Creating a Timetable to Host a Casual Dinner Party
Great Planning Leads to Great Parties
The key to hosting a successful dinner party lies in the planning. These simple planning steps can help make your next party easy to plan and enjoy.
Step 1 -- Get Ready
You will be making lists of all the tasks you'll need to accomplish before the party, phone calls you'll need to make, items you'll need to purchase. Once you have created these lists, you will need to put due dates for accomplishing these tasks on your calendar.
Step 2 -- Make Your Lists
Cleaning -- Make a list of every cleaning job you will want to have finished before your party. This could be as simple as dusting, vacuuming, and cleaning the powder room, or more involved such as ironing a table cloth and napkins.
Decorating -- Your decorations may be as simple as a lovely centerpiece that you make or purchase along with a few extra flower arrangements to scatter around your home. On the other hand, your party decorations may be more elaborate. If you decide to have a themed party, you may need to move or cover your furniture to match your theme; get party goods in the colors you need; or buy candles to create a special effect. All of these details should be written down, and on a separate "phone" list write the names of stores you will need to call to order flowers or other supplies.
Food and Beverages -- Review your menu and recipes and make a list of all the things you will need to purchase. Make a separate shopping list for each store you will visit.
Online Purchasing -- Will you purchase any items online? Flowers, party supplies, gourmet food items, party favors? Make a separate list for these things.
Step 3 -- Set the Date
Look at the cleaning tasks you need to accomplish and write them on your calendar. Plan to do those tasks that can be done in advance, such as ironing, as soon as possible. Leave that ever important powder room cleaning until the last possible moment.
Place on your calendar each phone call you will need to make before the party, whether it's to order flowers or a special cake.
If you plan to use a caterer for your party, write down the first date you need to call the caterer to make plans, and then another date for follow-up prior to your party.
Write on your calendar the date you will need to shop at each store. Remember, you can shop for non-perishables and beverages weeks prior to your party, but a shopping trip will need to be scheduled only a day or two before your party for your fresh meats, bread, vegetables and other perishables.
Place on your calendar the dates you need to order any online items for delivery in time for your party.
Next, look at every recipe you plan to cook on your own, and write on your calendar when you plan to cook each one. Make sure these dates follow the dates you plan to shop for the ingredients!
The day of your party will usually be the busiest, so make a separate list for the tasks that must be attended to on that day. Review it carefully to make sure there's nothing that can't be done earlier. Once you've confirmed that these are the "must do" tasks for the party day, make a time schedule on this page with each task in order, with time scheduled next to it. Remember to include last minute decorating, table setting, cooking, and even music set-up on this list.
Final Tips
Overestimate the amount of time each task will take. Don't forget the cleanup required between the preparations for each dish.
As you schedule your cooking tasks, remember your appliance limitations. If you have many recipes that require using your oven, you'll have to make some in advance that can be reheated right before your party.
