If you want to host a dinner party, you’ll have to do some meticulous planning in advance. This should be a fun night with multiple activities that everyone can enjoy, including you. So, when you start preparing for that special dinner, don’t just worry about the type of food you’re going to serve, but also think of the drinks, the ambiance, and the music that you can enjoy along with your guests. If you don’t know where to start, you can follow these tips we collected to help you host the ultimate dinner party.

Create a Guest List

If you’re hosting a dinner party, then there are probably more than a few people that you have in mind. You need to create a list in order to prepare your dinnerware sets and be prepared to serve everyone. Always make sure that you have extra dinnerware, especially if you’re hosting dinner for a large number of people. Send out invitations to your guests and start making decor changes if you’re feeling up to it. Also, consider the type of atmosphere and ambiance early on, which should be two weeks prior to the evening in question. You should also contact your guests and ask them whether there’s a certain type of food that they can’t eat or if they have allergies. This will give you time to choose the dishes you’re going to serve and how they’re going to look like when served. You’ll also be able to prepare the necessary tools, garnishes, plates, and decor such as candles and so on. 

Queue Your Music

You can start thinking of the playlist you’re going to compile a week before your special dinner. One of the easiest ways to do this is by checking out your music app, like your iTunes, Deezer, or Spotify, and create a playlist with songs that will help relax your guests or even make them dance if they feel like it. You may even find people on these applications who have already created dinner party playlists and shared them online. In some cases, however, the music you want to play might only be available in video form on YouTube, for example, or other platforms. This is when you should start using a video downloader, as it will allow you to download online videos, play them offline, and convert them to MP3 and MP4 formats. That way, you’ll be able to create a playlist more easily and have access to more music. Instead of limiting your options and playing the only music available on your music app, you can customize your own playlist, include multiple genres to suit the needs of everyone, and have other songs up and ready in case your guests want to play a specific song.

You Can’t Go Wrong with a DIY Bar

When hosting a party, you want your guests to have everything they want – and that includes drinks. To do this, you can set a table with all the mixings you can afford so that your guests can serve themselves with the drinks they prefer. Some of the items you should include in your minibar are ginger beer, sparkling water, citrus wedges, herbs, and don’t forget to stock on your favorite drink. You can either make a margarita bar, a gin-and-tonic bar, or a lemonade bar, but make sure that the drinks you’re serving go along with the atmosphere and the food you’re serving.

Choose the Right Appetizers

You’ll also need to plan which appetizers you’re going to serve your guests in advance. Appetizers, fortunately, are easy to make and can be served at room temperature. So, you can make them beforehand in order to save a room in the oven for the main course. The easiest appetizers that you can whip up are spiced nut mix, seasonal dips, or marinated olives. However, the final say is up to you. Also, make sure to arrange your hors d’oeuvres properly, so they can complement your table arrangement. If you don’t know how to do this, you can check out the multiple tutorials on Google and YouTube on dinner table appetizers. Having them in the kitchen will just make the guests hover over your space.

Hosting a dinner party can take a lot of time and effort, so you might forget about a few things if you’re too caught up with getting all the ingredients of the main course and preparing it, so be sure to ask for help if you can’t cover all the requirements for your dinner. If you don’t have time to make dessert, you can simply look for a bakery and order chocolate and/ or fruit dessert. Finally, don’t overthink it and enjoy yourself!

Editor’s note: Please make sure you abide by your local Covid-19 restriction when planning a gathering.