How to squeeze your large dinner party into a small space.
Despite unpopular opinion, my living room is separated from my kitchen-diner.
The majority of my street (nope, I won’t tell you how I found out) have knocked through and joined the rooms together: perfect for entertaining a large dinner party.
However, while this may be great for entertaining, most evenings when its just me and my husband, there is nothing better then shutting the door to the living room and having an uber-cosy space.
Read more: the best white dinner sets
But what about when we want to host a dinner party; where do we put everyone?
Here are some things I’ve found useful when it comes to hosting a large dinner party in a small space:
Clean away clutter
Clearing as much space as you can makes the room feel calmer and prevents your possessions getting accidentally broken or knocked over.
Be clever about the menu
The less courses you serve, the easier it will be – maybe you can forget the starter? Sharing platters also work well for hosting a large party in a small space.
Serve finger food
A buffet is a very easy way to host a party for a lot of people, especially in a small space. You can push the dining table up to the wall and squeeze in some extra chairs or floor cushions. There’s also more space for standing.
Add extra seating and tables
Utilise any furniture you can – even decorating tables or your garden furniture with a tablecloth over the top look great.
Keep the tablescape simple
I love a tablescape as much as the next gal, but when you’ve got a lot of people to fit into a small space the less on the table the better.
Have a designated area or room for coats and bags
This is pretty self explanatory, but if you can get them in another room out the way then you’re winning.
Use the garden if the weather allows
Having a space people can move to before or after dinner is very handy when you have to host in a small space.
Get a takeaway
If you can outsource some of the cooking or even ask guests to bring a dish then this will free up space in your kitchen.
How do you host a lot of people in a small house?
Prepare different areas
When there are a lot of people in a small space, people like to move around and break off into other rooms, prepare for this so you don’t get caught out on the day.
Label drinks glasses
Asking guests to label their glasses will prevent surface becoming littered with empties.
How do you host a large dinner party?
- Plan! Hosting for a lot of people is all about being prepared.
- Keep things as simple as you can – serving a one pot meals is always nice and easy.
- Make sure there is enough food and drink for everyone or ask everyone to BYOB.
- Create a nice atmosphere and ambiance with mood lighting, background music.
- Have fun.
How many people is too many people for a dinner party?
6-12 people is a good number for a dinner party.
What time should a dinner party start?
Dinner parties usually start at 7pm with food ready for 8pm. Let your guests know what time food will be served so they can plan ahead or have appetisers ready for when people arrive.
Need a party outfit? Find it here.
How do you seat 22 people for dinner?
As a rule of thumb, four 8-foot tables combined will seat 22 people comfortably for dinner.
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