I hope that you had a lovely Thanksgiving with your family and friends. Now that the holidays are approaching the dinner gathering is not over. It has just begun! I wanted to take the month of December and share a series about hosting dinner parties! I personally love hosting dinner parties inside and outside the home. I believe that hosting a dinner party is another way to connect with others to create lasting memories.

When you are hosting a dinner party there are many components that go into the final outcome. During my Holiday Series blog posts, I will introduce you to different experts, from food bloggers to event planners that will share their expertise, tips, and ideas to help you create an impressive party! 

There's a level of comfort when you sit down with others and share a meal. It brings laughter, cheers, and great conversation in a festive setting. Whether you are having a group of friends over or sitting down with extended family members for dinner the overall setting is important. I am starting off the series by sharing some questions that you should ask yourself before planning.

What is the Purpose? This may be a basic and strange question but I believe that knowing the purpose behind throwing your party will eliminate some stress and pressure. Is it to share your love and appreciation for your closest friends? Is it to show off your cooking skills to your family members? Is it to have a fun holiday dinner with your girlfriends? Or it may be to say thank you to your staff for their hard work all year. Determining the purpose will dictate the formality, agenda, and planning of your party.

What's the Budget?  Yes, the "B" word. Just like starting a design project, before planning your dinner party you have to first decide how much you want to spend. This will determine decisions like, if you hire a caterer vs. preparing the food yourself, hosting at home vs. renting an event space or inviting 20 guests vs. inviting 10 guests. Once you determine your budget then you can start planning the scale of party you can host.

Who Are You Inviting? Hosting a dinner party for the holidays can mean a large or small guest list. This goes back to your purpose. If you just want to throw an intimate dinner with loved ones then creating a guest list of your closest friends and family members is a great place to start. 

There are a lot more questions you can ask yourself before planning but I know you will find answers from my Holiday Series' Interviews. I hope you enjoy the series and please share pictures of your beautiful dinner parties on my facebook page! 

Stay connected to my blog for the upcoming interviews!!!

À la prochaine,

P.S. Is there a question you have regarding dinner parties that you would like answered? Send me over an email at sabine@georgettemarise.com and I'll make sure it's answered in the series.