Easy Entertaining at Home*

Entertaining for friends and family can be one of the most fun things if you get it right. Or it can be a nightmare if you get it wrong. Your party can be anything from just a simple night in watching a movie with close friends and a bottle of red, to a glitzy and glamorous affair. The girls in dresses and the men in suits. It completely depends on your style and the guests you plan on having at your event.

Fancy Dress

Fancy Dress parties can be one of the easiest things to do, clear some space, choose a theme and get in some alcohol and buffet type foods. The hardest part of this is choosing the theme. Below are a few ideas to get you started with your fancy dress party.

• Downton Abbey – Dig out some 1920’s style clothes and choose who will be the servants for the night and who will be “them upstairs”. There are loads of videos on youtube showing how to get your makeup right for the event. A simple trawl through iTunes should wield some decent music results. If all else fails why not stick on the soundtrack to The Great Gatsby, it’s a modern take on some classic music and should get the evening going with a bang.
• As You Were – This is a fantastic theme for people who used to go to school/college together. You try and dress up how you used to be at school. Where you head of the Maths team? Did you used to have weird hair? All these are up for grabs, and the more honest you are, the more fun the party will be.
• Blank Paper – Guests must come to the party wearing a plain white t-shirt, and bring some Sharpies. As you mingle around the room, other guests are allowed to draw and write on your top. It creates some fantastic laughs, and everyone gets a memento of how great the party was to take home with them.
• Disney Disasters – Everyone can dress as their favourite Disney character, but the twist is that all the good guys are bad and vice versa. Imagine Apu as an evil sorcerer or Snow White as an evil queen.
• Tarantino Party – Everyone must dress as a character from a Quentin Tarantino movie. There are tons of costume options here, none of which have to be particularly taxing to get hold of, just don’t forget the obligatory movie soundtrack playlists.

There are millions of fancy dress party ideas online, check them out for inspiration. Remember try and choose a theme that suits not only you but also your guests.

Dinner Party

A dinner party is an opportunity to really show off your skills as a host. Choosing the right decor, the right music and the right food can be a daunting task, but it needn’t be. With some planning and expertise, you too can be hosting like a veteran.

• Music – Take time to think about your guests, if they are mostly your friends pick music that you would like. Most of the time they will probably have similar musical tastes, but don’t be offended if anyone asks you to change it. If the evening is a little more grown up, simple orchestral and party music is the best choice. It simply provides a nice backing track to the food and the conversation. It shouldn’t be too overpowering. The No.1 rule here though is that from the moment the party starts to the second it ends, your playlist should be going. Party suicide is constantly stopping and starting to change CD’s/Tracks. If you are stumped there are many users on Youtube, who provide party playlists that last for many hours. This should take the strain off you.
• Tone – From the plates and tableware that you choose, to the music you play. The host sets the tone for the whole evening. If you are uptight and quiet, everyone else will be too. There is nothing wrong with having a nice big drink to get you in the mood before everyone else arrives. Also, remember to start conversations but don’t hog them. Allow them to flow freely, and stoke them if they are dying down.
• Food – Go with something that you know. Do not choose to cook something that you have never made before. You will spend the majority of your evening, dashing between the kitchen and your guests trying to get your bearings. Cook something that you are comfortable cooking, and that you know will turn out great. There is nothing wrong with choosing something that can be partly prepared the morning or day before the party. In fact, it would be highly recommended to save you time and stress. Remember this is your party too and although you are hosting it, you also want to enjoy it too.
• Do it right – If you are trying to have a formal party, do it properly. Get out the best china. Use the silverware and iron the tablecloths and napkins. Invitations must be written out formally using a nice pen and paper set. Do not invite your guests using a text, and specify to them the dress code. Another great tip is to limit your guests to either six or eight, too few guests and it will be dead, too many and you won’t get a word in edgeways – keep it intimate.
• Starter – A really simple, but incredibly useful tip is to choose something for your first course than can be served on platters. This gives you valuable time to converse with your guests, and also to prepare the next course that will no doubt require a lot more prep.
• Main – Keep your main course simple, prepare in advance and add a mystery ingredient, it will get your guests chatting trying to discover what it is.
• Desert – If you have the time, try and prepare multiple desserts. Everyone eats different amounts of food, and a rich and stodgy desert may be too much for some of your guests. Pick something light, such as poached pears on brioche and something a bit more hearty like a tart. These would look great plated on slate plates.

How often do you host at home?