Alan The Handyman Blog

If you’re fresh out of party ideas this summer, why not consider creating a dinner event at home? Home events never go out of style.

Dinner parties aren’t always big events, but they take a lot of hard work and preparation. Prepare your house with ease using our handy and easy-to-follow Dinner Party Guide that covers everything from the invitations to the dinner night.

Preparation

Two Weeks Out: Invites & Menu

Tasks to complete two weeks before your dinner party:

1. Send invitations or call up your friends and invite them. Depending on space, try to invite three or four couples.
2. Decide the dinner menu. Call your parents up for ideas on great recipes to serve, search cookbooks and do some online research. Find food that is easy to cook to make an extra big hit.

One Week Before: Take Inventory & Clean

Grocery List

Make a detailed list of every ingredient you will need for the food.

You should go grocery shopping for all fresh ingredients no more than two or three days before the dinner so the food will be fresh.

Dishes

This is the perfect time to bring out your favorite fine china, stemware, and barware you’ve kept through the years.

Cleaning

Finally, clean the house thoroughly — everything except the kitchen. Consider calling a cleaning service for help.

The night before the dinner party, spend an hour creating a thorough timeline of the day.

Make sure you include when items need to be prepped, when food needs to come out of the oven and when you need to have it all done by.

Creating the Scene

Leave about an hour and a half the day of to take care of setting the mood for the party with décor, music and layout.

Decorating with Flowers

There’s no need to go overboard here; a few small touches will add a lot of ambiance.

• Order flowers from your local flower shop for three or four simple arrangements.

• Place the vases in strategic focal points around the room: one on the dinner table, one on the kitchen counter, and one on the coffee table.

Music

Create a three-hour mix with about sixty songs that can play throughout the night. Start playing the music about 15 minutes before the party begins so guests will arrive in a party mood.

Bar Setup

Create a self-serve bar area spread out on a table that encourages guests to make their own drinks for your ease. There’s nothing better than a bar that allows everyone to have the option of enjoying their own favorite drinks.

Now that you’re perfectly prepared, have fun! If you’ve followed our guide you are guaranteed to have created a relaxing dinner that your friends will enjoy.