Top 10 Bits of Advice for Planning a Dinner Party

I’VE LEARNED MOST OF THESE THE HARD WAY!

Hey Y’all,

I’ve been having dinner parties (my definition* may be different from yours) forever! You’ll read more about how my sister, Patti, taught me so much when I was a newlywed over 46 years ago! (I’ll be sharing a story about my sister in a future post). In the meantime, friends asked me to share how I prep for a dinner party.

These suggestions seem so obvious, so I hope this won’t be too boring! The key is to have FUN and try not get stressed out. Keep it simple. Grilling is a great way to get the main course & possibly a few side dishes out of the kitchen.

Say “YES” to people offering to bring something & try to avoid the temptation to make something “new”! I’ve done this and it doesn’t always turn out the way you expect! LOL!

*A dinner party to me is any time you’re having family, friends and acquaintances to dinner! Since our kiddos are all grown up and not living under our roof, I like our dinners with them (as well as friends) to be extra special. To me a dinner party is as much about the experience as the food. A fun and creative part is setting the table. Check out this year’s Family Easter Dinner pics below. I’ve been using the same placemats for years!

I love Easter and this year’s celebration was so special. After an awesome church service, the entire family came over for our traditional Easter meal. With two grandkiddos, it’s fun to decorate the table with bunnies, jelly beans and tulips. They get a kick out of their names on place cards in a bowl of jelly beans. Of course, we highlight the reason for Easter, Jesus’s resurrection.

I would love to hear your prep tips for a dinner party. (Please comment below). Thanks so much for going on this Journey with Kristin and me!

xoxo connie

Connie’s Dinner Party Planning Advice

Settle on the menu days in advance; ask your guests about food allergies.
Do the grocery shopping with a detailed list several days ahead. Try to avoid running out for things you forgot. Like ICE!
If someone offers to bring something, say YES! (Bringing something you won’t have time to fix is helpful: salad, side dish, etc). If they ask for suggestions, let them know what the main course is and give them some options.
Make ahead any dishes that will be fine for a day or two.
Set a time schedule for what needs to be in the oven for how long. Try not to make too many dishes that require oven space at the same time, unless you have a double oven(s). Warmer drawers and warming trays are great.
Set the table the night before. Decide on what centerpiece(s) & buy flowers, etc. the day before.
Make dessert the day before & whip heavy cream if needed (saves noise pullution during the party)! I love Dessert! But, I try to avoid having a complicated, last minute type of dessert.
Make sure the dishwasher is empty & ready to load when you need it.
Have clean garbage bag(s) in the bin(s) and don’t forget to recycle.
Try to avoid the temptation to make something you’ve never made before.

Love y’all!
connie