular way to spend quality time with friends and family. However, if you want your party to go with a swing, you’ll need to know how to host a dinner party. There’s always a lot to consider, including guest choices, menus, drinks, entertainment, and tableware. Let’s take a closer look with some tips and tricks to make you a star party host…
Dinner party checklist
If you’re thinking of holding a dinner party, follow our checklist below to help you prepare:
· Plan your party
Start planning your dinner party well before the event and agree a budget. Depending on your theme or plans, you might need to diarise a few tasks before the day. This includes picking up food groceries, stocking up on drinks and snacks, and preparing your home for guests. Create a playlist with suitable tunes for the evening in advance.
Always check you have enough crockery, cutlery and cookware to serve your chosen dinner party menu. Also, make sure you have enough drinking glasses, especially if you are serving wine or cocktails. The day before the party, give your home a thorough clean and start preparing food, so you’re not in a rush on the day.
· Invite your guests
You will need to make a guest list, and this can often be the hardest part of hosting a dinner party. Your choice of guests will dictate the style or theme of your party, as well as the timings. If you want to invite parents of young children, you’ll need to check whether they can get babysitters. You might need to start and end the party in line with childcare timings. On the other hand, you might have older guests who prefer earlier timings.
· Choose your menu
Set a menu or culinary theme that suits the mood and your guest list. Our top tip is to keep it simple and avoid cooking a new dish. This is your opportunity to showcase your signature dish to your friends (even if it’s Spaghetti Bolognese!). It’s better to cook a basic, tasty dish, instead of attempting an overcomplicated meal that could go wrong. You could choose a specific cuisine like Greek or Mexican and add themed snacks.
It’s really important to find out people’s food preferences, so you can avoid cooking a steak for a vegan guest! It’s also essential to check people’s dietary needs in case they have any food allergies or intolerances. Many recipes contain nuts, milk, mustard, wheat and even celery can cause severe reactions for some people.
· Pick your drinks
If you’re a real foodie, you might decide to pair a drink with each course. However, a more budget-friendly alternative is to choose a variety of wines that generally go with the main meal. You could also create a speciality cocktail to enjoy before or after the meal.
You could also give your guests a glass of bubbly on their arrival to make the occasion feel extra special. Considering cocktails but you’re unsure where to start? You could buy a mix of ingredients and hold a fun cocktail-making session as part of your event.
· Create your ambience
There are lots of ways you can inject a bit of atmosphere into your dining room to create the right ambience for your dinner party. Think about how the room will be lit; use dimmable lights, table lamps or candles to reduce brightness. You could use oil diffusers or scented candles to create a subtle room fragrance too.
Make sure you have fresh handtowels, and you could also place small colourful flowers in bud vases. And this is when the music playlist you have prepared will really set the scene for your dinner party.
· Dinner party furniture
Do you have enough – or the right type – of dining furniture for your party? If you’re planning to hold your gathering indoors, then you’ll need to maximise the number of available seats. Weather permitting, you might decide to hold your dinner party inside and outside, especially if you have garden-facing bifold doors. Therefore, you could choose a sophisticated dining table that blends in with both indoor and outdoor furniture.
Dining table sets
If you need to refresh your dining furniture, then why not upgrade your dining chairs and dining table? There are plenty of options available, allowing you to mix and match different chair styles to a wide variety of table designs. Pick an upholstery colour that links to the interior scheme for your dining areas and enables you to easily change your décor.
Our last dinner party tip is to make sure you enjoy your dinner party! After all, you’ve gone to so much work that it would be a shame to spoil the occasion due to stress. And by following our checklist above, you should be able to plan everything in advance and have some fun!
Why not check out our stunning dining table sets? If you need any advice, speak to our friendly customer service team or use our online web chat tool.
