Stop for a moment: when was the last time you attended a dinner party or even thought about hosting one yourself?
With our busy lives, we often forget to just stop and socialize with our friends. Sure, we’ll go to happy hour at our favorite pub once in a while but it’s just not the best way to socialize.
You should consider throwing a party that your friends will never forget. But how do you embark upon this exciting but often daunting task?
Here’s what you’ve got to do:
Have a Theme for the Dinner Party
One of the most underrated dinner party ideas is to have a particular theme that everyone has to go along with. This ensures that everyone feels that they’re participating as opposed to just being spectators.
For example, you might want your dinner guests to dress well for the dinner party. You could consider doing a Classic Hollywood theme. This means that the ladies will wear elegant dresses like Marilyn Monroe and the gentlemen will wear suits that would make Humphrey Bogart jealous.
A theme is a great way for everyone to relate to each other and is a conversation starter. It doesn’t have to end with just the clothing that your guests wear. The theme can also be part of the activities that you plan for your guests.
Party Catering
While you can always whip up a miracle in the kitchen unless you happen to be a celebrity chef you want to consider luxury catering for your dinner party.
This is actually one of the appealing factors for dinner parties. Your guests are more likely to show up if they know the food will be catered. This means that the food will be of higher quality and cooked by professional chefs.
The quality of food will be superior and you’ll have catering staff that’ll lay the tables and serves you and your guests.
Send Invitation Cards
While it’s much more convenient to simply invite your guests by sending them a text message, for a dinner party you want to send them invitation cards.
This is a lot more personalized and makes your guests know how serious you are about having a good time. If you’ve gone through the hassle of sending them invitation cards in the mail, it shows that you’ve taken care of planning a great dinner party.
Make sure you ask them to RSVP by a certain date. You want to ensure you have enough tables and chairs for the dinner party beforehand.
Introducing Your Guests
Unless everyone knows each other already, you’ll have to take time to introduce your guests to one another.
In fact, one of the key dinner party ideas is to ensure that guests don’t know each other beforehand. Your friends might skip the dinner party if they know everyone else. They might feel “I can catch up with my friends anytime.”
But when you have a good mix of guests who don’t know each other, it gives you the opportunity to network and make new friends. Your guests are more likely to show up if they can meet new people.
Nevertheless, you’ll have to do your part in introducing your guests. Make sure you welcome your guests as they come in and introduce them to others. Your goal is for them to connect with each other and for them to not only hang out with their existing friends.
Dinner Party Games
Most of the time, you want to give your guests time to socialize with each other. You don’t have to be “hands-on” at all times.
But one great way to have an icebreaker and to make your guests socialize with each other is to have one or more dinner party games.
For example, you might host a poker tournament or have chess tables set up at your party. Or you might have everyone involved in a charades tournament.
These are all ways to help your guests break out of their shells and interact with each other. It’s one of the easiest ways for them to connect with each other and make friendships.
These games might seem trivial, but they’re the key to throwing a party that your friends will remember. These games are what they’ll discuss when they reminisce about the dinner party.
Best Practices
Let’s end this guide with a few best practices on how to throw a great dinner party.
You may want to prepare a parking space in your home or apartment complex for your guests. Make sure you let them know where to park upon their arrival. If this isn’t feasible, make sure you tell them to carpool or use a taxi service.
When it comes to food, make sure you ask your guests if they have any food preferences and/or allergies. Confirm this before you contact the party catering services.
Make sure you always have plenty of water at your dinner party. While guests may enjoy alcoholic beverages, many of them might not be able to handle themselves! You want to provide water so they can avoid the next day’s hangover.
Some of your guests might not feel too comfortable going back home very late. This is commonplace if you don’t live in the safest city or town. Either offer them accommodation in your home or recommend a nearby hotel where they can stay for the night.
When your dinner party ends, make sure you see every guest off. Thank them for attending your party and keep in touch with them.
See You At the Dinner Party
Now you know how to throw a great dinner party that your friends will never forget.
Start by having a theme for your dinner party. This is a great way for your guests to feel involved in the event rather than being spectators.
You should always hire professional catering services to prepare the food. Make sure you introduce your guests to each other and have a few games to break the ice. Follow our best practices to ensure you throw the best party.
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