Like I always say, there is nothing better than a good dinner party.
We all know the most delicious things in life—food, music, conversation—are worth a little extra effort, which is why the HerCampus SU team put their culinary and hostess skills to the test and treated ourselves to a little gathering of our own. But let’s be honest, as charming as holiday parties’ sound, it is often a daunting task to get the ball rolling.
To give you an honest look into the makings of a holiday get-together, I wanted to share with you a few “best practices” I found helpful when hosting our dinner, wonderfully outlined by a few of our favorite party planners.
“The party-perfect menu is one that makes for easier entertaining, freeing you up to enjoy the fruits of your labor.”
-Martha Stewart
It is easy for a hostess to get caught up in making everything “Pinterest perfect”, but what I found is that it is more important everyone finds his or her own happy place at the party rather than everything turning out right.
Here is our simple, but elegant dinner menu that still allowed me to mix & mingle during prep:
Brie appetizer with honey, fig, and pistachio glaze
Brussel sprouts with goat cheese and pomegranate
“Music is an extra ingredient that can spice up a dining experience.”
–Gwyneth Paltrow
Take a listen to our winter dinner party playlist
“What’s the easiest way to throw a fabulous dinner party? Provide the ingredients and get your guests to do the work.”
– Oprah
Preach! For the record, the table does not need to be set nor does dinner have to be served the moment your guests walk in. Have a plan, then get everyone involved the moment they walk in by delegating the remaining tasks you need completed. It gets everyone involved and removes the pressure from you!
As we enter into the holiday season we must remember it is simply about getting everyone together, in the same space, around the same table- everything else will always take care of itself.