An evening of elegance: hosting the ultimate dinner party
A dinner party, done well, can be the highlight of your social calendar. Done badly, it could be forgettable at best. Some people are natural hosts, whereas some others need a little more inspiration, but either way, you should put in plenty of planning to make sure that you have a dinner party that everybody can enjoy.
In this guide, we explore options for your dinner party and creating an elegant and unforgettable night for everybody in attendance.
Elegant games and activities
It is possible for hosts to include some games and activities that are associated with the finer things in life. For instance, someone hosting a party may choose to introduce a casino theme. The imagery related to casinos is something that can give a stylish look and feel to an event, people can dress smartly as croupiers, and use the proper casino equipment for table games like an elegant roulette wheel, a blackjack table, or a fancy-looking poker set, adding to the ambiance and sophisticated feel and making the venue feel like a proper casino. Poker is another game that is easy enough to play at home, and simple to set up for your dinner party. These games are classy, associated with casino life and parties with fancy dress codes.
Other activities you include should also be stylish and elegant if you want your party to be the best. There are certain table games and dinner-party games that are much more sophisticated than others, so you can avoid resorting to spin the bottle like it’s a teenage party.
Dress code
What are people going to wear to your party? It is best if you can ensure that everybody who attends is comfortable, of course, so putting too many restrictions on this can be a hindrance. However, there are a lot of ways that a dress code can potentially be implemented to add some fun.
If you want to keep the elegant theme, then you can opt for cosplay, but only certain types of cosplay really work for this. Anything that looks smart tends to be a better option here.
Your dress code can be extreme if you want, but if you create a black-tie event then your guests are going to need to put in a lot of effort, and this isn’t always something they’ll want to do. Black tie can be expensive and isn’t always the most comfortable, though it can be a lot of fun to dress up. Or cross-dress it up! Invite your guests to come in drag.
Elegant food and drink
You can’t call it a dinner party unless you are serving food! This means that food and drink will form a big part of your evening and you should prepare accordingly.
In terms of food, a lot of these kinds of parties will offer finger foods to start, meaning that people can just grab something and go. But cocktail weenies may not do the job if you’re after that elegant feel. Luckily, there are ways to keep things elegant while still preparing small plates of food. If you’re not a chef, consider getting pre-made food that you just need to put in the oven, or if budget allows, get somebody in to do the cooking for you.
If you’re offering a main course or three-course meal, then people will remember the food, so it is not something to take chances with.
Drinks will be another big consideration, and one of the crucial things here is to provide plenty of choices for your guests. Not everybody is happy with beer and wine, or water and cola. If you possibly can, get drinks that cater for everybody. Both alcoholic drinks and non-alcoholic drinks are important – there will be designated drivers and people who just don’t want to drink, but they still want an elegant feel to things. Why not consider some mocktails for your party?
At my last party, I created a drink menu using Canva. It was fun to hand it around to my guests, young and old.
Decorate
This is a special night, right? It calls for some decoration! Whether this means the fancy china comes out for the food and drink, or the rooms of your home are decorated in a certain style, is up to you.
The key is that your home should look like you’ve made an effort, and if you want elegance, make sure that you go above and beyond, while bringing in some external decorations can make all the difference.
I think thrift stores could help out with this aspect. Fun goblets and gaudy vases can make a big impact. Hang some shiny cloth and don’t forget the Great Gatsby soundtrack!
Consider your guests
This may seem obvious, but not to everybody. Considering your guests and what they need and want from a party will be the best way to make it a success. Not every crowd will like certain things – don’t prepare non-vegan food for a group of vegans who are coming, for instance! Sounds obvious, but a little consideration and chatting to those who are invited to establish their preferences can go a long way.
Take care to respect everyone’s pronouns. Consider any accessibility challenges in your home. Try not to invite too many exes!
and have fun
