After my recent end-of-summer dinner party I realized there are a few actions I implemented to help uncomplicate the hosting experience. Here are my personal hosting dinner party tips:

Starting with the food, for a dinner party, I made it straightforward by having a minimum of three dishes, a protein, carb, and veggie plate. Having food for 8+ people can feel daunting but making sure you have something to eat for everyone is key.

One guest was a vegetarian, I recommend always having an extra side for them. It can be as simple as making chicken kabobs with grilled veggies on in and having some grilled veggies kabobs with halloumi cheese for vegetarians in the house. If someone is gluten-free they can eat the protein and veggies, and skip the carb.

Cleaning up dishes can be a drag, so before the party starts I recommend texting one of your guests and asking if they can help out. It cuts your cleanup time in half and makes all the cleanup less overwhelming. It would be a good idea to do the same thing with food prep if your dishes are complicated. If someone is asking what they can bring, and there is nothing ask them to offer up their time to either prep food or clean up.

During this dinner party, when someone asked what they could bring, I requested a dessert. Two of my friends made the most darling four-layer strawberry lemon cake. It was pretty over the top in the best way possible. Not saying you have to make such a grand cake but making the dessert versus buying something store-bought really completed the dinner party in the best way possible.

As someone who is always being asked what’s the dress code for any events, I suggest having a theme for your dinner party. Having a dress code makes it interactive for your guest and can be interpreted to fit everyone's style. For this dinner party, the dress code was flowy dresses but some people wore jeans and a nice top and everyone looks so nice! Having a dress code makes it feel like more of an occasion. You could even match the dress code with the types of dishes your serving, like having a tea party with sandwiches and pastries. Or having a West Anderson-themed party and trying to make dishes from his movies…it depends on how committed you want to be.

Hope some of these tips help you the next time you host an event!