Dinner parties are a great way to bring people together. Inviting people into your home and providing good food and enticing conversation can make people feel closer and give them a memorable experience. However, hosting a dinner party often comes with some pressure (usually self-inflicted, though). 

When it comes to how to host a dinner party that will blow your guests away, you’ll want to ensure that you start preparing in advance. Consider:

  • The invitation list
  • The date
  • The food
  • The decor 
  • The entertainment

If you think about all of these things before the day arrives, you’ll pull off your dinner party without a hitch. Let’s take a closer look at each item and how you can better shape your dinner party. 

The Invitations: Curating Your Guest List

You first need to decide who your dinner party is for because that’s likely to shape the entire experience. For example, if you’re bringing together adult couples, you might want to set the dinner party up with a grown-up and slightly romantic atmosphere. If it’s family, you might have to consider children and how to keep them amused while the adults talk and eat.

You should also consider the number of people on the guest list. Inviting thirty people to a dinner party may be unforgettable, but it could also turn the occasion into more work than enjoyment. Keeping the invitation list around ten or less helps create that intimate atmosphere that people expect and love when it comes to dinner parties. 

You should also ensure the people on the invitation list mesh well together. While they don’t all have to know each other prior, previous drama could dampen your evening. 

The Day and Time: Pick a Date

When you have your invite list, it’s time to pick a date. Unless the dinner party is specifically for a holiday, you might want to avoid notable dates as people are often out of town or have other plans. Instead, pick a weekend (as people are less likely to be working) when nothing else is happening and give advance notice. If you’re unsure when people are available due to unpredictable schedules, feel free to reach out to your proposed invite list and ask what date is best for everyone.

Pro Tip: When reaching out to ask for feedback on dates, it’s best to provide a few potential dates so people can pick one or more. If you leave the question open-ended, it’s much harder to nail down a final answer, and the discussion can drag on. 

Food, Glorious Food: Plan Your Menu

A dinner party is all about the food. Plan your menu in advance so you can gather the ingredients and give yourself enough time to create those delicious dishes.

Get Feedback From Guests

Before deciding on the menu, you should ask your guests if they have any dietary restrictions—and, if you’re feeling generous, anything they seriously dislike. If you have guests who eat a plant-based diet, consider offering them an alternative dish (or, if you have a lot of vegan friends, consider skipping the meat altogether at your dinner party).

If kids are going to be present, you may also need to consider an alternative for them. Kids are notoriously fussy and would rather have chicken fingers over your exquisitely prepared smoked salmon.

Consider Your Budget

You also need to keep a budget in mind. If the sky’s the limit, no worries! Otherwise, come up with a few dishes and calculate the total cost of the supplies before narrowing it down.

Decide on Dishes

Now it’s time to come up with some dishes. Bearing in mind your budget and your guest’s dietary restrictions, open up a recipe book or a search engine and start looking. Take your time to find something that sounds delicious—but also something realistic for you to cook. If you’re a beginner chef, don’t be too ambitious, or you may end up ordering pizza.

Popular Dinner Party Starters:

  • Bruschetta
  • Soup
  • Prawn cocktail
  • Antipasto bites
  • Spring rolls
  • Garlic bread
  • Caprese salad
  • Grilled scallops
  • Roasted broccoli
  • Roasted asparagus

Popular Dinner Party Mains:

  • Risotto
  • Steak (and you could have a cauliflower steak as the plant-based alternative)
  • Chicken pie
  • Lasagne
  • Porchetta 
  • Lamb
  • Pasta
  • Beef wellington

Popular Dinner Party Desserts:

  • Soufflé 
  • Cheese board
  • Fruit pie
  • Homemade ice-cream
  • Fruit salad
  • Glazed donuts
  • Chocolate cake
  • Cheesecake

Pro Tip: If you have a lot of time on your hands and love cooking, you could provide a menu and offer people one of two choices. Your guests are sure to love that! 

Gather the Supplies

Once you know what food you’re making, it’s time to go out and gather the supplies. Get non-perishables in advance, so you have them ready, and make sure you buy any fresh ingredients close to the date. 

Prep, If You Need to

Some food items need to be prepped well in advance (like marinades), so make sure you look at the recipes before it’s the day of the dinner party, as some things may need to process overnight—or even longer. Just don’t make things too far in advance, as they could go bad by the time the dinner party comes around.

Set the Mood: Consider the Decor

When it comes to decorating a dinner party, it’s best to keep it fairly simple—unless it’s themed for a holiday, in which case, you can get louder and more creative! For an intimate setting, however, it’s best to keep the room clean, fresh, and minimalist, though there are a few additions you could make:

  1. A new tablecloth. A new tablecloth in neutral colors is sure to give a fancy look to the dinner setting.
  2. A centerpiece. An appropriate centerpiece for the table (like flowers) will make a huge difference without making things feel too busy.
  3. Candles. Placing candles around the room will not only help to create the right atmosphere, but they can create some great scents.
  4. Matching cutlery and plates. If you don’t have enough plates and silverware that match, consider buying more that do if it’s within your budget.
  5. Matching glasses. Whether wine glasses or short tumblers, matching glasses will add to the cohesiveness of the party.
  6. Menus. If you are giving your guests the option of food, create physical menus! Even if they don’t get a choice, decorating cards on the table is a nice touch that will enhance the experience for your guests.
  7. Patterned napkins. Rather than using plain white disposable napkins, buy some with a light pattern.

Keeping Your Guests Entertained (and Yourself Stress-Free)

When you’re eating dinner, you don’t need to worry about keeping your guests entertained with anything more than conversation. If some haven’t met, introduce them when they arrive (and include thoughtful details to spark a conversation). Try to be considerate when seating people—putting a shy person between two people they’ve never met before may not be the best move.

If you plan on having your guests stick around after dinner, you can come up with some things to do afterward. Some board games might be a good idea, or in the summer, you can set up a projector and have an outdoor movie night. The key is considering what your guests would prefer to do and what their tastes are like—and, of course, it needs to be something that you enjoy too.

Pro Tip: If you don’t want your guests to be there too late, consider setting an end time on the invitation.

The Key Is Preparing in Advance

The key to hosting an amazing dinner party is making sure you’re prepared in advance. By giving everyone lots of notice about the date, deciding on your menu ahead of time, and keeping on top of the decor and entertainment, you’re setting yourself up for a stress-free time as the host.

Remember, this dinner party is for you too! While you want to give your guests a good experience, give yourself the leeway to enjoy the night.