5 Details For Hosting a Fabulous + Fun Dinner Party

Talk about timing…when I was trying to prep for this week’s “5 Things” installment, hostessing popped into my mind of something I LOVE to do! While I’m not a professional party planner by any stretch of the imagination, I’ve been known to go all out a time or two. Case in point: Caroline’s 5th Bday Tea Party, Carson’s 2nd Bday Wizard of Oz Party, Caroline’s Lucky Charm 1st Birthday, + Carson’s 3rd Bday Pineapple Party! Let’s just say Jeff’s life motto of “go big or go home” applies to all the celebrations in life so I thought it would be fun to share 5 of my best tips + tricks for hosting a fabulous and fun dinner party!

great white dinnerware | linen napkins | gold flatware | pumpkin placecards

Dinner Party Ideas

ONE. Proper Dinnerware and Linen Napkins

I know it’s easy to grab the paper plates and disposable napkins, but when hosting a dinner party, get out that china you rarely use + iron out those linen napkins and actually USE them… life is a reason to celebrate in of itself and what better reason than having friends at your home to get out the good stuff!!

round marble serving tray | hooray napkins | mini latte bowls | cheese knives

TWO. A Tasty + Toastworthy Charcuterie Board

If there is one app I always have on hand when we entertain, it’s a charcuterie board… it’s colorful, easy for everyone to enjoy, great to graze on throughout the evening and not too bad to look at as well. I usually grab my ingredients from Trader Joe’s to keep costs down and you can read this blog post on all the essentials to an easy + elegant charcuterie board. My favorite tings is to integrate lots of color!

THREE. An Amazingly Great Playlist

Spotify NEVER fails me and their party playlists are no exception. We have SONOS integrated all through our house so we can stream our jams in every room and the quality is SO dang good!! Top playlists we keep on the repeat include:

Dinner Party | Party in Your Living Room | Hipster Cocktail Party | Game Night | Feelin’ Good | Classy Dinner Party | Party Dance

FOUR. A Proper Party Favor

I’m all for a takeaway when you have guests over… and yes, for last week’s Survivor Soiree I ordered custom koozies and frosted cups for the evening and love how they turned out. A simple gesture that goes along with the theme and a little happy your friends can take to commemorate the evening over and over again! A big thanks to Tammy at Sequins and Lipsticks Paper Co for creating these for me.

santorini planters | egg chairs

FIVE. Dive into the Decor

Think about the ambiance when you’re setting the theme and inspiration behind your get-together. I had Alpha Lit Nashville bring out the light up letters to surround our outdoor patio and it was a perfect pop of fun and invitiing when our guests walked outside. Other items to consider: florals that go hand in hand with the season [like how we integrated oranges and yellows into our arranagements for fall], candles to set the mood and other simple accents like napkins rings + runners to make your table warm and inviting for all.

 

What are your favorite dinner party ideas to try when you have guests over??? I would LOVE to hear your favorite party planning advice…