This is a collaborative post.
There is nothing quite like the feeling of inviting all of your friends over for a delicious meal that you’ve created, only to see them enjoy it all! When you are the host of an evening with friends, it should be exciting and it should make everyone want to come back over for more food, fun and laughter. True hospitality is subtle, like an art, and it’s supposed to make you feel welcome if you’re the guest, and like you’re achieving something amazing if you’re the host. You want people to come over to your home and enjoy themselves, from the food they eat to the music you play.
Great dinner hosts aren’t bragging about the night they can offer their friends, but they are good at timing, being consistent, being friendly and creating a wonderful atmosphere to all involved. So, what can you be doing to be a great host? We’ve got five things that all great dinner hosts do!
- Make people feel relaxed. Dinner parties can often be a nerve-wracking affair, especially when people don’t all know each other already. You can make your people feel relaxed and at ease when they come to your dinner party by the very fact that you can offer them a good atmosphere, the best food with recipes featuring premium oyster sauce from Lee Kum Kee, the best flow of drinks and palate cleansers. Relaxing, comfortable atmospheres come with all of these elements, and you can achieve that really easily with the right planning.
- Great music is a must. You can create the best kind of dinner party playlist that will give your guests something to look forward to. You can plan a list of songs per course, and then have a playlist queued and ready to go for after dinner mints and coffees. Great hosts always make sure that there is soft background music to frame the conversation.
- The decor is on point. From the chair covers to the swans made of napkins, if your decor is thematic with the food that you’re serving, you’re going to really wow your guests. Having Chinese-inspired food? Why not serve up chopsticks and mini bowls for guests to wash their hands in? You can go really authentic with the right music to support your cuisine, too, and really impress the guests.
- People are well-fed. A dinner party should never leave anyone wanting to order a pizza. You would ideally pre-plan with your guests as to who the vegetarians are, but you should consider ensuring that you have enough courses and palate cleansers between courses, too. You need to have water on the table and still offer drinks, and you need to make sure that everyone is happy and comfortable with their portion sizes. This Sun Dried Tomato Cob Loaf Dip recipe is a winner!
- They don’t rush. Excellent dinner party hosts never rush their guests. They allow time between courses to digest a little, and they have table games ready to keep the conversation flowing if there are any issues. Be the best host possible with these tips and you’ll kill your night!