Now that the world is opening up a little and we can welcome people back into our homes, let us help you create the perfect dinner party. More than a dinner but a night that people will be talking about for months from now. It’s all about the details. Creating moments that will stick with people. If the last year has taught me anything, it has taught me that some luxuries don’t need to cost a lot but need to create a feeling that is special and unique. Here are the top ways to create those memories.
First and foremost I believe that making the night personal is very important. When someone comes into your home they will forget what you said, even at times what you ate, but they will never forget how they felt. One of the best ways to ensure that is to make them know they were thought about before they even walked into the door.
I personally use the table setting to make this happen. Like I said it is all in the details. So I start by always having a charger. I know it sounds silly, but it shows your guests that you wanted to make it slightly more special. You took time to do more than just putting a plate on the table. My plates tend to be crisp white because I love the way food looks on a white pallet but my chargers are what brings color to the table.
I also like putting a little gift on their place settings with their names and using one or two words that describe them. It creates conversation, it allows people to break the ice and discuss what their words from you were. I recommend handwriting these place settings. They don’t have to be perfect, it’s all about being personal.
Secondly, keep the food simple and yet full of flavor. People don’t want to feel awkward and have to say “I am sorry but I don’t eat that” So ask your guests before hand if there are any dietary restrictions and try your best to adhere to those restrictions and yet not making it a point that you did. Here is a great and beautiful menu that I have found is rare to find someone who doesn’t like everything on this menu. Click on each picture to see the recipes and see how easy it will be to create this beautiful menu.
Thirdly, I believe what takes a night from good to great is a beautiful centerpiece. I personally think the centerpiece should be your personality. It should be something that adds to the table and doesn’t distract from the rest of the table. I personally think that the best way to do that is making sure it doesn’t hinder peoples view of the others so keep it low and also try to stick to one color for the whole arrangement.
Lastly, there is one thing that most hosts don’t ever consider before their dinner parties and yet I believe it’s the most important element of any dinner party. Can you guess what it is?…. If you said conversation points you were correct!
Most of the time we feel like the go with the flow approach is best, we feel like conversations that are planned are never a good thing, and that is correct. However, I believe that going into the dinner with ideas of how to keep the conversation going, how to make sure everyone is feeling included is what will make for a very memorable night. With social media as prevalent as it is, I will go to all my guests accounts and pick out one event or highlight and just make sure I bring it up if that specific person is being excluded, being more quiet or shy. It gives your guest something to talk about and shows your level of interest in their lives.
What are some of your ideas for throwing the perfect dinner party? How do you create the perfect moment? Now that we are able to open our doors lets make it worth peoples time. Bon Appetite!