​Tips for planning a Successful Dinner Party

Now that summer is slowing down, it’s time to start putting up the barbeque gear, and planning some awesome dinner parties. That’s right, my friends, it’s time to get back in the house again! I love backyard parties, I love barbeques and I love picnics, but like many of the rest of you, I am ready for fall so the idea of having an indoor party for a change seems really nice!

I know that you have been in backyard party area mode for a while, so I am here to give you some reminders and some tips for planning a successful dinner party! I know that you want to be a great host, and you want your guests to have a great time, but do you know how to do that? How are you going to plan a successful dinner party? Do not worry, my friends, I am here to help!

Before we go much further, let me tell you a little something about me….I do not really enjoy party planning. I love love love having friends and loved ones over to visit, but I don’t enjoy the aspect of putting an organized party together. If party planners were in my budget, I would hire them every single time I had a get together, I would! Alas, they are not in my budget, so party planning is on me.

I have been married for over 20 years and within those 20 years, I have had a gathering in my home at least 1-2 times per month (my husband is a big fan of sporting events and our house is always the place for people to gather so we create dinner party/sporting event parties together). People are always asking when our next party is, so I am obviously doing a decent job of planning them! So, if you are like me and you weren’t born a party planner, but you still like to play host, here are some of my favorite tips for planning a successful dinner party.

Favorite Tips for Planning a Successful Dinner Party

Here are some of my absolute favorite tips for planning a successful dinner party

1. Meal. Food is 100% on the top of the list for every single party that you plan. It is so, so important! People will come back for the food every time. When it comes to the dinner menu, I like to stick to classic favorites that everyone loves, like pizza! I do not order pizza for dinner party nights, I go with homemade. Homemade pizza is the best! Here is a current favorite of mine.
   • Cheeseburger Pizza. Cheeseburgers and pizza together?! YES PLEASE!! These two meals together are a winning combination every single time.

P.S. The secret to the best pizza? Superstone bakeware!

1. Drinks. Make sure you know what your drink menu will be before your guests get there. I highly recommend sticking to just a couple of drinks to have on your menu. There are two reasons for this. More drinks means more money spent and it’s easier if you aren’t having to make several different things.
2. Appetizers. We have already talked about the meal, but appetizers are huge for parties! You have got to have snacks and appetizers on hand for your guests to enjoy while they wait for dinner and trust me, they will make a great addition to the party. I have always found my guests love cheese platters and I like to use these charcuterie boards using our beautiful cheese boards.
3. Stick with the Familiar. I have mentioned this before, but a dinner party is not the time for you to try out a new recipe. Yes, I know you are awesome and you can slay a new recipe, but sometimes it takes more than once to perfect it. Make sure you are not still working on it when you are prepping for guests.
4. Pretty up your space. I’m not a huge fan of spending a fortune to decorate your home for one day. Instead, spend a little bit of money to easily pretty up your space with these Sassafras Table Linens.
5. Say yes. Your guests will likely offer to bring some goodies, or help you prepare. I know as a host, you really want to say no. However, the party will become so much less stressful for you if you just say yes. Accept help. Not only will it lower your stress, but it will help you spend more time with your guests instead of having to hide away from them.

Relax, smile and have fun. Yes, you are the host, but that doesn’t mean you need to work work work. You need to have fun too! Visit your friends, enjoy the plans for the day, have lots of fun and make the night and the work worth it.