6 MH-Approved Tips To Level Up Your Next Dinner Party
It’s that time of year again… the season of entertaining is officially upon us, and being the hostesses that we are, we’re totally here for it! Though we may be well-seasoned when it comes to throwing a memorable dinner party, we know how very intimidating and overwhelming entertaining can be! Lucky for you we’re here to demystify some of that seemingly complex, aesthetic party goodness. We’ve compiled six tips to help you elevate any entertaining you may have ahead of you over the next few months.
No. 01 —
Your table need not be complicated to be beautiful.
As much as we love to go all out (as seen above), we take comfort in the serenity that comes with keeping things simple. Setting the table may seem as daunting a task as cooking the meal it will carry, but a table adorned with coordinated colors and a few candles will let your meal and guests do all the talking.
Here are a few simple & affordable picks for a clean tablescape:
No. 02 —
Never underestimate the power of paper and ink!
At the risk of sounding over-complicated and maybe a little “extra” we LOVE invitations and place cards… and we’re not afraid to say we don’t think they should be reserved solely for weddings! These wonderfully tactile elements are sure to up the elegance of your table with their typographic flair. Not to mention they’ll make your guests feel extra special too.
Note: If you’re not feeling super design-savvy or DIY at the moment, handwritten notes on decent stationery or even sketch paper will do the trick! There are also TONS of amazing Etsy vendors who produce wonderful bespoke invitations and place cards.
Here’s some Typographic/invitation inspiration to get you going:
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No. 03 —
Lighting is of the utmost importance.
We’ve talked you through the idea of creating “layers of lighting” on the blog in the past (link + link), but the same goes for lighting for a dinner party. We love to place tea lights and candles in glass hurricanes around our home and even outside of it to create a warm atmosphere as well as guide our guests.
Shop some of our favorites: tea lights, tapers, candle sticks + hurricanes.
No. 04 —
Some of the best things in life are free… and from your backyard.
Bring the outside in and consider styling your dining room or entertaining areas with fall foliage, and knotty branches, or if you’re game to spend a little money pick up some potted trees and fescue grasses (we love to do this because we can plant the beauties when the party’s over).
“Stick Man” may ring a bell to all of you from our social feeds as our Dad, Mark, is VERY into his architectural sticks. He’ll place them all around the house without a second thought. We tend to tame him in his decorating, but not when it comes to our Chef’s nights!
Here are some of our favorite “stick”/Dried floral moments:
We must admit we called in the pros over at @greenlionri to create this incredible dried floral crown — They’re talented folks so give them a call if your party is calling for something like this!!
Our Harbor Side Cottage got a broody furnishing makeover this summer featuring quite a few sticks as decor! If you missed it, check out the cottage’s debut in September’s MH Monthly.
We threw an fall-themed party for the launch of our Episode feature on Magnolia Network’s “Point of View: A Designer Profile” — If you haven’t seen the show, watch it here… Season 2, Episode 5!! ;)
No. 05 —
Themes are always a welcome idea.
As much as we love ourselves a smörgåsbord of food, we’d suggest picking a theme for the dishes you’ll be serving to create a cohesively and complementary flavored plate for your guests. This is particularly true if you’re doing a potluck style because guides will make it a tad bit easier for guests to know what to bring!
Here are a few fall recipes we’ve saved as of late :
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No. 06 —
A thing or two about cocktails… and don’t forget the water.
We love our mixology here at Moore House and will often call in our dear friend @littlebittecocktails to work her magic for our guests. She’s very talented and always whips up flavorous concoctions! Selecting a signature drink for the evening can set the mood and also makes shopping a bit more streamlined. Something we’ve learned through our years of entertaining is that with all the irons in the fire many hosts forget to have water accessible during their parties. We’re big fans of having either water carafes or dispensers aesthetically stocked with lemon, mint, or cucumber.
Note: Cranberries, pomegranates, and grapefruits work well for the more festive holiday occasions.
Here are a few libation station essentials:
We Hope You Enjoyed Our Tips & Shopping — Happy Hosting!
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