How to Be A Great Party Host
Food is one of the ultimate ways to connect people, so what better way to have a bunch of fun with all of your friends and build connections than by hosting a dinner party? You have three ingredients, the people, the food, and the drinks. Here are some helpful pro tips and tricks for your next dinner party that is sure to help you make it a success.
1. Timelines
Ultimately planning is everything, it will ensure that all you need to get done gets accomplished on time and in the most efficient way possible. Giving yourself enough time to complete each thing helps make sure that there aren't any mistakes along the way as well as gives you the ability to correct issues as they happen if they do. If you're planning a more extensive party with a greater number of people you can also always hire staff to help you carry out your dinner party smoothly.
Separate your timeline into tasks, usually two weeks before is a decent starting point but if you feel as though you need more time then you can always start planning a bit earlier.
2. The Guest List
Decide who is coming to your party, and send out the invites! Then make a list of attendees in order to make sure there is enough food as well as if anyone has any dietary restrictions that you need to keep in mind.
3. The Vibe
Decide on what kind of feel you want the atmosphere to have, this way you can coordinate the food to the energy you wish to create at your party. Focus on the décor, how you would want everything to look, and the music that will finish the tone of the evening.
4. Food
Now for the tastiest part of the party planning! After you have finalized your list of guests, it is important to create a dinner menu that feeds everyone's needs. Be mindful of allergies as well as dietary preferences, are vegetarians coming to your party? If so then the menu should be tailored accordingly. Keep in mind if you want a recurring theme throughout the food or a garnish to unite all the course. Deciding this in advance will allow you to make sure all your ingredients are fresh and exactly how you want to present them.
Quality is key, make sure you buy your produce in advance but not too far in advance in which it compromises the flavors. Your ingredients should be at their prime in order to ensure the best possible experience for you and your guests. Don't compromise on the dessert, all the courses of the meal should maintain the same standard throughout the evening.
5. Drinks
If you are serving alcohol or any other types of drinks make sure you have an efficient way to store it to maintain its best state before serving it and fill up your ice buckets with plenty of restock on standby. There is nothing worse than warm wine.
Chefs will tell you that preparation is key, make sure that everything is in its place as you prepare because when the preparations become more intense and time-sensitive you want to make sure that you don't have any delays looking for an appliance that wasn't where it was supposed to be. Feel free to cut up ingredients in advance before you start to cook to have things clear as you cook in the kitchen and put appliances away as you progress.
All that's left is to set the table, pick out your outfit and start the party!