How To Host A Dinner Party
BY SOPHIA TRIMBLE
A perfect excuse to gather your besties, listen to good music, have a good catch up, and eat some good food.
26 DEC - 2022
For those who don’t get to spend much time with their friends, may I introduce… The dinner party!
Coming together to share food is our favourite thing to do. There’s a lot to be celebrated after the year we’ve just had. We’re still recovering from the many previous lockdowns, and getting back into the swing of things at the start of the New Year. By the time February rolls around, we’re all tired again from being back at work and very deserving of a nice cocktail over a good cheesy mashed potato.
Good Food
I mean duh. It goes without saying that good food at the dinner party is a must! This might be at the top of the priority list. The easiest way to sort food for your soiree is by turning it into a potluck moment - everyone brings something. It works especially well if you loosely assign each attendee a dish. Eg. Georgia’s on salad, Hannah will bring the dessert, Casey’s got the cocktails, Alec’s arriving with the charcuterie board to get us started, and William’s sorted the ham/chicken/vegan sausages.
Must Have Dessert
There will be no carb cutting, calorie counting, or dessert skipping in this household. Even if you’re completely stuffed from dinner, there must be room somewhere for a spoonful. Put someone on dessert duty and let them bring you something divine to dig into after dinner.
For our sober kings, queens, and royalty, make sure there’s a yummy non-alcoholic option too. Kombucha, Coca-cola, orange juice, take your pick.
Music
Getting the perfect background music down packed is key! I recommend something upbeat, fun, but not too distracting. You want to be able to hear each other and hold conversations. Khruangbin is perfect background dinner music, although some opt for smooth jazz or exclusively to Doja Cat, whatever gets you in the mood to mingle!
Cocktails
Essential. Highly essential. The choice of which is up to you. Margaritas, mojitos, pina coladas… whatever your little heart desires. If you can’t do cocktails, wine, beer, RTDs or anything else would work too. For our sober kings, queens, and royalty, make sure there’s a yummy non-alcoholic option too. Kombucha, Coca-cola, Orange Juice, take your pick.
Cute Decor
Decorations don't have to break the bank, just scrounge up whatever you have. Take a walk the morning of the feast and snip whichever flowers call to you. This is a cheap and easy way to fill your space with flora. You can also scatter round slices of orange around between the food on the table, this spices things up a bit and adds the summer pop we need for our sunny evening dinner parties here in the southern hemisphere.
Dress Code
Dress up! Need an excuse to put on that dress you’ve been saving for a special occasion and some false lashes? Here’s one! Wearing something nice makes a dinner party feel special and all the more wholesome. However, feel free to dress down too. A comfy t-shirt and some jeans whilst you devour your feast does sound nice, but prepare to be unbuttoning the jeans after just one mouthful.
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