Summer entertaining is simple if you plan ahead. Follow the Golden Rule and treat others in your home the way you want to be treated in theirs. It’s that easy!
Clever Entertaining Tip: Place appetizers on a checker board. It makes for a great visual.
As the host, you are in charge of every detail of the evening, from letting your guests know where the bathroom is to offering them a drink to introducing them to other guests.
Here are some tips to help you make every dinner party you host a success. The first and most important thing is to plan ahead:
- Keep It Simple: Plan your dinner party to last for three hours. Six to eight people is a good number for conversation.
- Early Warning: Let your guests know at the beginning of the evening that you promise to have everyone home early. This gives your guests an “easy out” on when to leave.
- Timing: Allow 45 minutes for appetizers and drinks before serving dinner. Having the food appear on the table too soon doesn’t give people enough time to settle in and makes it seem as though you want the night to end before it begins. And making people wait too long to be served is a sign that you didn’t plan ahead.
- Seating: Make sure to mix quiet people with lively people at the table. Not doing so is a recipe for disaster and can make or break a party.
- Wrapping It Up: At your “designated time” stop pouring beverages. This makes the end of evening easier for everyone.