Happy Festivus! How to plan your next dinner party!
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How to plan your next dinner party!
Whether you prefer the ugly sweater theme or the sassy and classy theme, there are ways you can host your own Festivus dinner party with your friends and/or family without going insane or broke.
Dinner parties are my favorite events to host at home. I love getting my favorite group of people together to enjoy a delicious and hearty meal. I have never asked anyone to bring a dish, however, my guests are so happy to attend that they bring one anyway!
Festivus is celebrated on December 23rd as a non-secular (less stressful) holiday. This is a holiday you really can celebrate whenever you like! Create your own Festivus - maybe in the spring, maybe in the summer! You can give it your own creative name and get your guest list ready. If you're really going all out, set a theme for your party!
Dinner parties tend to look expensive in photographs. They also look incredibly intimidating. What they don't show is the process of putting this dinner together, they merely show the finished project which can look impossible to recreate. However, It can span over a few days and you can enlist the help of your family as well to take some of that intimidation away.
Here is how I plan my dinner parties without completely losing my mind:
1. Create the invite
Starting with this step gets me psyched up for my dinner! This is where you can decide on your theme or the feel you want your guests to get revved up for.
2. The guest list
Create an online event for this list to keep track of how many of your invited friends are able to attend. This is important for the next step. Also, this step is necessary for choosing where in your houses all of your guests will fit.
3. Make your meal plan
Once you have your invite list (let's go with 20) take into account that at least 5-6 may not be able to attend. Yet, you should still plan for 20 people. With this number, you can start to plan how many main dishes (I usually stick with 2-3), sides (3-4), drink options (2), and desserts (2-3).
4. Decide on all over decor
If you're planning a Harvest Dinner, an actual Festivus, or just a fun-themed dinner party, you will need to decide how you're going to decorate. Pinterest is fantastic for just this if you're at a creative standstill. Pick from a few different ideas you find and combine and simplify them. One of our dinners included an outdoor chandelier. This is something I created myself with a $5 garage sale chadelier, some spray paint, and a cord I wired to it so it could be plugged in anywhere I decided to hang it.
5. Entertainment and Extras
My personal favorite extra for any dinner party is a simple photo booth/backdrop setup. It can be fun or elegant and it doesn't have to be over the top or difficult to construct. This step can be as simple as setting up decorations around a loveseat in your living room or throwing a colored sheet up on the wall with some flowers and props. As for entertainment, pick some music that is appropriate for everyone and not excruciatingly loud. Find something smooth and relaxing or fun and light to play in the background.
6. Dishware
If you worry there aren't enough plates or bowls, silverware, or cups for your dinner - hit up the local discount store and pick up some snazzy disposables. If you don't like those boring white plates, look in the birthday section. Walmart even carries "silver" plastic silverware for special events. OR if you want all washable dishes, check out the thrift stores. I have a collection of plates, bowls, and silverware in a tub in my pantry specifically for dinner parties. Sometimes those heavier dishes don't like those disposable plates. And STAY AWAY FROM STYROFOAM if you're serving anything hot.
7. Setting the table
When it comes time for dinner, you don't want a boring display on your table. Well, maybe you do, but I don't. I like a little creativity in a centerpiece or small pieces scattered across a runner with a few candles to set the mood. Thrift stores (which are my favorite places) are the best places to find table decorations and even cheap candles and candlesticks. One year, I drilled holes into logs and set tea lights in them for my table runner lights. Hobby stores are great for finding packages of decorations you that can be strewn across the table. (I.E. leaves, fake flower blossoms, gems, miniature holiday figures, and even fake snow.) You can also use strings of battery-operated LED string lights to weave around your dishes.
8. The day before
Go over everything you've put together and see if there is anything you missed. If there is - decide if it's worth using or not. If it's nothing you really need - cut it out. Most sides and desserts can be prepared the day before. Main dishes should be cooked the day of to ensure your guests get that fresh out of the oven taste. Set up your decorations and prepare your table. Doing this the day or night before will take so much stress off your shoulders. Go over your meal plan one more time and check on accepted invites to correspond with the number of guests coming to your dinner party. GET A GOOD LONG NIGHT'S SLEEP. Not just so you're refreshed in the morning, but because you deserve it.
Last but not least: Have fun! Don't make this a stressful event! Make it something that brings you so much joy that you'll repeat it year after year or multiple times a year! Bringing people together should bring you joy!
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