Whether you’re trying to plan for a unique birthday, gathering some of the grown members of the family around for special days of the year, or you simply want to enjoy your time with some friends in polite company, a dinner party can be an excellent way to do it. However, if you have been to enough, then you have certainly experienced the kind of party where conversation drags to a halt and the night begins to drag on with it. If you’re worried that you might be organizing such as boring dinner party, the tips below are for you.
Make sure there’s always music playing
A dinner party should never be totally quiet. Even arriving at the home, your guest should be greeted by some sounds to help them settle in. There are plenty of decent dinner party playlists you can find on platforms like Spotify, as well.
Get the drink flowing before the dinner
You don’t exactly want people getting drunk at your dinner party, but there’s no denying that a little alcohol can get the conversation flowing and open people up enough so that there are no awkward silences around the dinner table. Wine might be fine for the dinner but having some bottled cocktails ready for guests as they arrive can help them ease right into the night. Give them some time to limber up before they’re seated.
Take it throughout the home
If you have the space for it, then taking the time to move the party from one room to another can help avoid the feeling of stagnating in one place for the night. Drinks and appetizers could be served in the living room, dinner in the dining room and then, if you have, afters and activities could take place in the garden or whatever outdoor space you have.
Be strategic with your seating
Where your guests are sitting and who they are sitting beside and across from is going to make a big difference when it comes to the kind of banter that strikes up during your dinner party. Some party planning experts recommend thinking about the personalities of your guests and planning accordingly. Make sure that the person who loves to tell interesting anecdotes is sat across from someone who’s intellectually curious, for instance, rather than someone who’s not as likely to enjoy being a listener.
Set up an activity that involves the guests
It’s far from uncommon for hosts to arrange fun activities after the dinner party. However, if there’s one mistake that a lot of hosts make, it’s turning their guests into an audience rather than participants. If you’re going to arrange an activity, then make sure that it’s something that involves everyone, such as some sort of game or creative endeavor that they can try.
It’s all on you, the host, to keep things lively. Hopefully, the tips above help you do just that. Otherwise, don’t be afraid to go with your own inspiration to liven things up either.