Have you been wanting to take your hosting game to the next level? Have you gone ahead and sent out invites to your friends for a dinner party but you aren’t satisfied with the typical gathering and want to push the envelope further? If so, why not put together an elegant party that showcases fabulous and beautiful food, lovely décor, and an atmosphere that will truly make the party stand out as special and memorable.
Sure, an elegant dinner party may seem like an intimidating task, but with these five tips, you’ll find it’s relatively simple to bring it together.
Let Guests Know it Will be an Elegant Affair
In order to set the tone and atmosphere, you’ll want to let all your guests know that this will be an elegant dinner. Obviously, this will change up what they plan on wearing and alter their expectations regarding the party. If you decide to create a theme, like maybe a certain color palette or era, let your guests know well in advance.
Invite Guests for a Pre-Dinner Drink to Get the Evening Started
Rather than having everyone show up at dinner time, you can wow them a little more and have a pre-dinner cocktail hour complete with appetizers. You can even lookup some cocktail recipes online and use that as inspiration to create your own signature drink if you like.
A couple of extra tips are to take a little extra care in terms of the presentation. For example, let’s say you are going to do a meat and cheese platter. You can display the items in an elegant and decorative way by using things like wooden paddle boards and cutting boards, as well as placing serving drinks on gorgeous trays. This will truly help to elevate the sophistication level of the party. Take a look at the offerings from Virginia Boys Kitchens for some fabulous and stylish serving ideas that are as decorative as they are functional.
As for how many appetizers to provide, the general rule is to offer six appetizers per person. You’ll also want to keep them relatively mess-free since your guests will most likely be dressed up.
Give Thought to the Table Décor
Of course, the best way to create that elegant atmosphere is to put thought into your table décor. Working with a particular theme or color palette will prove to be helpful as you choose your table linens, cloth napkins, dishes, candles, and centerpiece. Be sure to set the table in advance of your guests arriving to create that really special atmosphere when they walk into the dining area.
Create Ambiance
You can also create some ambiance with lighting and background music. For an elegant party, you’ll want to choose music that is soothing and set at a low volume, just enough that you can hear it softly playing in the background. Ambiance can be set with candles, lamps rather than bright overhead lights, and making use of dimmer features if you have them.
Make the Menu Special and Elevated
Finally, there is the menu itself. This is what really makes or breaks the party because let’s face it – your guests are there for some fabulous food. This is when it can pay off to do some research online looking up sample menus, recipes, and ideas. If there are dishes that you are trying for the first time, you may want to give them a trial run in advance of the party.
A Dinner Party Everyone Will Remember
By using these tips, you’ll be able to host an elegant dinner party that everyone will remember.
