Hosting the Ultimate Summer Dinner Party:
Now that summer is in full swing, and our long warm days are followed by beautiful balmy nights, it is the perfect time to host an alfresco summer party. Here are our top tips on making the most of this beautiful weather, so gather your nearest and dearest and party until the sun sets:
Speakeasy Gin Glasses from Co-Ordination Event Hire
Welcome your guests with a drink
A dinner party is the perfect time to show of your cocktail skills, so why not welcome your guests with a glass of something special? Whether you opt for the traditional Fruit Cup or something a little more out of the ordinary – Elderflower Gin Fizz anyone? – Put a little effort of making your welcome drink look beautiful. Our Speakeasy Gin Glasses are the perfect way to present a summer drink.
Choose your food style
Think carefully about what style of dining you want to go for. Do you want a formal three course meal? Or would you prefer to get your guests mingling with sharing platters or a carve-at-the-table roast? You might not even want to seat your guests, but instead have canapes and a grazing table.
Serve your food in style
A tablescape is far more than just a way to serve your food… Think of your dinner party as a form of theatre, and the table is your stage. Beautiful linen, plates, glasses and silverware all help to set the scene for your evening, and will enhance the atmosphere you wish to create. Do you want to go Italian Bistro style with dark natural woods and rustic crockery, or light and airy with pinks and peaches?
A Summer Table
Dessert or a Cheese Board?
Ending a meal with something sweet isn’t everybody’s style, so why not mix it up and present your guests with a dessert/cheese buffet table? That way people can take what they like and leave what they don’t.
It’s also a great way of ending your meal in a more relaxed fashion… You may even find that the grazing goes on until late into the night.
Keeping warm into the evening
It can get a little chilly when the sun goes down, so don’t forget to make your guests comfortable if they are staying late. A few blankets and a warm drink after dinner always go down well.
Why not put out a few fire pits for your guests to lounge by after dinner (we wouldn’t say no to a few toasted marshmallows either!)
The Doggy Bag
It’s better to have too much food than too little, so if you end up with a lot of leftovers at the end of the evening, send your guests home with a doggy bag. Otherwise, you have a great lunch waiting for you in the fridge the next day… Win win!
