how to Archives

How to Host the Perfect Dinner Party: Part I

Posted on August 17, 2018June 5, 2019 Staff

At first glance, the concept of a dinner party seems exciting: good food and drinks, great friends and even better conversation. However, there’s a lot of behind the scenes work required to make those fabulous evenings a reality.

It isn’t easy determining a budget, figuring out a guest list or designing invitations, all weeks in advance.

Putting together a picture-perfect dinner party at your lake home can be a daunting task for those who aren’t properly prepared. So we’ve created a 3-part series of easy-to-follow guides to help you achieve your most memorable, fun-filled soirée yet.

Here are some pro tips on preparation to make sure everything goes as smooth as possible.

The Preparation

Buy a fancy planner, set reminders in your phone, place sticky notes on every flat surface in your house–however you choose to go about it, planning and organization are the keys to a successful night.

Start early and finish often.

Make small steps toward preparation in the weeks leading up to your event, giving yourself plenty of time for each task. This will not only keep you on track, but save you from feeling overwhelmed at the last minute.

The Budget

This is a big deal. Before you get all excited and tunnel-visioned about what you want, it’s imperative to make sure it’s within the bounds of financial comfort.

Can you afford to feed 30 people steaks, shrimp and champagne? Are you planning on springing for live music, or doing cute little party favors for each guest?

A smart budget is a great place to start the planning process. Whether your cap is $200 or $2,000, knowing exactly how much you feel comfortable spending and planning everything around that number is essential.

The Guest List

Now that you know what you’re working with, determine a guest list.

A dinner party is a great way to acquaint new people and initiate lasting relationships. When figuring out who’ll receive an invitation, there are some things to consider:

How many people are you planning to invite, and is there enough room to comfortably seat everyone?
Are you able to prepare enough food for eight, 12 or 25 people?
Do your work associates have anything in common with your childhood best friends?

Perhaps more important than “how many”, who you allow to wine and dine with you can make or break the evening.

Is there anyone on your list who is notorious for causing problems? Who’s that one friend who can turn anything into an argument? Think about replacing them with the person who loves to make everyone laugh, and then sit the comedian next to the friend who never runs out of things to talk about.

The company you keep is a key ingredient for an awesome night.

The Invitations

Invitations mark the difference between a regular dinner and a dinner party.

You’ll want to send them out as soon as the guest list is done, so at least one month, but no later than two weeks, in advance of the date. This gives friends and family time to adjust their calendars and increases the chances of a good turnout.

A well-rounded invitation should include the following:

the time and date
location address
party theme or dress code (if there is one)
your phone number and/or email
the RSVP deadline, which should be at least one week before the event’s date.

It’s also nice to ask guests to include any dietary restrictions with their RSVP.

The invitation design should reflect the aesthetic of the evening (see How to Host the Perfect Dinner Party: Part II here) and the level of formality you’re hoping to achieve. If the vibe is more relaxed, e-vites, a Facebook event, or a descriptive text message will do just fine. For a formal evening, go for handwritten or printed invites via snail mail.

Taking the time out to send individual invitations is evidence of effort and shows a statement of intent. Your guests will appreciate it.

That wraps up the preparation phase.

Now that you know how much to spend and who to invite, we can move on to the fun part: planning the party! In Part II of the series, we will go over how to create your desired atmosphere and plan a stellar menu that guests will love.

How to Host the Perfect Dinner Party: Part II

Posted on August 17, 2018June 5, 2019 Staff

In Part I of this series, we walked you through the first steps to planning a dinner party: creating a budget, determining a guest list and sending out invitations. Once all of those ducks are in a row, however, there is still more work that needs to be done. The next step to planning the perfect dinner party is all about setting the mood and planning the food.

For this part of the process, attention to detail is imperative! The atmosphere and cuisine should be well thought out and showcase who you are and what you want your guests to experience.

The Mood

What’s your aesthetic? Focus on indulging in what you love rather than stressing over what’s proper.

You’re already on the lake, so the odds of ambiance are in your favor. Play on your surroundings and host the party somewhere unexpected.

For a more formal evening, a candlelit dinner by the water would certainly make a lasting impression. If you have a large enough boat, dinner on the water would be even better.

Maybe a casual, intimate setting is what you’re going for. Opt for a nighttime picnic, complete with fairy lights, and throw down plenty of blankets and pillows. If you have a giant screen and projector readily available, you could even end the night with a movie under the stars.

When it comes to the tablescape, it’s best to start with a good table cloth and work your way up. Candles add warmth and movement, and soft illumination is the easiest (and cheapest) way to transform your space.

A nice floral arrangement can also contribute some colorful character to the table, but this doesn’t have to be a pricey feature. A bouquet of wildflowers from the yard or garden works just fine.

To compliment the flowers, break out the nice china and cloth napkins. You can save the paper plates for every other night, but a dinner party is just as much about style as it is about cooking.

Don’t forget to create a playlist! Music is an important part of any get-together and paramount in setting the tone.

In certain settings, it can be good to feature a mix of genres that everyone can enjoy, but remember to stay mindful of what’s appropriate. Maybe a formal business dinner with associates isn’t the best time to show off your knowledge of 90’s hip hop.

Also, remember not to turn the tunes up too loud. It can discourage conversation when guests have to constantly shout over Coltrane.

The Food

While it can be easy to come back from a poorly selected playlist, it’s a lot harder to recover from failed food. When arranging the perfect menu, there are a few do’s and don’ts to be aware of.

DON’T experiment with new dishes. When it comes to cooking for large groups of people, it’s best to stick with what you know in order to avoid potential chaos…and embarrassment.

DO make sure water, salt and pepper are on the table at all times.

DON’T wait until the day of the party to make the grocery list and start cooking.

DO take your guests’ dietary restrictions into consideration by having vegetarian or low-carb options so everyone can enjoy themselves.

Use the lake to your advantage and add some fresh seafood to the menu. Not to mention, the story of how you caught a 25-pound bass the afternoon before would make for a great topic of conversation.

When choosing what drinks to offer, consider your company. Wine may be a staple at most dinner parties, but in a room full of beer lovers, a full-bodied Cabernet might not fare so well. At the same time, be knowledgeable of what drinks would compliment the flavors you serve.

Pairing food and drinks comes down to determining what the basic taste of the food is—sweet, salty, sour or bitter—and choosing a beverage that either matches or contrasts it properly.

Dark, bold wines pair well with rich, red meats, while crisp white wines go well with seafood and pastas. When it comes to beer, just about any ale goes great with beef dishes, while pilsners and lagers work well with pork and poultry. Light or wheat beers match best with seafood.

The atmosphere and menu are big components of the night. However, there are still a few more boxes to check before we reach the end of our lengthy to-do list. In Part Three of this series, we’ll talk about the final stages of preparation in the days leading up to the dinner party, as well as what is expected of a great host.

How to Host the Perfect Dinner Party: Part III

Posted on August 17, 2018June 5, 2019 Staff

Welcome to the last leg of the race!

You’ve reached the final portion of our series on how to host a picture-perfect dinner party. So far, we’ve gone over how to prepare for a successful night and how to create the atmosphere that’s just right for you.

In the last days before your big event, there are some final touches that need to get done. Think of these as the cherries on top.

Two Days Before

Pick up all dinner ingredients and beverages.
Make sure you have plenty of ice.
Queue your playlists so you don’t have to play DJ all night.

The Day Before

Tidy up the house, particularly the areas that guests will see, like the bathroom and living room. If the party is outside, be sure to cut the grass or sweep the deck.
Make sure the trash can is empty.
Pick up some flowers and put them in a vase.
Prepare as much food as you can, including dessert.

The Day Of

Prepare any final dishes you didn’t get to finish the day before.
Set up the table and any necessary decorations.
Create a drink and snack station, complete with hors d’oeuvres for guests’ arrival.
Choose an outfit. As a rule of thumb, the host should never be outdone by the guests. It’s time to break out that dress or those shoes you’ve been saving for a special occasion.

The Host

If you want to pull off being the perfect host, there is a certain role you have to fill. Your job is to get guests who may not know each other acquainted and comfortable. You’re the connecting link between everyone there.

Above all else, you set the tone for the evening. Therefore, if you’re frantic and anxious, everyone else will be too. It’s important to appear relaxed and in control for the entire evening, even if you’re not.

The rules of etiquette are nowhere near as strict as they used to be, but some things still apply.

Mind your manners: upon arrival, offer guests a drink and relieve them of their coats and bags. While at the table, try your best to stay off your phone, even if others are doing it.

The last thing you want to do is come off as rude or disengaged. If you absolutely must take a call or respond to a text, excuse yourself from the table.

Lively conversation is an important part of a dinner party, and as the host, you are the mediator by default.

Our parents warned us never to talk about politics or religion, but realistically, those make for some of the most interesting conversations. Topics that may elicit controversy or differences in opinion are okay in moderation, as long as no one is rude or feels insulted.

It’s good to serve dessert or coffee in the living room or another setting to mix up the groups and unwind after dinner. This would be a great time to break out the board games or start a bonfire.

When the evening is over, you may not have the energy to clean the entire kitchen from top to bottom. However, doing a little work on the front end makes it a lot easier for the morning after. At the very least, clear off the table, put away leftovers and soak the dishes.

Hopefully this series gave you all the tools you need to host the dinner party of your dreams. It may be a lot a lot of work, but if done right, you could succeed in creating a night you’ll never forget.