If you live in a small apartment, you might be hesitant about inviting guests over for dinner. However, there are times when it becomes mandatory for you to invite people over for a meal. Now, the invites have been sent out, and the date is set. What are your concerns? Are you wondering how you will set up a dinner table for eight when your table can barely accommodate six?
Well, leave all your concerns outside the door since we are here to help you organise a dinner party in a small space to accommodate your guests.
Plan in Advance
Many people are huge fans of impromptu actions. Yes, while that may be true, it is best to not test your luck while organising a dinner party in your home. Therefore, get to work and plan the seating and menu well in advance. Make sure you have enough platters to serve the food, and your oven is working right for that baked delicacy you want to serve. Recheck all the essentials a few days before the dinner. Note down all the tasks that must be done before the party.
Prepare Your Kitchen
Browse through your kitchen one or two days before the dinner party. Explore the ingredients and list what needs to be bought and what’s already there. Ideally, if you are choosing a menu comprising several dishes, then it is best to clear out counter, oven or stove space for the pots and pans you’ll need to cook your feast.
You can also take a look at our tips to keep your kitchen clean and sparkling.
Rearrange Your Interior
Yes, you want your guests to see your home at its best, but while organising a dinner party, space can be the biggest concern. For that, you will need to move things around. The best way to go about it is to clear some space in the centre of your living room for your table. Push your sofas and couches against the wall. Your coffee table can be placed against a wall too.
You can also do a few small upgrades to breathe new life into your space.
Reduce the Clutter
When you’re planning to maximise space, it is best to get rid of small decorative things, rugs, ottomans and other furniture pieces. Keep the things you think your guests might need. This doesn’t mean giving things away for good. Just move unnecessary stuff to your bedroom or storeroom until the day after the party, and set them up again.
If you are worried about your space looking like a mess, please follow our guide on how to declutter your home in a weekend or less.
Set Up Your Dining Table
Don’t have a dining table that’s big enough to accommodate your guests? Well, you don’t need one. All you essentially need is waist high surfaces for makeshift dining tables. Set up as many places as you can on your table and then arrange a smaller setup beside it on end tables or even your coffee table. If the other tables are the same height as your dining table, you can line them all up together and put them under one large tablecloth to create a larger serving area.
For more inspiration, please feel free to check out our guide on how to style your dining table for a party.
Gather Your Chairs
Whether you were able to extend your dining table or not, you are still going to need chairs to seat your guests, even if it is a close fit on a small table. For this, just grab every chair, stool or ottoman you have in the house and set them around the table. With large dinner parties hosted in small spaces, it is all about finding a space to sit down for a meal, regardless of the type of seating arrangement you’re offering. Mix and match a variety of seating options and let your guests pick their own comfort.
Determine Your Menu
When you are cooking for a large group of people, try to come up with a menu where you can cook things in larger batches in one go. If you are serving Pakistani cuisine, biryani, nihari, haleem and a number of other dishes can be prepared to serve multiple people at a time. Continental options you can try are lasagne, roast beef, and pizzas.
Consider Your Serving Style
While setting up a table with food and sitting around it for the meal might be preferred, it might not be feasible if your table is small and can barely hold your dinner plates. In this case, you need to consider what serving style would be most convenient for the party.
One option is to set up a small buffet table on the side, as seen at weddings and other significant events. If getting up from the table will be a hassle every time, consider removing the table altogether and just place chairs all around the room for people to take a seat after they’ve taken the food from the buffet.
Want to have a meal around the table but don’t have serving space? Opt for vertical serving. Tiered serving trays can hold a variety of dishes while taking up minimum space. They also add to the aesthetical appeal of your table or countertop.
Serve Drinks and Snacks on a Serving Trolley
If you are running out of space on your dining table, serve your snacks and drinks on a mobile serving trolley. Multi-tiered trolleys can make it easier and more convenient to serve multiple dishes on different levels. If a trolley is unavailable, use your countertop or the top of a small cabinet as a serving space.
Make the Clean-up Easy
Having a large party over for dinner in a small space means washing a lot of dishes, pots, trays, glasses, and silverware. While you can always hire help to get you through the task of cleaning up after the party, one alternative is to use disposable plates, glasses, and cutlery for the party. This way, the only things you need to wash are your serving platters and your pots. The rest of the used disposable dinnerware can be trashed. Remember to keep a large trash bag handy for this purpose.
Don’t let the lack of space stop you from being an amazing host. Use the tips and tricks above to organise things for your dinner party and enjoy the evening to the fullest.
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