The thought of planning a dinner party can be a cause of stress to lots of people. They want to make a good impression on those who they invite and are concerned about doing something ‘wrong‘. It does not have to be a stressful process though, so long as you follow a few guidelines…

Pick an occasion – Whilst it is not essential that there is a reason for you having a dinner party, it does help if there is one. Birthdays, promotions and housewarmings are all good occasions, as is Thanksgiving and Independence Day. If there is an occasion to celebrate then it helps to set the tone of the party, and ensures that everyone is in the party mood. The fact that there is no special occasion to celebrate should not stop you having a dinner party though.

Plan ahead – Organization is key to the success of your dinner party. The sooner you start getting things organized the better. Amongst other things, you will need to create a menu, choose the wines, polish the silverware, decide on the background music, buy some dinner candles and / or scented candles and work out a seating plan. None of these tasks are difficult, but if you leave them all to the last minute, and try to do them all at the same time, then they can become overwhelming. So, start getting at least some parts of your dinner party organized at least a week beforehand.

Let guests know as early as possible – If you are going to be putting in the time and effort to organize a dinner party then it would be shame if all those who you want to attend cannot make it. Therefore, you need to let them know about the event well in advance. You should send out written invitations a month or so beforehand and then follow up with a phone call a week later. If you only tell people about your dinner party a week before it is taking place then you should expect some people to have prior arrangements.

Think about what music to play – Music is an important party of any party, and dinner parties are no exception. You need to think about who will be attending and what their musical tastes are. Even though you are the host, it would be a mistake to just play what you want to listen to. For the early part of the night, opt for something soothing and melodic. After everyone has finished eating, and you are having a few drinks, you should up the tempo a bit. Having a range of CDs out and asking guests what they would prefer is the safest way to proceed.