I rarely throw parties. Why? I love my friends, but so much work goes into hosting a get-together, from the food and cocktails to the entertainment and decor. It’s not cheap, either. To successfully throw an amazing soiree, every detail matters. Plus, my standards are very high, since I work in the design world. Fortunately, with an abundance of spring and summer festivities on the horizon, HGTV.com has created the go-to party planning guide for hosting casual get-togethers, dinner parties, bridal showers and more (without the cost and headaches!). Here are a few of my favorite ideas to get you started.
Welcome guests by creating simple yet eye-catching place settings and DIY centerpieces that coordinate with the theme of your dinner party:
Serve up fabulous (and easy-to-make) pre-dinner cocktails. (For non-alcoholic gatherings, these virgin drinks are delicious and stunning.)
Don’t stress over the main course. These dinner party ideas and recipes are especially mouth-watering and can be whipped up a few hours before the big get-together. (Trying to figure out the right wine to go with the food? This wine pairing guide makes it easy to find the perfect accompaniment.)
Who doesn’t love a warm-weather, spring-inspired brunch? Host an outdoor garden buffet one afternoon with these entertaining ideas and recipes:
Host a vibrant and sophisticated bridal or baby shower with 11 ideas for creating DIY invites, place settings and tasty goodies:
We’ve got kids’ parties covered, too. (Why weren’t these creative minds around when I was a child? No offense, mom.) You’ll love these ideas for girls’ parties, boys’ parties along with fun DIY decorations and party favors.
Browse through HGTV.com’s Simple Party Planning guide for more party ideas and recipes.
I like the "egg cup for individual servings of salad dressing" idea in picture #3. For some incomprehensible reason I have a rather large collection of egg cups, so I'll have to try that the next time I serve salad at a dinner party!