Organizing a proper budget for your formal dinner party is a must. You should keep in mind the amount that will be spent on food and beverages such as wine or liquor, as well as any party supplies which you may require. Remember that the most expensive brands of food aren't necessarily the best, so skip on fancy packaging and go for casual stuff. Even the smallest dinner parties can be elegant affairs if the right amount of care and attention is paid during the planning stages.
Dinner parties can be easy relaxed gatherings or formal dressed affairs. What ever the occasion be, try to be clear about who to invite, the menu of the party, the budget etc.
Once the pre-planning is done and you are prepared with the list of guests you want to invite, you are ready for the invitations. For a formal party the best way to invite your guests is by sending out formal dinner invitations a couple of weeks in advance. For sending out online invites, select a formal dinner theme and customize it by including date, time, your address, and contact information. Explain the event, as the guests need to know exactly what you're inviting them to and what the purpose of the gathering is. Decide ahead of time what you will say to guests who ask what to bring when they RSVP. "Bring yourself!" is a standard answer. Lastly, request a response so that you will know how many people are attending.
As this is a formal party, you should plan an elaborate menu and use dinnerware. In general you should plan to serve 2 to 3 appetizers, salad, a main course and 2 side dishes or vegetables. To finish the dinner, be sure to offer a delicious dessert. It is also a good idea to have several beverage choices available throughout the evening. Remember that a formal dinner party is not the time to try out a new or challenging recipe. A week or two before the party, do some general cleaning. If there are any dishes you can cook ahead and freeze, now is the time. Another excellent idea is to prepare cold appetizers and desserts so that they are not taking up precious oven space.
In the hour before your gathering, set out non-perishable drinks and beverages and take care of any last minute cooking. Put out the ice bucket and remaining perishables just before your guests arrive. If you choose to play music, turn it on at this time. Remember to play a wide variety to keep everyone happy. For added ambiance you can light a few candles. After the meal be sure to offer mints and a nice liqueur or dessert wine. Coffee is also excellent with dessert and will help give finality to the meal.
Set your dining table with your best linen, china and silverware. Formal dinner parties are among the few opportunities we have to treat our guests to a complete dining experience. You could set your table a day in advance or the night before the dinner, as this will give you enough time to attend to other finer details before the guests start arriving.
At a formal party the best way to keep your guests entertained is by arranging for some simple games. Even a formal dinner party can use games. Try putting winning tags on the bottoms of certain plates, so that the person with that plate receives a prize. Another option may be to have random drawings and door prizes. Even something as simple as two truths and a lie over dessert can be a fun way to learn new things about your guests. Keeping your guests engaged during the party will surely make your dinner more of a success.
If you are the guest to a formal dinner party, it is always nice to bring along a special gift for the host. Flowers and candies are always good options. As the host of a dinner party, it is often nice to give gifts for the guests to take home as well. This is especially true if you are hosting a corporate dinner party.
