ArtsAutosBooksBusinessEducationEntertainmentFamilyFashionFoodGamesGenderHealthHolidaysHomeHubPagesPersonal FinancePetsPoliticsReligionSportsTechnologyTravel

How to Host a Small Dinner Party Without Stress

Updated on January 9, 2013
Hosting a dinner party, large or small, doesn't have to come with a helping of stress.
Hosting a dinner party, large or small, doesn't have to come with a helping of stress. | Source

The Stress Less Dinner Party

Most of us face planning parties with a bit of apprehension. Even the most veteran entertainer will always experience a few moments of panic.

  • "Have I thought of everything?"
  • "Will all the foods be ready at the same time?"
  • "Will everything taste alright?"

Though most people who entertain at all will not completely get rid of anxiety, this author has learned that the best way to eliminate stress when having a small dinner party for friends or family is to have a plan.

Not just a plan for one particular gathering but rather an overall approach to entertaining in general.

Having a dinner party is just like any other situation in life where "performance" is important so preparing for it makes total sense.

Stressless Party Planning


The most successful events, large and small, are usually the result of planning. Dinner parties are really no different.

Your Dinner Party Planning List

  • Where will the dinner party be? Outside on the deck or in the dining room?
  • If the weather is bad, do you have a plan B for location of your dinner?
  • Do you need to clean your house or the area for your dinner party?
  • Do you have what you need to serve your guests for dinner--whether it's your own dishes or you need to buy some--or use disposable items like paper plates and napkins?
  • How many people will you invite to dinner?
  • What's your menu for the dinner get-together?
  • Do you have a theme like a BBQ or an Italian dinner?
  • How long will it take to make dinner for your guests?
  • How complicated are the recipes--how long to prepare?
  • Will it be a sit down dinner or a buffet style?
  • Do you want to have people bring food to make it a potluck or do it all yourself?
  • Will people need to bring their own drinks or will you furnish?
  • What kinds of drinks will you have if you're furnishing?
  • What day of the week and what time will you serve dinner to your guests?
  • Do you plan on adding any activities to the dinner such as watching a movie or playing games?
  • Are children coming or are there pets involved or invited?

Make sure you have adequate supplies like plates and napkins for your dinner party ahead of time.
Make sure you have adequate supplies like plates and napkins for your dinner party ahead of time. | Source

 

Budget and make a list for your dinner party.

The best dinner parties can be the simplest.

Spending more than you should on a small gathering for dinner doesn't guarantee the party will be better. In fact, it might be worse due to worrying about the cost of everything especially if the party doesn't go well.

Keep your dinner party reasonable on all levels and you'll enjoy it much more--as will your guests.

Check to see what supplies you have on hand. Then make a list of things you need to buy at the store. Lastly, list the things you need to do ahead of time before dinner party day.

Having a theme or type of meal in mind makes planning easier.
Having a theme or type of meal in mind makes planning easier. | Source


Have a theme or menu category for your dinner party
.

Figuring out what kind of meal you'll serve will reduce stress. Remember to keep it relatively basic.

  • Trying to make too many different types of things can become quickly overwhelming.

    Here are 3 different menu ideas which illustrate the diversity and simplicity of meal planning.

    Italian dinner: Lasagna or pasta dish, tossed green salad, steamed vegetable, garlic or French bread, spumoni ice cream with coffee. For a starter, fresh fruit or a vegetable tray. Drinks might be a chianti or light beer.

    Burgers and dogs: Grilled hamburgers and hot dogs, potato or macaroni salad, cooler corn, chips and store-bought pound cake with fresh strawberries. Drinks might be coffee, pop, wine or beer. A starter might be a veggie tray or fresh fruit with cream cheese dip.

    Takeout: Anything from ready-made appetizers from Trader Joe's to gourmet pizzas or Chinese food make for quick and effortless entertaining. Finish the meal off with a fudge cake, apple pie or sherbet or ice cream.

Decide if you're going to make things from scratch or buy prepared--or do a combo of both.
Decide if you're going to make things from scratch or buy prepared--or do a combo of both. | Source


Gourmet cooking for dinner parties
.

No one expects lavish 5-course dinners when you get together--unless you happen to be known for that.

Or perhaps you belong to a gourmet cooking club. In that case, gourmet cooking may be the style of the evening.

Make things that you're comfortable with and perhaps add only one new recipe to the mix. That way, the chances for success multiply and you can simply tell your friends or family that you trusted them enough to experiment with a new dish.

Whatever the meal, remember the most important thing in any get-together is companionship and a good time.

Gourmet cooks may find they can create meals that are more complicated but even then, enjoyment of the meal should be the most important factor, not trying to prove your culinary expertise.

Save small chores like dusting for the day of the dinner party.
Save small chores like dusting for the day of the dinner party. | Source


Clean several days before a
dinner
party.

Nothing says stress like being exhausted when it comes time for your dinner guests to arrive.

Taking the time to clean a day or so before a planned get-together or dinner party will reduce stress remarkably.

If you're needing time to add in yardwork or things like floor cleaning, set aside time the week before and tackle all major cleaning projects.

Save touchups only for the day of your dinner party and you'll find you are able to enjoy your gathering more.

Chop ingredients ahead of time and store in zip-lock bags or containers to save time.
Chop ingredients ahead of time and store in zip-lock bags or containers to save time. | Source
Make chicken parmesan or lasagna the day before and reheat at dinnertime.
Make chicken parmesan or lasagna the day before and reheat at dinnertime. | Source


Prepare food ahead for a small dinner party
.

Doing as much beforehand as you possibly can before the dinner is set to start saves you from rushing trying to get things done at the last minute.

It's also a great buffer for things that aren't planned--like you forgot an ingredient and have to make a last minute dash to the store. Or you were planning on being home by 4:30 but you got stuck in traffic and you're now 45 minutes behind.

If you're having lasagna or chicken parmesan, for instance, make the week before, freeze and then thaw the day of the party. Or make it the day ahead and store it cooked or uncooked in the fridge.

If you can't make recipes ahead of time, prep things out as much as possible. Chopping ingredients or having things premixed saves time and stress. Refrigerate or store in containers or marked zip-lock bags for ease of assembly.

This author purposefully selects recipes that can be made ahead as much as possible when a dinner party is on the menu. An example of one of my go-to desserts is Make Ahead Chocolate Souffle. It's made hours before and simply needs to be popped in the oven when ready to eat.

This helps keep the party out of the kitchen and tends to make people feel more relaxed as some people get nervous watching someone else work while they sip wine!

Decide on what drinks you'll serve at your dinner party or make it BYOB to keep it simple.
Decide on what drinks you'll serve at your dinner party or make it BYOB to keep it simple. | Source


Consider BYOB for your dinner party.

Having folks bring their own beverage to a dinner party is never out of style. Things to consider are that people tend to be more careful about their drinking if they're paying for it out of their own pocket.

Drinking to excess can be a pitfall of anyone's dinner party. It's important to remember that as hosts, over-serving someone in your home can be just as dangerous as someone being over-served in a bar.

A great way to encourage people to bring their own drinks (alcoholic and nonalcoholic) is to suggest that they bring whatever they like to drink.

Decide as well if you want guests to bring something to the dinner party. Most people ask if there is something they can bring so don't be afraid to suggest something such as a salad or a loaf of Italian bread.

Setting the table ahead of time cuts down on stress at your small dinner party.
Setting the table ahead of time cuts down on stress at your small dinner party. | Source


Set the table a day before the party.

This may seem over the top in terms of advance planning, but surprisingly it's a great way to take the stress out of a dinner party for any size group of people.

Most banquet planners set their tables well in advance of an event. There are several reasons this works well. There's time to make certain all the equipment that's needed is available for how ever many people are being served.

It also gives them (or you, the dinner party planner) the opportunity to see what dishes look best, what colors go best if you're into that, and how you want everything to be laid out. If you're worried about your table getting dusty, simply toss a clean sheet carefully over it and come time for the guests to arrive, you have a beautifully set table.

This seemingly little thing eliminates trying to set the table around guests or having them sit down in the area where you plan to serve them. Even if you're having a buffet style dinner, setting the table as you'd like it to be arranged makes it easier for people to know where they'll be sitting and what to use.

Consider dogs or other pets when hosting your dinner party.
Consider dogs or other pets when hosting your dinner party. | Source


Planning for Pets and Children at Dinner Parties

If you're having a dinner party that includes children, think about menu choices and make sure you have something that works for kids on your menu.

Age-appropriate favorites can include mac and cheese or grilled cheese sandwiches. You can even set a separate table for them within supervising distance from the main eating area.

Be sure and have plenty of entertaining activities on hand that match the ages of the children such as appropriate videos, puzzles, coloring books or toys.

If you're having people over who are bringing their pets or if you have pets of your own, be prepared.

Make sure guests are comfortable with your pets and if they aren't, whether just by personal preference or allergy concerns, have a safe place for your pets to hang out during the dinner party.

If you have visiting pets, be aware that there can be food issues or dominance issues. Nothing says disaster like a dog fight while people are sitting around the table talking after a fabulous meal.

This author had this happen and thankfully it was only a skirmish with one of my malamutes and a visiting dog who snarled at him. However, it does unnerve the guests. It's a good idea not to have pets around the table before, during or after dinner, as I learned from experience.

It's also important to make sure food is out of reach of counter cruisers like my malamutes. One snag of the meatballs can ruin the perfectly prepared dinner and leave you starting over before guests arrive.

Remember that certain foods are highly toxic to pets such as chocolate for dogs. Keep all temptations out of reach or pets in a safe place during your dinner party to avoid unhappy endings.

How to Reduce Stress in Planning a Dinner Party


This author has discovered that the best way to have a dinner party of any size is to plan ahead. That single thing makes all the difference when it comes to the final moment of truth when guests arrive.

That said, be flexible. If you've planned to play games but everyone is having a great time chatting or enjoying the meal, your work is done and you score!

There are other factors as well that reduce stress long before the dinner party day even arrives.

  • Get plenty of rest the week before but especially the day before a party
  • Keep up exercise routines to maintain a relaxed state of mind
  • Eat a healthy diet and avoid excess smoking and drinking

Lastly, this author and my husband always discuss what went well after a dinner party or get-together. We always focus on the things that were positive rather than the negative.

It's important to remember that things can sometimes be less than perfect and still be a success.

We try to take what we learn from each encounter with guests in our home and build on that for the next time.

Much as in anything in life, the more you host dinner parties, the better you become at it, no matter if they are simple or extravagant.

working

This website uses cookies

As a user in the EEA, your approval is needed on a few things. To provide a better website experience, hubpages.com uses cookies (and other similar technologies) and may collect, process, and share personal data. Please choose which areas of our service you consent to our doing so.

For more information on managing or withdrawing consents and how we handle data, visit our Privacy Policy at: https://corp.maven.io/privacy-policy

Show Details
Necessary
HubPages Device IDThis is used to identify particular browsers or devices when the access the service, and is used for security reasons.
LoginThis is necessary to sign in to the HubPages Service.
Google RecaptchaThis is used to prevent bots and spam. (Privacy Policy)
AkismetThis is used to detect comment spam. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide data on traffic to our website, all personally identifyable data is anonymized. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Traffic PixelThis is used to collect data on traffic to articles and other pages on our site. Unless you are signed in to a HubPages account, all personally identifiable information is anonymized.
Amazon Web ServicesThis is a cloud services platform that we used to host our service. (Privacy Policy)
CloudflareThis is a cloud CDN service that we use to efficiently deliver files required for our service to operate such as javascript, cascading style sheets, images, and videos. (Privacy Policy)
Google Hosted LibrariesJavascript software libraries such as jQuery are loaded at endpoints on the googleapis.com or gstatic.com domains, for performance and efficiency reasons. (Privacy Policy)
Features
Google Custom SearchThis is feature allows you to search the site. (Privacy Policy)
Google MapsSome articles have Google Maps embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
Google ChartsThis is used to display charts and graphs on articles and the author center. (Privacy Policy)
Google AdSense Host APIThis service allows you to sign up for or associate a Google AdSense account with HubPages, so that you can earn money from ads on your articles. No data is shared unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Google YouTubeSome articles have YouTube videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
VimeoSome articles have Vimeo videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
PaypalThis is used for a registered author who enrolls in the HubPages Earnings program and requests to be paid via PayPal. No data is shared with Paypal unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook LoginYou can use this to streamline signing up for, or signing in to your Hubpages account. No data is shared with Facebook unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
MavenThis supports the Maven widget and search functionality. (Privacy Policy)
Marketing
Google AdSenseThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Google DoubleClickGoogle provides ad serving technology and runs an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Index ExchangeThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
SovrnThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook AdsThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Unified Ad MarketplaceThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
AppNexusThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
OpenxThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Rubicon ProjectThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
TripleLiftThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Say MediaWe partner with Say Media to deliver ad campaigns on our sites. (Privacy Policy)
Remarketing PixelsWe may use remarketing pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to advertise the HubPages Service to people that have visited our sites.
Conversion Tracking PixelsWe may use conversion tracking pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to identify when an advertisement has successfully resulted in the desired action, such as signing up for the HubPages Service or publishing an article on the HubPages Service.
Statistics
Author Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide traffic data and reports to the authors of articles on the HubPages Service. (Privacy Policy)
ComscoreComScore is a media measurement and analytics company providing marketing data and analytics to enterprises, media and advertising agencies, and publishers. Non-consent will result in ComScore only processing obfuscated personal data. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Tracking PixelSome articles display amazon products as part of the Amazon Affiliate program, this pixel provides traffic statistics for those products (Privacy Policy)
ClickscoThis is a data management platform studying reader behavior (Privacy Policy)