Find yourself scrolling through Pinterest, dreaming of the dinner parties you’ll throw one day?
We’ve got good news - hosting your own dinner party doesn’t have to be expensive or hard to plan! With a bit of creativity, you can plan a fun, memorable evening with your friends that won’t break the bank.
Here’s how to bring those Pinterest party vibes to your own dining table.
Theme
@foodieholly_ Host an Italian themed dinner party with me!! This was honestly so cute & so much fun 😋 I highly recommend #dinnerparty #dinnerpartyideas #hostingtips #recipes ♬ A Summer Place - Hollywood Strings Orchestra
It’s always fun to have a theme! A theme gives the night some personality and makes it feel a bit more special than just a regular hangout.
You can ask your guests to dress up, or keep it simple and focus on the food and atmosphere instead. Some of our suggestions include:
- Italian Bistro: checkered tablecloths, pasta and this playlist
- Around the World: everyone brings a dish from a different cuisine
- Breakfast for Dinner: pancakes, eggs and bacon, and pyjamas.
Themes don’t need to be complicated! You just want to create a good atmosphere and give everyone something to get excited about before they arrive.
Cooking
Food is often the most important part of a successful dinner party. You don’t want your guests to go home hungry! If you’re on a budget, think about dishes you can make in bulk. Foods like pasta and curry are easy to make in large portions and often contain cheaper ingredients.
Making the food can also be part of the evening’s activities. Hold a make-your-own pizza night, or have your guests build their own burrito bowls or gyros. Not only will this keep costs down, but it will get everyone involved and chatting.
If you want to host a dinner party but you don’t really like to cook, how about a potluck? Ask each guest to bring a dish - this way, you’ll get a variety of different foods and you don’t have to spend all day in the kitchen. Win-win!
It’s common for guests to bring their own drinks to dinner parties, especially if they want to drink alcohol. You can provide soft drinks, or if you want to jazz it up a bit, how about a mocktail (we recommend the No-Hafta Colada - full of pineapple and absolutely delicious).
Decorations
Decorations don’t need to be expensive to look good. Make a day of it and ask friends to help make decorations out of things you already have at home.
Don’t spend $50 on a new tablecloth - head down to your local fabric store and buy a few metres of fabric instead. Pick up a bulk pack of tea lights or use your own fairy lights to set the mood.
You can also use food as decorations - bowls of fruit and vegetables or fresh herbs can brighten up your space and double as a snack.
Music
The music sets the vibe for the evening, so don’t forget to put some effort into the tunes! Do you want a more relaxed, chill night, or do you want to party? If you don’t want to make your own, you can find plenty of pre-made playlists on Spotify or Apple Music. Here are some of our favourite dinner party playlists for every mood:
Invite list
You’ve decided on the theme, you know what to cook - now it’s time to send out the invites. Depending on how large your dinner table is, you might need to create your list based on how many seats you’ve got!
Not sure who to invite? Maybe there’s a new member of your class who doesn’t know anyone, or you might like to mix two different groups of friends. Invite them all! It can be fun to introduce new people, and it’s always nice when your friendship group grows.
Activities
Dinner’s finished, everyone’s full and relaxed, and hopefully new friendships are starting to form - it’s time for an activity!
Download an app like Head’s Up or Kahoot, and fill in your own answers.Conversation dying down? Why not make your own conversation cards? Find some card paper (like this from Officeworks) and write a unique question on each card. It’s an easy and inexpensive way to get people chatting, and learn new things about your friends.
Now you’re all prepared to throw a super fun and delicious dinner party. Don’t worry if things don’t go exactly to plan; that’s all part of the fun. Put on your playlist, light a few candles and enjoy!
