Although there are no definite rules for throwing a spectacular dinner party, plenty of things should be taken into consideration.
Dinner parties can be thrown for a variety of reasons, whether it's to celebrate an engagement or just an excuse to spend time with friends. Throwing a party to honor a specific event will help set the mood for the evening.
But if there is no particular occasion being celebrated, consider having a theme such as Old Hollywood, murder mystery or even simply choosing a color scheme.
Different styles of dinner parties require varying forms of attire. For formal dinner parties, men wear tuxedos. A nice suit may also be appropriate. Women should wear either cocktail dresses or formal gowns, depending on the type of event. The little black dress will always be acceptable attire for a formal dinner party.
For a more casual affair, khakis with a button-down shirt are a great choice for men. As for women, a flowing summer dress is appropriate.
When hosting a dinner party, be sure to inform your guests through your invitations of what type of attire to wear. Including phrases such as "dinner and dancing" or "cocktails and hors d'oeuvres" will help clue them in without you having to explicitly tell them what to wear.
No dinner party is complete without the proper table setting. Dinner plates should be placed in the center, with the salad plate on the upper left side. Charger plates may be placed underneath the dinner plates to add some color and help make the table appear more formal. And if you're having soup, the bowl may be placed on top of the dinner plate.
When it comes to silverware, the salad fork should be on the far left, and the dinner fork will be to the immediate left of the dinner plate.
On the right side of the dinner plate, place the dinner knife with the blade facing the plate. The spoon should be on the far right.
The wine and drinking glasses are always on the upper right side of the dinner plate. The bread should be placed to the left. (If you have trouble remembering this, make the "OK" sign with both hands using your thumb and index fingers. Your right hand will look like you're making the letter "d" for "drink," while your left makes the letter "b" for "bread.")
During the party, it is important to be a good host or hostess. Try to find connections between your guests. Are two of them from the same hometown? Do they have the same hobby? If so, bring it up. Try to make everyone feel included in the conversation.
Remember, it's easy to get caught up in trying to make every detail of the evening perfect. Have fun. After all, it's your party.
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