Do you enjoy nothing more than hosting outdoor dinner parties during the warm weather months? Are you interested in upping your game and throwing a party for the ages?
A previous study by Pew Research Center shows that most Americans — almost six in 10 — say they know some of the people who live on their streets, while less than three in 10 say they know most of their neighbors. Meanwhile, around three in 10 say they have get-togethers or parties less than once monthly.
Whether you want to get to know your neighbors better or spend more quality time with family and friends, hosting a dinner party can be a great way to meet, greet, socialize, and eat.
Keep reading for five tips to help you plan and execute the perfect dinner party for you and anyone on your invite list.
1. Select a Theme
Planning a great dinner party, especially if it’s outside, means selecting a theme for the occasion. The sky’s the limit in terms of what theme you can choose. You can do a tropical theme, for instance, where everyone wears bright-colored clothing fit for an afternoon at the beach.
You can also go with a picnic theme where you set up tables on the back deck and in the backyard and enjoy a potluck lunch, brunch, or dinner. Ask people to bring different entrees, salads, and desserts so there’s some culinary variety. Sharing food and conversation will make for a great event.
For the best results, consider your theme carefully to choose one that’s a good fit for your guests.
2. Put Together the Menu
The food is an essential part of the event. What types of food do you want to prepare? Do you want a potluck where different people are assigned different foods and drinks to bring to the dinner party? Having the event outdoors means you can easily prepare some food on a BBQ or grill.
If you plan to have a BBQ with steaks, hotdogs, ribs, and other things, ensure you get enough to feed your hungry guests. You can make the dinner party more special by cooking pizzas in an outdoor pizza oven.
Let people create their own pizzas, place them in the outdoor pizza oven, and chow down when done. As for drinks, you should ensure there’s lots of water and various other types of drinks.
3. Set the Stage
The next step is to set up the dinner party area. If you’re doing it outdoors during the spring or summer, you’ll want to set up some tables, tablecloths, dinnerware, cups, cutlery, and other things.
You can also decorate the space with some live plants, candles, and lanterns if your dinner party extends into the evening. Consider the theme of the event when setting up the area.
4. Create a Playlist of Songs
Playing appropriate music during your dinner party is also a great idea. That means you need to create a playlist. Know your audience so you can offer something for everyone. It won’t hurt if you ask people on your invite list to recommend songs or genres they love. That’ll help you create a playlist to please your guests and help set the right tone for your dinner party.
5. Consider Entertainment
You should consider including entertainment to get people to let their hair down. It can be as simple as having a karaoke competition or dividing people into groups and playing games.
Once you’ve considered the above, you’ll want to set a date and send invitations to people on your list. Most importantly, enjoy the day. A dinner party is supposed to be fun, so enjoy the occasion.
