Tips for Planning a Dinner Party in Charleston

So, you want to be a modern-day Gatsby host huh? From design to catering, planning your own dinner party can feel a little overwhelming. What dinner party rentals should you order? Who should you invite? Do you have enough space in your home to fit table & chair rentals? 

There are a lot of questions that need to be answered. Allow us to guide you through the decision-making process, Gatsby (Wink)!

Plan it out

When planning your dinner party, a “Finished Product” view is imperative. Before you make any decisions about your budgets and the date you will be hosting, its important to consider the key aspects of your first dinner party. What kind of atmosphere do you want inside your home? Will the dinner be fancy, or shall your guest put their hair down? Is this going to be a large gathering within your home or an inmate evening with just your friends?

Once you have given the above topics some thought and agreed upon what you want out of your dinner party, it's time to begin looking at realistic details such as budgeting, guest list size, and Charleston dinner party rentals. 

Starting with a broad view and creating a shared vision with an event rental company surrounding your perfect dinner party is the foundation for planning every detail successfully. 

Below you will find some of CHEERS favorite tips and tricks you can follow to help you decide on your dinner party vision:

• Start collecting a concept for all aspects of the evening: from the themes to dress style and decorations to the food and beverage you will be serving.

• Will you need Table and Chair rentals or Bar & Lounge rentals? Collecting images on Instagram or Pinterest can be a great way to gather inspiration and keep track of your overall vision and selections.

• Will you need to hire a catering service? Being the cook and the host can be a lot. Think about how much work you can take off your plate by hiring a private chef!

• Don’t be afraid to seek outside help from your friends. Maybe stick with the ones you’re inviting, ha! 

Budget, Budget, Budget! 

Although we hate to be the folks in the room, budgeting is imperative to your evening. The last thing you want to do is look back on your dinner party and say to yourself “I spent too much and didn’t stay within the budget”. Allocating funds is the first step in the budgeting process.

Divvying the budget across different aspects of the evening, including catering, tabletop rentals, and other items needed for a successful dinner party is key. The average dinner party cost in 2022 was around $1,450, and if you want to come in under budget, it's essential to be mindful of what you are spending on various items and services.

This can be challenging as you don’t want to cut corners but also don’t want to spend a fortune on one evening. Remember that spending more doesn’t necessarily make an evening memorable! Sticking as close as possible within your budget is likely to make you feel better when it's all said and done! 

Guest Invitations 

An invitation lets your guests know that you’re planning something special for them, it also helps distinguish the difference between a regular dinner and a dinner party! Your invitation should reflect the aesthetics of your evening and the level of formality you wish to host.

If you’re picturing a formal dinner, send a handwritten invitation, they always go a long way. For a more casual dinner, don’t put too much work into it – you already have a lot going on. Shoot out a text or email depending on your friend’s age. 

Your invitation should include the time and date of your dinner party, the location address, the theme of the party - if you’re going in that direction, and any special dress code to be aware of if you’re planning something fancier. 

Choose Your Dinner Party Atmosphere 

In order to create the atmosphere you like for your evening, first think about the details of dinners you’ve been to where you enjoyed yourself, and then think about the type of evening you hope to put on. Will it be formal or relaxed? Calm or Rowdy? Will you go all out on a Retro Popcorn Machine Rental in Charleston, SC? Or will your concentration be more on tabletop designs? 

This is very much about who you are and what you want your guests to experience. Everything from the food and beverage you serve to the look of your plate rentals and flatware rentals. So be sure that you can describe the atmosphere you want, and then apply the above themes to all the different areas you wish to hit on

When Martha Stewart plans her dinner party she starts with the menu she will be serving! From there she decides on the atmosphere! No one is perfect at hosting a Charleston dinner party, but we think she may be onto something!

Set the Table, Cue the Music, Pour the Wine 

Think of your tablescape as more than just serving tools for food and drinks – it is the scenery for the movie you’re crafting, Gatsby! Your glassware rentals, and tabletop accessory rentals are visual cues to your guests. Traditional styles create a refined ambience; a colorful mix will create a more relaxed one. 

At dinner parties, getting the mood right is just as important as getting the food right. Sure, you could eat in silence and have a great conversation around a vintage cotton candy machine rental. But with good conversation comes a good vibe. So, curate some tunes to get the party going in a way that’s memorable! Our friends over at Bon Appetit have put together 6 perfect Dinner Party playlist that's sure to set the mood!

Although you hired a caterer for the evening, you will want to pick out a couple different wine options for your friends. We always recommend using CHEERS beautiful wine glass rentals; however, the liquid in the glass must also be a winner! But don't worry FOOD & WINE has put together a spectacular list of 10 ultimate wines for your dinner party! 

So, give it a look and pick one or all 10 – it's your party! 

After the Party’s Over

Instead of doing it all yourself, you hired an event rental  company for your top tier dinner party! So, turn up the music and don’t worry about the clean up! The beautiful thing about outsourcing your tabletop rentals, and table and chair rentals is that CHEERS will come and pick up everything whenever you ask! 

However, cork the extra wine & turn up the music!