Throw Your Best Dinner Party Yet

This is a guest post from 2013 that I think is still relevant today. It talks about throwing your best dinner party. I love having dinner parties, although I admit that I don’t have them as often as I would like to.

This season, there will be more than one excuse to throw a great party. From graduation and wedding parties to holiday celebrations, it will be full of festivity. Outsmart the budget and housework constraints to throw your best dinner party to date; the key is to organize!

Here’s a guide to help you with the party planning, whilst keeping your pocket safe from catastrophe. Keep in mind, your goal is to throw a great party without burying yourself under loads of work. These ideas will help you throw a party that everyone will rave about:

Start with Creativity

You cannot throw the year’s most happening bash unless you are creative from the very start. Choose a fun theme for the party, and send artistic invite cards if it is an occasion. The best parties are coordinated perfectly; keep everything in sync with the theme. For upcoming holidays like St. Patty’s day, stick to the green shamrock theme.

Plan the Menu 

A dinner party will be a hassle unless you opt for food that is both delicious and fast. Choose dishes that are easy to make, like fried chicken or stuffed bell peppers. For St. Patty’s day, stick to the traditional choices like Irish salmon and lamb chops. Start preparing the food before hand; marinate, cut, and sort out the ingredients a day or two before.

Keep an Eye on the Budget

Use simple ingredients to whip up a delicious dish, so you don’t spend extra on fancy food items. Be careful when spending on the alcohol; searching the internet for any online vodka deals before you hop out to buy a pack of drinks may save you some bucks. Use disposable plates, glasses and serving trays. Plan everything by jotting down the details, so everything goes according to budget.

Play Great Music 

Great food, great company and good music: this is the formula for a perfect dinner party. Rather than playing your iPod on shuffle mode, make an effort to create a playlist. Select songs that are common favorites of you and your guests. Music plays a great role, along with the décor, to set the party mood.

Play Games

Parties usually have a post-dinner round of games. There are different games for every genre of party; choose whatever is likely to keep the guests entertained. For instance, St. Patrick’s Day parties can have games like the scavenger hunt or ‘guess the Irish tune’.

Lastly, say farewell to your guests with some party favours. You can improvise and make your own favours  you could bake decorative cupcakes for the guests and pack them in a cardboard box.

Remember, good people make a good party. Don’t spend too much time hassling and serving; instead sit back and enjoy your hard work!