Hosting your first dinner party is something of a rite of passage for many adults, but it’s also a lot of hard work. From crafting the perfect guest list to putting together a menu that will send everyone home happy, the whole experience can be nothing but stressful from start to finish.
To help you throw the perfect party, we’ve put together these five simple tips for first-time hosts. Whether you want a sophisticated soiree or a casual and intimate gathering, these tips will help you plan an evening that will be memorable for all the right reasons.
Building a great guest list
Who should I invite? This is the $64-million-dollar question that every dinner party organizer must grapple with, and there can be quite an art to creating the ideal guest list.
This is where your knowledge of people and personalities comes to the fore. Which of your friends get on well together, who can barely stand the sight of each other, and who has lots of interesting stories?
It’s generally best to invite people who already know each other — this should keep the conversation flowing smoothly — but throwing in a wildcard or two can also work well. If you just have a gut feeling that two people who’ve never met will get on like a house on fire, trust your instinct and send them both invites.
Who said anything about hosting at home?
Traditionally, you host dinner parties in your own home. But there are lots of good reasons why you might want to hire a special venue for your special dinner.
The right venue will offer the perfect ambience, will be neat and tidy, can be set up and decorated to suit your needs, and even offer catering services. Best of all, you won’t have to worry about cleaning up and washing all those dirty dishes when the night is done.
3 awesome Miami dinner party venues
If you’re looking to host a dinner somewhere other than at home, these three Miami dinner spaces are well worth a closer look.
Gilda Gray, STK South Beach
A modern steakhouse known for its quality cuts and signature cocktails, STK also boasts a number of private and semi-private dining spaces. The Gilda Gray room, with its stylish leather chairs and refined setting, seats up to 16. Perfect if you want to create an intimate atmosphere.
The Small Room, Zucca
Zucca in Coral Gables dishes up authentic Italian fare in elegant surroundings. It’s also home to a gorgeous dining space known as the Small Room. With a quiet atmosphere and seating for up to 18, it’s the sort of space that’ll make you and your guests feel like VIPs.
The Tambourine Room, The Strand
Looking for a private dining room with more of a relaxed vibe? The Tambourine Room, located in The Strand at Carillon Miami Beach, has seating for 14 and a casual, communal atmosphere. It’s the ideal spot to enjoy the restaurant’s menu inspired by locally sourced ingredients.
Keep it simple
If you’re a keen cook, it can be tempting to try to show off your advanced culinary skills to your friends. Resist that temptation.
Not only do complicated dishes leave more room for error, but they also tend to take a whole lot longer to prepare. Even if you don’t make any mistakes, you might find yourself constantly rushing back and forth between the kitchen and your quests while you try to get your Michelin Star-quality dish ready to serve.
That’s why if you’re doing the cooking yourself, it’s important to keep the menu simple. Choose dishes you’ve made before, that are quick and easy to make, and that allow you to do a lot of prep work in advance. This will make the night of your dinner party a whole lot less stressful.
More than just food and drink
There’s much more that goes into a memorable dinner party than whatever you eat and drink. There are many different aspects of a dinner that need to come together to create that ideal atmosphere. We’ve already touched on the venue and the guest list, but then there are factors like music, decorations, and lighting that can all contribute to the ambiance.
Remember to consider the occasion and who’s coming when planning your dinner.
- Do you want something relaxed and casual or chic and classy?
- Will there be a theme for the evening?
- How can you decorate the space to create the perfect mood?
Answering these questions will help take your dinner to the next level.
Relax!
OK, we know this is sometimes easier said than done. But seriously, dinner parties are meant to be fun. They’re meant to give everyone a chance to let their hair down and enjoy good food, wine, and conversation with friends.
So try not to stress if something doesn’t go to plan — and trust us, nothing ever works out 100% perfectly. If the roast was left in the oven 10 minutes too long, it’s not the end of the world. If someone can’t make it and has to pull out at the last minute, that’s their loss, not yours. And if not everyone agrees with some of the songs on your dinner party playlist, well, you’ve got a great topic for dinner party conversation right there.
In some ways, throwing an enjoyable dinner party is all about state of mind. If you’re relaxed, happy, and having a good time, your guests will be too. Combined with careful planning and preparation, this can help you treat your friends (and yourself) to a wonderful night.
