Hosting a Dinner Party: Do's and Dont's With Guest Blogger Emma Lawson

Today, people are always in a rush and hosting a dinner party is a great way to have them relax. Call up your friends and co-workers and throw a party everyone will enjoy. Still, many people believe that throwing such a party is complicated and frustrating. But this is not true. It is your party and you should try to enjoy organizing it as much as you can. If you want everything to go well, you should follow some of the basic rules for throwing a dinner party. Here are the do’s and don’ts you should have in mind.

DO prepare cloth napkins

If you are trying to make a fancy dinner you should prepare enough cloth napkins for everyone. This will make the whole party look a bit more formal. Once the dinner party is over, you can go back to the paper towels. You should also make sure you choose the right silverware and set the whole table in a beautiful way.

DO make a playlist

A party without music can hardly be called a party. So you should start making a playlist a couple of days before the party. Take a look at some dinner party playlists and choose the music that will be a perfect background for your party and everyone will enjoy. Just do not make the whole playlist according to your taste in music (but to not be afraid to put a couple of songs in it just for yourself). Also, do not make the music too loud so that your guests can talk to each other.

DO make a checklist

There will be so many things you are going to be in charge of, so making a checklist might help you get everything done before the party actually starts. The list should include all the furniture you should bring, food you are going to prepare and ingredients you will have to buy. Make sure you have all the necessary equipment as well. If you do not, add buying all the kitchen appliances you might need to your checklist.

DON’T try out a new recipe

You should never try to prepare a meal you have never prepared for when you have bunch of people arriving in a couple of hours. If something goes wrong you might end up having a dinner party without dinner. Choose something you have prepared many times before and you are sure there are going to be no troubles preparing it. But taking another look at the ingredient list is never a bad idea.

DON’T invite all the strangers

You might think a dinner party is a great way to introduce all of your friends to meet each other but if you are the only ‘thing’ your guests have in common the party might not end up as well as you have planned. You cannot keep everyone entertained all the time, so if your guests do not have similar interests and something to talk about the party can end up being really boring, not to say awkward.

DON’T let the guests do the dishes

Once the evening ends, most of your guests are probably going to offer their help in cleaning up and doing the dishes just because it is polite. If you accept you might just end up calling their bluff and making the evening unpleasant for them. So do not let anyone who is not related to you or a really close friend help you with cleaning up after the party. Say ‘goodbye’ to all of the guests and only then take up the cleaning.

Follow these do’s and dont’s and your party will turn out to be a big hit. Make sure everyone has a good time but do not forget to sit down as well and enjoy your party.

Emma is a teacher, constantly improving her skills both as a teacher and as a parent. She is passionate about writing and learning new things that can help you to lead a quality life. She is a regular contributor to High Style Life. You can follow her on Twitter @EmmahLawson