Whether you’re hosting your first or your fifth dinner party there are still some simple tips that you need to remember if you’re going to pull it off. At Apple Marquee Hire, based in Guildford, we have many years of experience when it comes to hosting parties. Here are 5 tips that will help your dinner party be the best that your guests have ever been to.
- Find out what your guests like
It’s important that you cook food that every guest likes. Take allergies and personal preferences into consideration too, some guests may be allergic to gluten and may not be able to eat your delicious spaghetti bolognaise or one guest may be a vegetarian and won’t be able to eat your chicken. This not only wastes your food but it also leaves your guests hungry. It’s best to check that the menu is ok with each guest beforehand to avoid any awkward atmosphere.
- Set the table
Even if it’s just a casual dinner party with close friends, it still makes a great impression when you have set the table properly. It doesn’t have to be majorly fancy it just needs to have enough placemats, chairs and space for each guest – you don’t want to be all cramped round one tiny table. If you can then get a centre piece but it doesn’t have to be big and it’s not essential, it just adds a special touch to the table.
- Be organised
Set your table before hand as you don’t want to be doing it when your guests arrive. It’s also worth preparing all of the food beforehand as then you’ll only have to put it in the oven. The last thing that you want to be doing at your dinner party is leaving your guests to entertain themselves while you cook in the kitchen.
- Have a back-up plan
If you’re inviting new guests over then it’s possible that awkward silences will happen. This is ok at first as it’s expected but if it starts to happen throughout the evening and it becomes uncomfortable then you’ll need a plan to get everyone talking. Have a few conversation topics or games hidden away that you can bring out when the atmosphere gets a little tense.
- Leave the washing up until the next day
If you’ve already spent enough time in the kitchen when you were preparing and cooking the food then you’ll want to spend as much time with your guests as possible. By leaving the dishes to the next day it means that you get to spend the rest of the evening relaxing and enjoying the company – it’s a social event after all!
So, as you can see none of these tips are expensive or hard to do but they can make a huge difference to how well your dinner party goes. The main thing to remember is to be organised, be relaxed and to spend time with your guests. Even if the food isn’t great at least you’ll know that your guests had a good time.
What are your dinner party tips?