Hosting a Dinner Party
Updated February 9, 2026
Hosting Guides By Gina Holzer
Have you committed to hosting a dinner party? These can be so much fun when stress factors are removed. Let me help you do this by providing a guide that will give you the essentials in preparing for your perfect event!
Preparation is the key! Planning ahead is the most obvious tip I can give you. The more time you have to prepare, the more you will feel like you have it all together the night of your event, and in turn you will have so much less stress!
Your overall aim is to create a warm and inviting atmosphere with candles, music and simple décor. You can accomplish this with dimmed lights or candles, a curated playlist with smooth, low-key music such as light jazz or bossa nova as well as having simple fresh flowers.
Start with a guest list and then send out invitations. You can use freeevite.com to create your invitations for FREE and there are no commitments attached to you or your guests.
Next plan for the food and drinks. It is a nice option to provide a charcuterie board for your guests to pick at while everyone is arriving. Also, provide a cocktail option to get the party started! At one of our parties, we set up an Old-Fashion station where the guests could make their own Old Fashions with different bitters just the way they liked it. It was a big hit! I digress.
Most dinner parties have a prime meat option of either steak, lamb or chicken just to name a few. Do provide a salad option such as Caesar, simple green salad, Mediterranean or Italian, as well as rolls or warm bread with butter. Vegetables to consider for sides are roasted carrots, asparagus, broccolini or brussel sprouts.
Stock up on wine, both red and white varietals. Have a designated water pitcher with ice cold water. Feel free to skip the alcohol if this is not your thing and just provide sodas or tea, BUT do expect there to be some guests that will want at least a glass or two of alcohol.
You will need the following for tableware and linens:
- A complete and matching set of dinner plates, salad plates, bowls and cutlery.
- Glassware to include wine glasses, water glasses and cocktail glasses.
- Linens like a nice crisp tablecloth, a runner or placemats and cloth napkins.
- A simple centerpiece with candles or flowers.
- Trivets and coasters (optional).
The serving essentials you will need are as follows:
- Platters, large serving bowls, serving utensils for main dish and side dishes.
- Condiments such as salt and pepper, a butter dish
- As mentioned before, it is a good idea to have a beverage station set up for the wine, water and cocktails. Items needed in this area are wine opener/corkscrew, an ice bucket with ice and a large pitcher for water.
Some preparations you can do on the day of the event to lessen stress even more is to set your table and have food prepped as much as possible. Also, it is helpful to have extra trash bags on hand while cooking as well as a fire extinguisher, just in case!
Now that you have read all this information you are well prepared to host a most fabulous dinner party. Enjoy yourself!
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