How to host your first dinner party as a beginner

The idea of hosting dinner parties in your own home has definitely ramped up over the last few years. We are seeing more and more keen hosts in the online space inspire us with their beautiful tablescapes, delicious recipes, and fun themes. I for one am loving it, I literally gobble up all that kind of content, as I love seeing how a concept comes to life from an idea, and how that's transformed on the table. I too am one of those creators, because as a table stylist, I think there is no better place to celebrate, than around the table with your loved ones.

Why is home hosting becoming more popular

I think there is a growing desire for all getting together more regularly in real life, people are craving connection, and more moments that keep them off their phone. They are keen to mark milestones but to also celebrate the seasons to help them cherish living in the present moment. People want to strengthen their relationships with family members, they want to laugh with friends and create memories to look back on. And it's also a great way to get together and save money, because eating out is a lot more expensive these days. 

People want a creative hobby that allows them to express themselves and throwing a dinner party is a fantastic way to do this, because it covers many creative avenues. You might love cooking and experimenting with new recipe ideas but you feel you are always putting your ideas off for another day which frustrates you, so what you'd really like is a reason to try these things out. You might have an obsession with tableware and you're a bit of a collector for all the pretty things and you just love styling your dining room table, literally any excuse to celebrate something and your setting the table. These are all great motivators to have a reason to host.

So if you're thinking 'yes this me, I desperately want to start hosting, but I don't really know where to even start with it! and you're asking 'What's the best way to get into hosting as a beginner?' Then you're in luck, because that's exactly what I am going to be sharing in today's blog post. I have 5 top tips for you to help you get started if you're feeling a little overwhelmed.

Let's dig in...

Raid your kitchen cupboards

Before you rush out and buy anything for hosting a dinner party, my advice is to raid your kitchen cupboards first. I bet you have already got a treasure trove of tableware sitting in the back of your cupboards that you can immediately use straight away. You see, the thing with hosting is that until you start having people over to eat, you won't exactly know what you really need for it. So my advice is to hold off to start with. You'll thank me later! Don't worry the time will come where you can buy those pretty plates and napkins you've seen, but for now just use what you have. Obvious things you're looking for are crockery, cutlery, a table cloth and glasses, which most people have in their cupboards. When you're looking for vessels to hold flowers in, think outside the box, if you don't have bud vases at hand, you can use water jugs, used jam jars, empty spice jars or a gravy boat. Take a wonder around your house and consider what you could use to decorate your table with. If you don't have much at hand, maybe you've only just got you're own house, so you haven't had much time to accumulate such items, ask your family members, friends or a close neighbour if they have kitchenware they don't want anymore. Just tell them what you're doing and I'm sure they would love to help you out. 

If you are thinking of buying something you need in the beginning, think about places like charity shops, junk stores & antique fairs, where you can pick up items fairly cheaply and also pick up unique finds to help you build up your collection. 

I offer an alternative option which is to hire your tableware, and I also provide a design service too, helping people bring their event to life. You can read more about that here. I'm based in Lincolnshire UK, so if you want some helping styling your special events do take a look at that.

Forage from your garden

One of the great things about styling a table is that you really don't need a massive amount to decorate it, so when it comes to foliage & flowers you won't need a lot. But it can be expensive buying a bunch of flowers from the supermarket or from your local florist. So instead of spending money, my advice is look outside first. Go and take a wonder in your garden and see what you could snip to bring inside for your table. You will be surprised what you will find out there. I don't have a big garden myself, but I still have access to alot of flowers in the spring & summer time and foliage all the through the year to work with. I planted evergreen shrubs and a eucalyptus tree so that I always have fresh greenery on hand. I even snip greenery that is hanging over the fence from my neighbours garden. And I planted plants I love, some I've grown from seed, that last a long duration, so that I know I will use them in many tablescapes throughout the different seasons. This year I am starting a cut flower garden, so that I can grow more varieties giving me access to them whenever I want to host. The beauty of this is the more you cut them, the more flowers you get. I am also lucky enough to live next to a farmers field, so I have permission to forage some wild grasses that grow on the land, which I then dry so I can use throughout the year. If you don't have your own garden, does a family member or a friend have anything you can use? Do you live somewhere you could have a forage? Just make sure to forage responsibly when doing so. If you're limited on space, you could even grow fresh herbs on your window sill as they make fantastic decorations. I am also a keen house plant enthusiast which means I can use my plants to help me style my table, so this could be a great option for those without an outdoor space to grow things. I also think having some dried flowers in your stash will help you, it's great for the winter time when theres' not much in season and they look great mixed in with fresh.

Use pre-made stationery templates

Another thing that can help you get started with hosting straight away is having access to some pre-made stationery templates. Adding menus and name cards to each place setting is a thoughtful touch that will provide a warm welcome for your guests. It's the little things they notice and they appreciate the thought behind it so much. So your attention to detail will make them feel special. As you're so busy with the cooking prep and setting the table ready, it's wise to have ready to go templates on hand that you can quickly edit and print off yourself at home. Allowing you to do this a little last minute if you haven't decided what your serving yet or you haven't received confirmation of who's actually coming. I have a collection of pre made templates that you can download and use here. They are great because you can re-use them again and again, and they come in different colour ways, helping you create different looks each time you host.

Keep the menu simple

Inviting guests over for your dinner party is not the time to go all cheify and cook something completely new like you're on a challenge show such as Masterchef. It's always better to practice something new ahead of the dinner party so that you remove any pressure of getting it right. My advice for starting hosting, is to cook what you know already, what you're good at, and what you love to eat, because you will get good results. It can be a firm favourite in your house hold that always get good feedback, or a crowd pleaser dish such as one pot wonder is good ,so that you can pop it in the middle of the table and have guests serve themselves. Keeping the menu simple so you can do all your prep ahead of time, also means that you can spend more time with your guests, because this is what hosting a dinner party is all about. Actually being present with your guests, instead of feeling like the catering team!

Do a minimal clean

 The one thing that puts a lot of people off hosting is because they think they need to have a spotless home to even entertain the idea of having people over. But what a lot of people tend to forget is that, that doesn't actually feel like a comfortable environment for most people. If we walk into a show home, people won't feel that relaxed, which is the opposite of how we want them feel. People honestly don't care about how tidy your home is, they feel more at ease if it feels lived in, so don't start putting everything away. My advice is to just clean the areas you and your guests will be using. It's a no brainer to make sure your kitchen is clean for hygiene reasons, and I would clean my bathroom as guests will be using this, but you don't need to clean your house from top to toe every time you have people over, it's just not realistic and will stop you from hosting. Remember that Mary Poppins is not coming to inspect how clean your home is before your guests arrive, so do the bare minimum to save your energy for your get together. 

I really hope you have enjoyed these tips and it encourages you to start hosting with confidence. Remember to have fun with it, because that's what it's all about.

If you would like to receive more tips & inspiration from me, you can join my free email list here. I love inspiring my audience with ideas and sharing my expert knowledge on a regular basis, to help you celebrate your events big or small, so you are very welcome to join me over there.