Make Your Dinner Party A Royal Feast

Decorating the Table

If you've watched enough Jamie Oliver episodes to try and throw a dinner party, then now’s the time to give it a go. Hosting a dinner party is a great way to spend time with friends and family and if you’re feeling intimidated by a lack of space or cooking skills - don’t! Our tips will help you to make your dinner party a royal feast.

Candles help to set an ambience for a party. To make the table look attractive get a selection of candles in differing heights to add depth.

If you prefer flowers head to the local market to grab a few bunches of what’s in season. Find different size jars to add depth and a talking point to your dinner table.

Table runners add a nice touch of contrast to your table’s colours. If you’re crafty you can even make them yourself. Lay the runner down the centre of the table and arrange your candles or vases along it.

If you’ve chosen to have a themed dinner party decorate with appropriate centre pieces or little keepsakes relevant to the theme. For example if you’re having a 1920’s dinner party, look up which flowers were popular then and make those your centre piece for the evening. You could even play music that is relevant to the theme.

Time Savers

On the night of your dinner party you’ll want to spend your time with your guests and not in the kitchen. Here are a few timesaver tips for just that:

Plan a familiar menu – if you’ve already prepared the dishes ahead of time you can eliminate unwanted surprises and a great deal of stress.

A simple vegetable soup is a good example of a starter that can be prepared ahead of time and reheated before serving, which is light and healthy. For a delicious main course consider cooking a herb-roasted meat joint that you can prepare beforehand by rubbing the meat with herbs and spices and putting it in the oven in time for it to be ready when you’re ready to serve the main course.

Side dishes like a parmesan polenta can be made up to a day before and reheated when it’s time to serve or place your chosen vegetables in a steamer in time to serve with the meat. Salads can be prepared earlier too. Desserts like cakes can be prepared the day before.

Shop the day before – this way you’ll get what you need without feeling pressurised and you’re less likely to have to run back to the shop just before guests arrive.

Set the table early – set your table with your dining table a while before your guests arrive. You can take your time decorating it and deciding on place settings and your guests will feel comfortable knowing that they have a place set and waiting for them.

Setting the Mood

Once your guests arrive you’ll want them to feel comfortable and well fed! To begin with, offer them something to drink like a signature cocktail (prepared earlier of course!). If you plan on serving snacks put them in the oven a few minutes before your guests are due to arrive so that they’re ready just as people get there. Have some mood-setting music playing in the background too. Choose tunes that are light and won’t make conversation difficult.

Once everyone has arrived and your starter has been warmed up you can ask your guests to take their places at the table for an evening of good food and good company.


About The Author:
This article was written by Nina P - a lifestyle, home and food blogger.

Image Credit:
bdwells1986

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