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The 10 Do's & Dont's for Hosting a Dinner Party



Hosting a dinner party can be a daunting task, however it helps having some general guidelines to make things go just that extra little bit smoother. Below are some of the main do's and dont's for hosting an awesome dinner party.


1. DO: Have a reason for your party


Guests tend to get more excited and in the mood to celebrate if they have a good cause. Don't worry if there aren't any birthdays or graduations coming up, there are countless reasons to party! Maybe its Friday, your parents' anniversary, or a season finale watch party! Whatever it is, encourage guests to somehow honour the theme.


2. DON'T: Be intimidated by your cooking ability (or lack thereof)


In the year 2020, you don't need to worry if your cooking skills aren't up to par! You can make the party more collaborative by inviting guests to show up with a dish or even order pre-cooked meals and appetizer dishes from higher end grocery stores such as Whole Foods.


3. DO: Have a stress free kitchen


If you do decide to go the more traditional route and prepare the food yourself, ensure that you have organized the kitchen in a thoughtful way to improve speediness and kindly remove anyone who is doing more harm than good in the kitchen.


4. DON'T: Skimp on the alcohol


It's better to have too much of something than too little. Alcohol acts as a form of entertainment and gets good conversation flowing. If guests run out, there may be a last minute scramble to get more. If you're looking for some inspiration on this front, check out our other blog posts as we have a plethora of information on making mixed drinks and wine-serving.


5. DO: Think about preparation


Along the same lines of having a stress-free kitchen, it's important to consider the prep work that needs to be done and the ingredients needed to prepare your dishes (and maybe some decorations to dress up your home). This will ensure that there is no last minute panic and that everything goes to plan.


6. DON'T: Forget about guest preferences


With the increasing number of dietary restrictions and allergies popping up, it's important to check in with guests and determine beforehand if you need to amend your dishes so they don't need to worry about bringing alternatives for themselves. Beyond this, having someone go into anaphylactic shock is the last thing you need at your dinner party!


7. DO: Have a set timeline


Guests should have an idea of the start and end time, when different dishes will be served and when the entertainment will be busted out. This will put their minds at ease and will also allow you to organize your tasks more effectively.


8. DON'T: Get too caught up on small details


If you're too worried about small things such as the decor or how people are perceiving your party, you tend to lose sight of the bigger picture and more pressing issues begin to be overlooked. Just relax and trust that you took all the correct steps beforehand, and then things will settle into place!


9. DO: Write out the menu


Going back to the idea of putting the guests minds at ease, writing the menu will get them excited and allow them to visualize all the delicious food coming their way!


10. DON'T: Forget to have fun!


At the end of the day, the point of having a dinner party in the first place is to have fun and have good conversation with your friends or family. Being relaxed and flexible is key to ensure you have a great time no matter what little bump in the road comes up. If you find yourself getting worked up, remember that your guests are here to support you, and they're just excited that someone took the initiative to make an unforgettable evening.


If you found these tips helpful or have any other concerns that you'd like to have addressed, please comment down below and our team will get back to you shortly! Additionally, be sure to subscribe to our newsletter to get updated on exclusive content and when blog posts like this will be posted!


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