HOW TO HOST A DINNER PARTY WITHOUT A FORMAL DINING SPACE

Considering that socially distant at home dinner parties are one of the only socially acceptable events I am certainly not letting my apartment living prevent me from having people over. Like most people, our apartment doesn’t have a dining area. At first, I was really sad that we couldn’t have large dinner parties. Now I’ve figured out different ways to host a more casual dinner party in our apartment. Sure it’s not as formal as I would like, but it definitely does the trick!

HAVE MULTIPLE DIFFERENT SEATING OPTIONS

As you know I’m a huge fan of throw pillows. I’m an even bigger fan of using them as floor cushions! We are pretty lucky in that we have two sofas in our living room. If someone doesn’t want to sit on the sofa we also have two bar stool settings, but those are definitely more removed from the seating grouping. If our guests are OK with it, instead of having them sit at these bar stools, I’ll bring out some larger throw pillows and invite them to sit on the floor - super casual!

This option keeps things super casual, and helps make sure that the seating layout stays in a central layout.

USE YOUR COFFEE TABLE AS A DINING TABLE

This is my favorite trick because it helps the guests know where the dinner will be held. It’s the worst when people feel like it’s a standing room only kind of party. I want people to feel comfortable eating on the sofa. So, I always make sure to have the coffee table sort of set up in a dining table situation. If it’s a smaller dinner party I’ll go ahead and set up a full place setting like I did here. If it’s a larger party I’ll make sure to have all the napkins, glassware, silverware, and a center piece laid out on the coffee table

HAVE A DRINK STATION NEAR-BY

This is a huge must when hosting a party. I always have a drink or beverage station situated near-by the seating group to make sure that I’m not having to run around the house playing server the whole party! We do have a bar cart that we’ve set up near by before. In this set up we just used our small laptop table to hold the wine and water. This way the drinks are always near by and guests feel like they can just fill up themselves! This also helps keep your guests out of the kitchen.

ENCOURAGE THE USE OF PLASTIC PLATES & GLASSES

Since we’re all sitting on the floor, sofa, or standing up there is always a risk of spilling your plate or glass. This is where plastic cups and plates come into play. I’m not talking about the cheap-o ones you get at party city. I’ve found some great re-usable plastic glasses and plates that are perfect for parties like these! They are still really presentable, but I don’t have to stress about any china or glass breaking in the middle of a party!