9 Tips To Help You Host Your First Fancy Dinner Party

You’ve decided to toss the keg and host your first adult dinner party. If you’re perplexed over how to get started, take a deep breath. It’s easy to create an elegant experience with a bit of planning.

Throwing a fancy dinner party doesn’t mean you have to max out your credit cards. It does, however, mean you should make a few choice investments and certain upgrades to your current setup.

Here’s how to create an evening soiree or Friendsgiving your guests will rave about for weeks.

1. Send Out Elegant Invitations

Any proper dinner party requires cards reading, “We request the honor of your presence,” or some variation on that theme. Make sure your invites contain the following elements besides your name and the event date/time/location.

• RSVP instructions: You need to know how much food and how many beverages you’ll need. Opt for a formal reply card, so you have a tangible way to count responses.
• Disability considerations: Will your guests need to climb several flights of stairs to reach your apartment? Is your powder room door wide enough to permit wheelchair access?
• Attire suggestions: Do indicate if you prefer a formal dress code. Your crew won’t know to sport their best cocktail attire unless you tell them.

2. Design a Stellar Menu

You need to decide what you’re going to serve. Part of your choices should hinge on dietary restrictions.

Are the majority of your friends flexitarian or pescatarian? You can’t go wrong with a seafood entrée. People with gluten allergies can consume steamed or seared fish or lobster.

Make sure to include dishes for vegans and vegetarians, too.

3. Craft Some Elegant Cocktails

As your guests arrive, you should greet them with open arms — and a fancy cocktail. Tailor your greeting cocktails to your finger foods and main dish.

• Mojitos: Mojitos pair perfectly with seafood dishes like crab, so stock up on your mint leaves. You can also add a stick of real sugar cane.

• Cucumber gin cocktails: This light and breezy beverage whet your guests’ appetites. It also pairs perfectly with a shrimp cocktail.

Of course, it’s a smart idea to keep a few bottles of champagne on hand, too. Some guests prefer a glass of bubbly to hard alcohol. Additionally, you’ll have some on hand for Friendsgiving toasts.

4. Fix Fancy Finger Foods

You don’t want your guests famished while you put the finishing touches on dinner. Prepare some fancy finger foods Hiring a server to circulate with a silver tray is optional. Of course, you can also make the rounds yourself, especially if your significant other offers to keep an eye on the kitchen.

5. Think Outside the Traditional Centerpiece

Large, fall-inspired centerpieces make a statement, but they can stifle conversation by blocking the view. Think outside the conventional décor you’ve seen a hundred times before.

You can arrange a row of black balloons and candles that keep the banter flowing. Alternately, place a crystal bowl containing conversation-starter cards to encourage camaraderie.

6. Set Place Settings Like a 5-Star Restaurant

If you’ve never arranged a formal place setting, you might feel intimidated. Don’t worry! Most of the process is intuitive. You should place silverware in the order guests will use it, for example.

If you don’t have complete sets of four different drinking vessels, don’t panic. Include one wine and one water glass per guest.

7. Pair Your Wine Perfectly

You don‘t have to study to become a sommelier to pair food and wine perfectly. Memorize a few guidelines, and you will do well.

For example, heavy reds like Cabernet Sauvignon pair well with steaks. Crisp whites such as chardonnays set off the flavor of fatty fish like salmon.

8. Finish With a Delectable Dessert

Your dessert is the grand finale to your meal, so make it memorable. Try these relatively easy, yet elegant, options.

• Matcha mousse cake: Matcha is all the rage in coffee house circles. The light white-chocolate glaze makes this look like a top-shelf baker crafted it.
• Apple-cranberry crisp with oatmeal-cookie crumble: As the holidays approach, this festive dessert offers the perfect way to get guests in the spirit of the season.

9. Make Your Cleanup Easier

Finally, you want to mingle with your guests after you eat, not wash the dishes. If your budget permits, hire temporary help to assist you with the cleanup.

If you lack sufficient funds, designate one countertop in your kitchen for used plates and stemware. Give items a quick rinse to avoid food sticking to surfaces, but save the heavy washing for the next day.

Planning the Perfect Dinner Party

You might feel nervous about throwing your first fancy dinner party. But if you follow these nine tips, you’re sure to create a memorable soiree or Friendsgiving that will leave your guests smiling and sated.