HOSTING A DINNER: TIMELINE

One of my favorite things to do is host a dinner at my home. It's a great time to ask questions and create lasting friendships. Some of my dearest friendships have been made over the dinner table.  At first, planning these get-togethers took a lot of time and planning. However, over the years I've created an easily replicated routine. I've compiled some questions people have asked me about hosting. I hope you find some or all of them helpful as you plan to host your next dinner.

QUESTION: IS THERE ANY IDEAL TIMELINE THAT YOU TRY TO ADHERE TO?
Whenever I'm hosting an event at my house I typically think through two different timelines:

Preparation Timeline
The goal with the preparation timeline is to be ready when your guests arrive so you are able to welcome them and provide undivided attention. To help achieve this goal, it's necessary to meal plan and determine the amount of time it will take to cook, clean, prepare any activities, conversation starters, get ready, light candles etc. For example, if I had guests arriving at 6:00PM on Friday evening, I would try to do my meal planning early on in the week (we typically grocery shop on Wednesdays). When planning, I'd try to pick a meal that would easily fit within the timeframe I had to prepare. Once I pick my meal, I know a specific amount of time I will need to prepare and cook the meal.

When it comes to cleaning, it's best to not spend your entire day cleaning your house. It's easy to lose valuable time while cleaning. In order to minimize cleaning time, I try keeping things as maintained as possible, that way I only need to spend 30-45 minutes going a quick run through of the house to make sure everything is in its right place.

Another practice which will ensure a successful dinner is making sure that you have an appetizer ready and put out for when guests arrive. Additionally, I try to allow enough time to have the meal finished and placed either in the oven to keep warm or in the fridge to keep cool.

Visting Timeline
The main goal in hosting well is allowing yourself the opportunity to be in conversation and enjoy time with your guest as much as possible - while minimizing things that would distract from time with your guests.

I usually plan 45 minutes for the guest to "arrive." This allows them to be greeted and have appetizers. During this time, once they feel comfortable and settled in, you can go pull your prepared food out and place it on the table. Once on the table, welcome your guest to join you for dinner in the dining room. I find it helpful to create place settings so you have a balanced conversation. Something to keep in mind is whether or not you have the help of your spouse during this hosting event. Without help, I would suggest serving salad and main course at the same time, so you don’t have to leave the table. The more you leave the more awkward it can be for your guests. I typically allow an hour for the main meal.

I've found it helpful to relocate rooms if a room gets too messy (instead of spending time cleaning at that moment) to feel comfortable or enjoyable. For example, when you are finished with your meal in the dining room, you can relocate to the living room for games.

Find times during the course of the dinner to "touch base" with your guest and see how they're doing. Make sure you are respecting their timeline (they may have an early morning). A good way to do this is to mention you have dessert, game, movies, etc. and see how they respond. If they need to leave soon, serve dessert with conversation. If not, begin activity and serve dessert halfway through. Easy enough. :) 

At this point, you can put your children to bed (depending on age) while the other spouse entertains.  I'd suggest the more outgoing spouse stay with the guest to keep the conversation going. It's also helpful at this time to take any dishes into the kitchen scraping and placing the dishes near the sink. Don't take the time to wash them at this point, save it for later.

What are some timelines that have worked for you? 

|  Credits: Author and Photography - Jacintha Payne  |