Small Dinner Party Hosting Tips (By McCreery’s Home Furnishings)
Do you feel that you live in a shoebox? Even when you have this predicament, you can turn this into a blessing by still being a wonderful friend and an awesome dinner host. If you are a natural entertainer but have a small space to welcome guests, then these tips could help –
Plan Ahead
Being a host or hostess takes careful planning. Whether you’re going to deal with a small or a huge crowd, the rule is still pretty simple – plan ahead. Take the time to think and then write things down. Look at your available supplies and furnishings.
Do you have ample chairs to accommodate the number of guests that are about to come in? It’s not just the seating arrangement that you should be worried about. You also need to count the dinnerware and glassware that will be used.
If you don’t have enough plates or glasses, then make an early arrangement to rent these items. If you have friends who are willing to lend you their plates, utensils, and glassware, then go ahead and ask them.
A Place for Everything
Don’t have your guests dump their bags and coats onto the bed or the couch. Instead, if you don’t already have one, invest in a coat rack. Put it in the hallway right by the door so that the guests would see it the moment they are welcomed to your home.
Since it’s a party in a cozy home, it is inevitable that some crowding could happen. Prepare for this by keeping the foot traffic going. Have the bar situated separately from the main table so that people won’t stand in one zone. You can also serve pitchers of beverages in scattered locations to disperse the crowd.
Seating Arrangement
Now, we’re down to the seating arrangement. Even when you’re hosting a small dinner party, ask yourself how many people would be seated. Also, is your table big enough for 10 people? The table is probably at the center of your dining room so if you’re welcoming 10 or more guests, then it’s time to rearrange.
If you have to push the couch against the wall or a window, just do so. Do what you have to do to make more space and let the table fit and seat enough people. This is a dinner party so the focal point is the dining table, no need to worry about the arrangement of other furnishings.
It is alright to rearrange or remove unnecessary furniture pieces. Move them to the closet for the time being so that you can fill up your cozy home with people who will comfortably eat and drink.
If your table is only able to seat eight guests, then don’t be embarrassed to add just two more chairs on both ends of the table. The guests will just have to sit a tad closer to each other but, hey, that’s going to be a great thing because you can expect livelier conversations.
No matter how small the party, take the time to create a seating chart.
Decorate the Table
Since the dining table is the focal point, be sure to keep the attention there. Use ornaments but keep them simple so that they won’t overwhelm the space. Go traditional with flowers and some scented candles. You can also use candelabra as centerpieces.
Strategize the Menu
Plan way ahead of time so that you will be able to carefully set the kind of appetizer, main dishes, etc. Having a small dinner party does not mean that you have to be cheap on the food that you serve. You can go simple instead of cheap.
For starters, you can have zucchini soup with crème fraiche served with cilantro. For the main dish, you can serve roasted pork loin with garlic and rosemary.
Be creative but not outlandish with your menu.
