How to Host the Perfect Luxury Dinner Party

Whether you’re looking to show off your culinary skills, a newly renovated home or just fancy getting friends and family together for some fun, dinner parties are always a great choice. Here are some tips for throwing a stylish and elegant dinner party.

Create & Send Formal Invitations

Your invites set the scene for your dinner party so make sure they create a good first impression. Ideally, you want to send out physical invitations rather than firing off a quick text message or email invite. If you’re feeling creative, you can design your own or choose one from the many available online.

Make sure to include RSVP information so your guests know how to let you know whether they can make it or not and the date of their reply. Your invitations should also include any dress code or theme and anything else your guests need to know, such as your address and where they should park.

It’s All About the Food

At the end of the day, a good dinner party is all about the food and if you’re hosting a luxury dinner party, you want to try and recreate that fine dining experience for your guests in your own home. Take time to plan a menu that includes fresh, seasonal ingredients and takes into account your guests’ dietary requirements. For a luxury dinner party, your menu needs to be at least three courses and include aperitifs & canapés.

To avoid feeling overwhelmed on the day, you might want to practice recipes ahead of the party to ensure you can perfect each dish or you could even hand over the reins by hiring a personal chef for the evening, allowing you to sit back and relax with your guests.

Have a Creative Drinks Menu

Wine and champagne are great drinks of choice but you can also wow your guests with other drink options, such as a menu of popular cocktails. You could even create a bespoke cocktail for the evening to tie in with your menu or the overall theme of your dinner party.

Presentation & Seating Plan

Planning everything will ensure your dinner party runs smoothly on the night. Consider all the details from how things are set out on the tables to the crockery and utensils you’re using and the seating plan. If you’ll be preparing the food yourself, ensure you have all the equipment you need including saucepans, serving dishes and sharp knives.

Remember the Ambience & Have Fun

Create an ambience with mood lighting and carefully chosen background music. Lighting should be bright enough for your guests to see their food and each other but without being glaring. Make use of dimmer switches if you have them, or if not, a combination of floor lamps, table lamps and strategically placed candles, can help create the right lighting levels. Any music should be played at a low volume to allow conversation. Once you’ve set the scene and the food is served, there’s only one thing left to do – have fun with your guests and enjoy yourself!

Feature Photo by Juliette F on Unsplash