How to Plan the Ultimate Dinner Party, According to Entertaining Experts
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links."
Why is it that we all sit around waiting for something fun to happen when we can make fun things happen ourselves? Like, a dinner party, perhaps? Dinner parties, book clubs, and all kinds of hosting have become huge this year. Why? People are craving socialization. We want to hangout with our friends or maybe even make some new ones for goodness' sake!
As Kenzie Elizabeth puts it, one of the internet's favorite hosts, we want a place to come together. “Dinner parties to me are so much more than a cute theme night,” she told Country Living. “I love the idea of bringing people together, that’s what I love the most. When we have dinner parties that last until midnight because everyone can’t stop talking, it’s such a warm and fulfilling feeling.”
So, consider this your Ultimate Dinner Party Guide. Here, we’ll be sharing ideas for curating a menu, themes, utilizing your space, and how to plan and prep so you can be as stress-free as possible. And remember, a dinner party doesn’t have to be an extravagant ordeal. Invite a few friends over, pop something in the oven, and go from there.
Now, let’s meet our dinner party guides.
Meet Our Hosts
Charlyne Mattox is the Food and Crafts Director at Country Living who has a knack for creating a delicious recipe and an impressive menu.
Kenzie Elizabeth is a business owner known for her viral hosting closet and dinner party vlogs where she walks viewers through all her steps to hosting an evening at home, whether it's for a Nancy Meyers themed dinner party or a low-key book club.
Clare Sullivan is an interior designer who took the internet by storm with her Budget Luxury®️ tips and impressive DIYs. With over 1M followers on TikTok, she's become everyone's go-to teacher when it comes to taking something from dreary to dreamy.
Prep & Plan
There are so many different types of ways to host and entertain. When I was younger I thought dinner parties were for fancy adults with big homes, perfect china, and a large dinner table with the chairs to match. That's not the case these days. Clare and Kenzie prove that it's your home — you set the tone.
"One thing about entertaining at home is that you don’t need to be some sort of uber-social hostess to throw together a pretty dinner," Sullivan told Country Living. "At home, I get to set the ambiance. Soft lighting, a beautifully set table, lemon drop martinis (my signature) and a playlist that I know my friends will love. At the end of the night, there’s no discussion of who’s splitting the bill and how."
First things first, are you keeping it simple or going for a certain theme? Pull inspiration from feelings you love, the seasons, places you enjoy visiting, a picturesque scene from a movie, the list goes on. Kenzie Elizabeth recently finished hosting her second Nancy Meyers themed dinner party. Her first one was centered around the movie "The Holiday". Guests dressed up as a character from the movie, enjoyed Christmas Fettuccine, had the movie on in the background, sipped on hot chocolate and relaxed by the fire. Whether you choose to go all out with a theme or not, look for inspiration everywhere.
Planning Timeline
Let's be real, you may often throw a last-minute dinner party, and sometimes, those are the best! But if you want to really hone it in, both Charlyne and Kenzie break down their party planning with a simple timeline.
Two Weeks Out: Send out the invitations two weeks prior. Whether this is an actual invite in the mail, an e-vite, or a sweet and simple text message, try to let your guests know two weeks in advance. This allows you time to get a head count and find out if anyone has any food allergies. It also gives you some wiggle room in case someone backs out. If that happens, and it will, don't take it personally.
One Week Out: Plan your menu and make a grocery list. Depending on the theme of your evening, this can be super easy, or require a little more thought. Give yourself enough time to put together something you're confident in and know what you have access to.
Three Days Out: Grocery shop! Get everything you need beforehand so you're not running around from place to place the day of.
One Day Out: Prep any food you can and set the table. The night before is the perfect time to chop a few veggies, mix any sauces or dressings, or even make the dessert. And same goes for setting the table. If you know you want to add a little extra tablescaping than your normal setup, take a few extra minutes to get it done the night before so you're not doing it while guests are are arriving. Been there, done that, it always stresses me out.
The Day Of: It's here! Lay out what you want to wear so you don't have to waste any extra minute going through your closet. Leave the day of to cook anything that's absolutely necessary. If you're having a cocktail or fun drink, leave yourself enough time to make that just before the guests arrive so it's stays chilled. And if you have guests who always want to help, leave one or two easy tasks that guests can assist with, like opening wine bottles or garnishing a dish.
Creating A Menu
Before you start browsing through cookbooks, or Country Living's tried and true recipes of course, check with your guests to see if anyone has any dietary restrictions. If you want to have a cocktail, choose a fun drink to serve beforehand, preferably one that can be made in a batch so you aren’t shaking the cocktail shaker the whole time. The easiest appetizer is meat, cheese, and nuts. Everyone loves it and it's low lift. Check out 20 Smart Charcuterie Board Ideas for Your Next Party. Having a drink and app ready before dinner makes it so there isn’t any awkward milling around. The main dish should be the star of the show. For the sides, choose a vegetable or salad and some type of starch—potatoes, rice, or pasta are always crowd pleasers. Make a dessert that can be done ahead so you don’t have to jump back in the kitchen to make it.
For a party of eight, Charlyne recommends the following:
Don't Be Afraid to DIY
The best part about hosting your own dinner party is making it your own. If you're wanting to elevate your space with some fun decor but don't want to blow your paycheck, don't be afraid to use your resources! Social media, plus your own creativity, is an incredibly helpful tool.
"Perfection is overrated," Sullivan told Country Living. "Start small, embrace the mess, and remember that creating something with your own two hands is infinitely more satisfying than just clicking 'add to cart.' Not to mention, better for your wallet. You don’t need to be an artist to create something beautiful, especially with all the amazing tools at your fingertips."
Here are some of Clare's quick DIYs to think about.
Don't buy pre-made flower arrangements when you can buy some beautiful blooms from your local grocery store for less than $20. Split them up and arrange them in glasses, jars, and vases you already have around the house. Sullivan has tons of TikToks on how to make basic flowers look like professional arrangements that I swear by.
Use kraft paper, tissue paper, or even wrapping paper to decorate. Seriously, if you have any of this lying around, they can work for a quick and whimsical paper chain, doilies, name cards, and even place mats!
Keep command hooks, scissors, twine, and ribbon on hand. These will come in super handy and you'll be amazed at how they can spruce up anything at the last minute.
Have a Few Things on Hand
If you find you have a knack for hosting, there are a few things you might want to keep on hand to make it even easier on yourself in the future. From Kenzie's collection of faves to Clare's DIY must-haves, you might find something helpful among their list of recs.
Recipe Journal
"I can't do anything in my kitchen without my recipe journal. I write out all the recipes I'll be using a week prior so I have everything ready to go. It's nice to have everything in one place and to stay off screens!"
$36.00 at shopfriendofmine.com
Vintage Ribbed Glass Set
"These are the glasses I'm constantly using. They match with every theme and they're also stackable which is really helpful storage-wise!"
Providence 20-Piece Silver & Gold Flatware Set
"I personally have found it really helpful to have a separate set of silverware used for hosting only. I love how these are a little more elevated than your every day silverware and are at a great price. I just saw some similar ones for over $300."
Friend of Mine Dinner Cards
"Dinner cards are a must for dinner parties. It's also one less thing for the host to have to worry about. This helps you expand from the normal, every day conversations and you get to know your dinner guests way better. It helps to bring everyone together without the host feeling like she has another task to make sure the conversation is flowing!"
$38.00 at shopfriendofmine.com
Kobalt Mini 2-Drawer Pink Steel Tool Box
"I have lots of tools that I keep in the basement and in my office, but having a pretty little box has been a great way for me to access my essentials easily. I keep scissors, an Xacto knife, tape, a picture hanging kit, twine, and other necessities in here so that I can grab what I need quickly."
Vintage-Inspired Drinking Glass Set
"I like to fill a pitcher with lemon water and ice so that people don't need to get up for refills when they're thirsty. I like colored water glasses, and these are the ones I own!
Pretty Place Mats
"Anything scalloped feels high end and and special to me! I have this set of placemats which I pair with plain green napkins."
Bulk Kraft Paper
"This is super fun when you have kids or creatives over. Put colored pencils or markers with each table setting to encourage endless doodles and tic-tac-toe games during dinner."
Pastel Spiral Taper Candles
"I always have a set of pretty pastel candles!"
Nick and Nora Cocktail Glasses
"I am a stickler for making sure the drink I serve is in the correct glass. So I have an entire shelf with glasses—white wine, red wine, martini, coupe, tallboys, crystal... the list goes on! I recently fell in love with Nick and Nora glasses."
Paper Chain Strips, 1000 Piece
"These make for a no-mess garland craft! It's great for holidays, birthday dinners, or even to just add a bit of whimsy to your dining space."
Fujifilm Disposable Cameras
"I have a stockpile of disposable cameras that I encourage everyone to use when they're at my house. I love forgetting about them and getting the photos developed later to see the hilarious and beautiful moments we captured."
Fun Table Cloths
"I have lots of tablecloths from my aunt’s company, Mary Marshmallow, that I throw over old tables if we need to accommodate for more guests. At my baby shower, I covered plastic folding tables with these."
$68.00 at shopmarymarshmallow.com
A Few Last-Minute Tips
When it's all said and done, don't forget to enjoy yourself and enjoy the time with your friends. Here are a few last-minute tips before we send you off.
Keep the flower arrangements low so guests can talk over versus around them.
Make sure the dishwasher is empty before the guests arrive. This will make you happy at the end of the night!
Have drinks ready as soon as guests walk-in so there isn’t any awkward milling around. Having something to hold onto makes everyone feel comfortable.
Set up a bar away from the kitchen. This will encourage guests to mingle outside of the kitchen giving you room to finish the meal. You can also set up appetizers around a few spots to encourage people to move about.
Set the mood with lighting and music.
Remember the point of all this is to have fun with your friends!
You Might Also Like
