Since sophomore year of high school in 2014, I have hosted an annual autumn dinner party. I was inspired by the TV drama “Desperate Housewives” and decided that it would be fun to host a fancy, classy four-course dinner party.
Hosting is a way for me to serve my friends and show them how much they mean to me. I just hosted and celebrated my sixth annual autumn dinner party, and I thought it was a success. I try to make the annual dinner party as fancy and extra as a broke college student can. Each year the menu and the guests are a little different. After four courses of appetizers, salad or soup, entree, and dessert, I plan games for the rest of the evening. Hosting dinner parties is so fun and can be executed very well and easily. When November rolls around, Harding students love to host friendsgiving. Here are some tricks to throw a memorable, fun friendsgiving:
Invite new friends you do not hang out with regularly but you want to get to know better or invite that person you always wanted to get to know, or even the silly, interesting person who will bring something fun to the table. The more interesting the people, the better the party.
Provide photo opportunities. Harding loves a good social media opportunity such as Instagram stories or Facebook posts, so make decorations to fit the feel of the event and encourage pictures.
Cook something new. Find a recipe for something you always wanted to try, because honestly they will not tell you they do not like it because they are your friends.
Potluck it. Have everyone bring a dish, and swap recipes. Or if you’d rather cook for everyone that is OK too.
Go homemade. Fancy and impressive food does not have to be expensive — homemade is cheaper and tastes better.
Beverages are key and provide a great photo opportunity. A great way to engage guests is to make sure they have a beverage in hand. I love to make interesting mixes with different sodas and juices. Pinterest and Google are your friends. If you want to be extra, fun glasses will do it.
Play games that will engage your guests. When you invite people you do not know, games are always a fun ice breaker. As the host, it’s your job to make sure guests are entertained and engaged in conversation.
Establish a dress code —It’s more fun when guests come dressed fancily or in cute fall looks. Let guests know about the dress code in advance so they will feel comfortable and ready to have fun!
Small details can take your friendsgiving from average to over the top. These could include sending invitations, providing a little gift or take-away treat, sending thank you letters, or setting the table extra cutely.
Friendsgiving takes place every year, but these tips will help make your party better than the average dinner party and take it to the next level.
