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The very first dinner party I ever really did was when Greg and I had only been married for a few years and we were living in Michigan. At the time we lived in a small two bedroom townhouse that had THE smallest kitchen ever! Off the kitchen was a small dining room that could fit a small table and about 6 people.
One day I decided I wanted to do a fondue party and invite 3 other couples. I pushed the limits of that tiny dining room and kitchen and somehow squeezed us all in. I lined the ceiling with Christmas lights and had votives on the table. I had gobs of food, sparkling apple cider in plenty, and french music playing in the background. We were scrunched in, but cozy and warm. We had a wonderful evening. So wonderful in fact that all of us agreed to do it again a few weeks later, with everyone pitching in on the food the second time around.
What is my point in telling you about this evening? It is this, "You cannot let the limits of your situation dictate your ability to entertain." We will often think that we don't have enough room, enough money, enough time, or enough talent to welcome others into our home or social circle. Nothing is farther from the truth. You can always entertain no matter what your situation is, you just might have to be a little creative.
Let's break down each of the limitations I've just listed and help you think about what you can do to overcome them.
Space
I would guess that the majority of us feel we don't have enough room to entertain as opposed to too much room. In reality, both can be a hindrance to entertaining. If you have a small space you clearly can't invite 50+ people over. But can you invite 2, 4, 6? No matter how small the number you may feel, you can always have someone. Don't be afraid to get cozy. Cozy is good and it forces people to interact and bond. Don't be afraid to snug people close. It is a good thing.
No matter what size you have, you want people to feel close and intimate. That is really much easier to do when space is small and can be a challenge if there is larger space. If you are blessed with a huge entertaining area, you can still work at making it feel small by setting up several smaller tables or confining the party to only certain rooms.
Money
You don't have to serve people filet mignon or lobster tails to make it a good meal. Find a few recipes that pack a lot into them and are good for feeding groups. Also, don't be afraid to have people contribute food themselves. Almost everyone is more than willing to bring something for dinner. It cuts down on the dishes you have to do as well. So it's a double win!
As far as decor goes, get creative. Your house has something you can use to decorate that won't break the bank. Your yard and the great outdoors does too. I am a huge fan of using things from nature to help you decorate. They are fun and they are free!! If you do have a little money to spend, focus on staples that will get you through many dinner parties. I would suggest focusing on votives, table clothes, and dishes (I'm doing a whole post a on dishes one day this week so there will be more tips then).
Time
Having people over does take time and you do need to allow time to plan things out if you want to have it be successful. But just like with anything else, the more you do it, the less time it will actually take you because you will know what you are doing and will be able to figure things out quickly. You can also do the exact same dinner party over and over and over again but just with different people. You may get board of it, but it will be fresh and new to each group that graces your home. By doing it this way, you will be a pro by the 3rd or 4th time and putting it together will take no time at all.
Talent
This all goes back to what I wrote on Friday last week. If you missed it, go HERE to get an idea of what I'm saying. You do have talent for entertaining, you just need to find your own style and own it. If you are being you, it will all workout. Remember, talents increase as we use them more and practice more. Every entertaining opportunity should be looked at as practice for the next one. We all have to start somewhere. There will be disasters and ones that just don't go quite the way you were envisioning, but if you are willing to let it help you get better, your likelihood of success will only grow with time. Pretty soon you'll be able to decorate for someone's wedding!! I NEVER could have done the wedding I did in the spring this year had I not done several smaller dinner parties over the years proceeding up to it. Everything we do builds on itself!
I hope these small tips have helped you feel less intimidated to host a party at your house. I'd love to hear about them. Anything else you'd like to know about entertaining? I'm going to be posting on it all week so please let me know and I will do my best to answer your questions!
Happiest of Mondays!
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