The invitation
You can’t choose your family, but it’s a completely different matter when it comes to your friends. It’s best to choose a group of people who get on well. If there are a couple of people who clash, this can soon lead to a bad atmosphere. As such, you should find out beforehand who knows and likes each other. You want your dinner party to be a lovely evening, after all. Invitations should also be issued or sent out at least a week in advance to ensure that as many people as possible can come.
Choosing what to cook
Ideally, you should find out about your guests’ culinary preferences well before inviting them, as at the very least you need to know whether there will be any vegetarians present. It wouldn’t make much sense to prepare delectable T-bone steaks if two of your eight guests don’t eat meat. Food intolerances are also very important – not everyone can eat milk-based products or nuts, and raw fish isn’t to everyone's taste.
Decorating the table
Classic table decorations include flowers and candles in a wide variety of styles, sizes and colours. It’s easy to find something a bit unusual or decoration on a low budget. Exercise your craft skills, and you can conjure up whole themed displays on the table. The important thing is to pay a little attention to the overall look, as well as the dishes and glasses. Just simple sprigs of rosemary and cloth napkins could do the trick.
