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As lockdown restrictions ease and we become able to spend time with our each other (within our extended households) inside our homes once more, you might be thinking about hosting a dinner party to bring your loved ones together after so much time spent apart.
10 things you’ll need when setting the table for a dinner party
Wine glasses
Most dinner parties will involve a bit of wine (and not just when it comes to cooking the food!), so make sure you’ve got a decent set ready to bring out for your guests.
It really doesn’t pay to cut corners when it comes to buying wine glasses. While you don’t necessarily need to buy the most expensive set on the shelf, you should aim to get good quality glasses even if you end up paying a bit more. Cheap glasses are never going to ‘wow’ your guests and, believe it or not, they could actually affect the taste of your wine too.
Napkins and rings
Napkins are essential for any dinner party. Many people like to place a napkin on their lap while they dine, while some people just like to have one handy to wipe their mouths after they’ve finished eating.
While napkin rings or holders aren’t absolutely essential, they certainly make for a sophisticated finishing touch. I bought a couple of napkin rings from Dunelm Mill a few years ago; they were relatively cheap and as I only use them for special occasions, they’re still in great condition.
Placemats
When setting the table, make sure you’ve got some suitable placemats ready to put down in each place setting. Ideally, you want something that looks stylish and coordinates with the rest of the table, while also being able to withstand heat from any hot plates that might be placed onto them during your dinner party.
Coasters
Consider your coasters at the same time as your placemats, as you’ll probably want them to match. You might want to choose a set of coasters with subtle rubber grips underneath, so they don’t end up sliding across the dinner table! For a more personal touch, you could even arrange to have Custom coasters made, personalised with the name of each guest attending your dinner party.
Fine cutlery
An important aspect to consider when setting the table, is what kind of cutlery you’ll be providing for your guests. No doubt you’ll want to impress them, so don’t go using regular knives and forks from your cutlery draw. A decent set of silver cutlery is a worthwhile investment that you’ll be able to bring out for dinner parties for years to come.
Candles
No dinner table is complete without the flickering flame of a candle casting a warm, fuzzy glow over your faces as you dine. While a single pillar candle might work for a small dinner party, if you’ll be inviting the whole family around for a formal dinner party to celebrate a special occasion, you might want to invest in a couple of elegant silver candlesticks or perhaps even a candelabrum or candelabra. Find out more about the differences between each in the diagram below.
Condiment holder or tray
You’ll probably end up putting the salt and pepper on the table along with a few dips and garnishes, so it pays to get hold of a condiment holder or tray so you don’t end up having to shout down the table to locate the whereabouts of the mustard or mint sauce.
If you’ll be holding a particularly classy dinner party, you could decant your condiments into glass dispensers for a fancy finishing touch.
Menu
Unless you plan upon surprising your guests, you’ll want to prepare a menu in advance to let them know what they’ll be eating. This could be something as simple as scribbling each course you’ll be cooking onto a blackboard with some chalk or, if you’ll be holding a more formal dinner party, you might want to design your own menu and print it out onto card. Check out my post on how to make your own menus for dinner parties for some helpful tips on how to get started and check out these free fonts to download. They will certainly add a beautiful touch to your menu!
Placecards
If you’ve got a seating plan for your dinner party, you’ll definitely need a few placecards to let people know where they’ll be sitting. It’s possible to buy blank placecards that you can simply write your guests’ names on to, but if you have the time, it’s often much more impactful to make your own placecards. You can also use placecards to let your guests know which dish is which.
Table decorations
When it comes to setting the table for a dinner party, even if you’ve considered all of the points listed above, your table is going to look pretty bare without a few decorations dotted around here and there.
Choose an elaborate table centrepiece decoration and/or a table runner. Some dinner party hosts like to craft their own table decorations using natural materials like driftwood, flowers, pinecones and holly (a great choice for the festive season).
Can you think of anything you’d need when setting the table that I haven’t mentioned? Let me know by leaving a comment below.
Remember to PIN this post using one of the images below, so you can come back to it once you’re ready to host your dinner party!
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