Dinner parties are the perfect way to entertain friends and family. If you are a keen foodie or love cooking, they give you an outlet to hone and show off your skills. Many people enjoy dinner parties with friends as they are more intimate and relaxed than meeting in a busy restaurant. If you would like to show how much you appreciate your loved ones, here are some ways you can create the perfect setting for a dinner party.
The Furniture
A dinner party is usually quite a formal occasion, so you will need a table and chairs. If you don’t have suitable furniture to accommodate all your guests, you may want to consider looking at modern dining room sets online or at a local furniture store.
If you have limited space in your home, you could buy an expanding dining table that can be small when used every day and expanded to accommodate any guests you have.
Comfortable seats are a must so that you and your guests are happy to sit at the table to chat and eat as long as possible.
The Lights
Lighting an essential factor if you wish to create a specific ambiance. Candlelight is probably the softest lighting, and it creates a relaxed and sophisticated atmosphere.
Have some scented tea light candles positioned around the room, and be careful to have them all possessing the same scent – or at least ones that complement one another. You do not want your guests to feel nauseous as they breathe in clashing perfumes. In addition, a candelabra or some larger candles on the table will give diners more light to see what they are doing.
If you don’t want to have naked flames in your home, use battery tea lights, fairy lights, or dim your electric ceiling lights to soften the lighting in the dining area.
The Tableware
You can make a great impression with your dinnerware. Beautiful crockery and gleaming glasses add elegance to your table and show that you have made an effort. On the other hand, nobody wants to drink from chipped drinking vessels and eat from old, plastic, unattractive plates. If you plan on having regular parties, you may want to invest in some quality dinnerware and cutlery and keep it only for special occasions.
Make the table look beautiful by covering it in a crisp, white linen cloth and an elaborately embroidered table runner. Buy a beautiful centerpiece or make one of your own with freshly cut flowers in a crystal vase or dried wildflowers arranged into posies and placed in ornate bowls.
Use cloth napkins rather than paper ones and roll them up and place them in attractive napkin rings, or fold into a pleasing shape and lay them on your guest’s side plates.
The Atmosphere
Some soothing sounds of classical music or mellow jazz playing in the background at your party will create a classy ambiance. However, don’t be tempted to play high-tempo dance music or have the volume cranked up to maximum unless you want your dinner party to turn into a dance party!
