Dinner Party
| This is the PartyOz guide to the perfect Dinner Party with all the ettiquette, ideas, costumes and party games. |
A Dinner Party is often a pleasurable time for everyone but the host, so the important point to keep in mind is “planning” is a key part of a successful dinner party.
 All too often, people make the mistake of over-exerting themselves, leaving little time to enjoy the evening themselves. The important thing to remember when planning a dinner party is to not do everything at once.
One popular and ever-growing trend is for groups of friends to form dinner circles. This is where a group of people arrange a certain time to hold a regular dinner party, taking turns to play host.
Another trend is to have people amongst the group each contribute a meal for the evening, providing a varied and large buffet for all to enjoy.
Whether you’re part of a group or simply planning to hold a dinner party for the first time, the following information can help you to make it an enjoyable night for yourself and your guests.
Guests:
Firstly, make a guest list so you’ll know how many people to cook for. Bear in mind that some people may have allergies, so this might affect what you plan to cook for the evening.
Let your guests know the time and date of the dinner well in advance and be sure to remind them shortly before the party just to confirm. It’s far too easy for guests to forget arrangements if they’ve been told weeks earlier and you don’t want to be left there cooking for no one.
Preparation:
Make a checklist of ingredients and drinks that you’ll need and try and buy them a couple of days before the party. Having a checklist will help you keep track of what you’ll need, and having it on paper will also help you to think of anything you might have left out. It might help to visualise the evening as you’d like it.
Try and get the house in order the day before the dinner party. If you leave house cleaning till on the day, you might find yourself more stressed than you need to be. You’ll also leave yourself less time to prepare the meal and make sure everything’s in order.
If possible, try and find recipes that suit the time you have to cook. There are many wonderful meals that can be easily prepared the night before then cooked the next evening.
Keeping the menu simple doesn’t mean it has to be boring. If you don’t enjoy preparing the meal, chances are you won’t enjoy eating it. The evening is for you as much as it is for your guests.
The night will also be a lot easier for you if you prepare dishes that can be laid out centre of the table, allowing guests to serve themselves. This not only gives a cosy and informal air to the evening, but it also saves you from having to rush about, dishing up everyone’s meal.
Saving as much time as possible means you get to spend more time with your friends. The last thing you want is to find that the evening is over and you haven’t had a chance to enjoy the company.
Music:
The type of music you provide will depend on the type of guests you have coming. You might not think it, but the night will run a lot smoother with background music for the evening.
This will be especially helpful if many of your guests are meeting for the first time, as there will surely be some quiet moments as they get their footing.
Murder Mystery Dinner Party
A popular trend is to combine dinner with a murder mystery game. Invite a fixed number of friends and family to participate in a murder mystery party.
You can purchase a murder mystery game and host the dinner at home or have the night hosted by a professional murder mystery host in a venue like an old hotel.
For more information see Murder Mystery Hosts and Murder Mystery Games
Readers Comments
Very helpful advice. I’m not used to cooking for others, so when I had to have friends over the info on your site helped a lot. Especially with the planning side of things.
Dave (Brisbane)
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