DO
Get Organized
Lists are a beautiful thing. Make a master timeline of how you want your event to go from setup til the last guest leaves. Include the amount of time it will take for you to set up and decorate, prepare food, when guests are supposed to arrive (and remember that the first guests generally show up about 10 minutes early), when dinner will be served, and so on. Create a grocery list of everything you need to cook your meal, as well as appetizers, drinks, and so on. Make a playlist on your iPod of appropriate music for all party guests (Kanye might not be appropriate for small children or your grandma to hear), and make sure the playlist length is at least an hour longer than you expect your party to last, as guests tend to mingle a while after dinner ends. Create a seating chart for your party and lay name cards down the day of to keep your guests organized as well.
Send Out Invites
Sending a formal invitation with an RSVP date will guarantee that you have enough food and place settings for your guests (although it is wise to prepare a little extra in case people forget to RSVP, or change their minds last minute). Set your RSVP date for at least a week before the wedding; this will make the next tip easier.
Choose entrees that can be prepared days in advance, frozen, and then easily reheated the day of the event. Pasta sauces are a perfect example; you can make a beautiful sauce on a Wednesday and freeze it. Put together a big salad on Thursday night and store it in the fridge with a damp paper towel in the container to prevent browning. When it's time for your party on Friday, all you have to do is reheat the sauce on the stove (NO microwaving!!), cook your noodles, throw some bread in the oven to warm, dress your salad, and pop open the wine. That whole process probably takes about 45 minutes, and can be done shortly before guests begin to show up.
Keep it Simple
You don't need to serve a 5 course meal or have silk tablecloths to pull off a classy event. A couple varieties of appetizers, one entree, two or three drink options (as well as good ol' water), and a single dessert are more than enough to keep your guests satisfied. Same goes for decorations: a pretty tablecloth, cloth napkins, sweet name cards and a simple centerpiece with some candles strewn along the center of the tables is elegant and inexpensive (you can use tablecloths/napkins you have, borrow, or purchase inexpensive but pretty ones at Target or TJMaxx).
Even with the best planning, hosting a party is stressful. Make sure you cut out time for yourself the day of the event (maybe while your food is simmering and guests are about 30 minutes from arriving) to quietly sit down, enjoy a glass of wine or a cup of hot coffee, and unwind before it's time to play host. Being relaxed makes all the difference to your guests, and allows you to have more fun with everyone during the actual event.
DON'T
Invite People Who Make You Nervous or Jealous
Your dinner party should not be a competition or a time to prove yourself, it should be an intimate evening with people you love and who make each other happy. If you're looking to impress a new boss or lure in a client, take them out for dinner or drinks instead; that puts the prep-work stress off you (hosting-wise, anyways), and allows a neutral environment for whatever business you're taking care of. You should never feel nervous or jealous in your own home!
Spend Too Much Money
Create a budget, then stick with it. As stated above, a dinner party with people you love and care about should be about the people, not the objects. Your friends and family won't care how much money you spend, they just want to enjoy a fun, relaxing evening with you.
Always, ALWAYS practice a recipe before you serve it to guests the first time. By doing a trial run, you can get an estimate of how long the recipe actually takes to prepare, how hard it is to make, what could go wrong, how it tastes, and how well it reheats. Avoid last minute kitchen disasters and give it a practice test two weeks before so you know what to expect.
Get Drunk
If your guests do, that's their choice. As the host, you should always be in control of the situation, which includes being able to get your guests home safely. Furthermore, it comes off as rude if you're popped and your guests aren't, and they're forced to take care of you! That's not to say you can't enjoy a glass of wine or a beer, just keep it under control for the evening!
Point Out Flaws
As the planner and host of the party, you will notice every little thing that doesn't go according to plan. The beautiful thing is: your guests won't! They won't notice (or likely care) if tables have an uneven number of candles or if you accidentally missed a spot when you swept the floor. Pointing out flaws kills the happy mood of a party, and it only stresses you out. Keep your mood positive, focus on your guests and spending time with them, and don't worry about the little things you can't change!
Do you have any additional tips for throwing a perfect party? Add your comments below!
Happy Hosting!
Gracie K.
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