Easy Casual Dinner Party Ideas: 6 Must-Know Tips

Looking for some ideas to take the stress out of planning a dinner party? Here are 6 tips for planning a casual dinner party that guarantee you will have as much fun as your guests. Planning a casual dinner party is easy and fun if you follow these six must-know tips.

The thoughts of planning, cooking, and entertaining everyone can be daunting. We love entertaining with our family and friends here at the Ponds, and here are some of the things I’ve learned that help me relax and enjoy the party.

(Posts on The Ponds Farmhouse may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. See the full disclosure details here.)

1 – Location For Casual Dining

The first tip is to decide where you want to host your party. Will it be inside or outside? This will determine how many people you can invite.

We enjoy entertaining around our outdoor kitchen, which features a large area for tables, a fire pit, and an outdoor bar. We recently added string lighting and couldn’t wait to see how it worked. You can see more about the lighting here.

Alfresco dining should be casual and relaxed. The food is prepared on the grill, and the evening ends with everyone bundled around the fire pit.

If you are planning an indoor party, you can set up food in various areas of your home to keep guests moving around. Or, you may plan a casual sit-down meal. Either plan works well as long as you keep everything stress-free.

2 – Set the Date

The second tip is to set a date that will work with your location. If you are planning your casual dinner party to be held inside, the date isn’t nearly as important.

However, an outdoor event requires a little thought. We decided to have a Welcome to Fall dinner party because we knew the temperatures would be somewhat cooler, and we wanted our guests to be comfortable.

When planning an outdoor dinner party, you need a plan B.

---

3 – Plan For The Unexpected

Unexpected weather conditions should be considered. Do you have adequate shelter in the event of a storm or a drop in temperatures? Can the party be moved inside?

The temperatures dropped more drastically than anticipated for our Welcome to Fall Dinner Party. Thankfully, some outdoor space heaters and a fire in the fire pit kept everyone comfortable.

Another consideration for an outdoor event is the possibility of rain. We had planned to move the tables to the porch for such an event. It’s better to be prepared ahead of time than to suddenly crowd everyone inside your home. Yikes!!!

4 – Guest List and Invites for a Casual Dinner Party

The third tip is to plan your guest list. Things to consider when planning your guest list will include your location and how many people it will accommodate. In addition, I like to make a list and keep a record of who I’ve invited and who plans to attend. For a small dinner party, this may be unnecessary, but I tend to forget who said they were coming and who declined. I may have a problem. LOL

5 – Casual Dinner Party Menu

The fourth tip for planning a casual dinner party is planning the menu. Several things should be considered during this process.

• Are there any food allergies among your guest list?
• Who’s going to prepare the food?
• What is the cost involved?
• How will the food be served?
• Are you providing all the food?
• Are you providing alcoholic beverages?

The bar area is set with wine glasses and a few extra bottles of wine. In addition, the outdoor refrigerator holds extra beverages just in case they are needed.

---

These are all decisions you need to work around.

Budget Friendly Menu

We like to choose a menu that is affordable and easy to prepare ahead of time. As you may know, my husband loves to cook and grill, so that responsibility usually falls on him. In addition, I’m in charge of making it look good.

If neither of you likes to cook, purchasing food from an outside source is another great idea. I’ve purchased from restaurants and from friends or neighbors who do like to cook. Don’t feel you have to do all the work yourself.

Because this was a casual party and the guest list included some of our best friends, we planned the main menu. Our guests brought appetizers and desserts, and they also provided their own alcoholic beverages.

Here is the appetizer table. I provided the plates and napkins, but the guests filled the table with their delicious choices. If you don’t have an outdoor sink, be sure to provide hand santizer at the tables.

Make Ahead Menu Suggestions

Here are a few of the make-ahead main dishes that we have had success with over the years.

• Brad’s famous shrimp and grits recipe began when we planned our daughter’s engagement party; he has perfected it over the years. You do need a heat source to keep the grits warm, but otherwise, this is a cheap and hearty main dish for a casual dinner party.
• Pull Pork Nacho’s Bar: Brad smokes the pork ahead of time. All the toppings are easily prepared before the event, and it’s easy to set up. Guests serve themselves and get to choose their favorite toppings. Please take a look at How To Set up A Pulled Pork Nacho Bar for more details. You can use Brad’s Dutch Oven Pulled Pork Recipe if you don’t want to smoke your pork. It’s easy and can also be made ahead of time.
• Heavy Hors d’oeuvres Dinner Party. This is the easiest party to arrange. Just have everyone bring an appetizer or dessert. Prepare a hearty dish and let your guests fill in with their choices. For one such party, I prepared a hearty Charcuterie Board with various meats, cheeses, bread, and crackers. All the items could be prepared well before the party started, allowing me to relax and enjoy my guests.

6 – Keep a Record of Your Dinner Parties

The last tip is to keep a notebook with all your party details so you don’t forget. When planning our annual Christmas Party, it’s so important to refer back to previous years. Who was invited, who declined, how many people attended, and what was the menu? These are all important things to remember, and quite honestly, without my notes, I’d be lost.

I like to keep a notebook with all the plans before and after the party. If a food item is a flop, I don’t want to include it on next year’s menu.

Our casual dinner party was a great success, and I feel our guests thought so as well. My husband and I were relaxed, and the food was great. The true mark of a successful party is when everyone has a great time, including the host and hostess.

Related Articles

• I used these Cheap Table Decor Ideas to decorate for this Welcome to Fall party.
• Hand-painted Table Runners
• DIY Outdoor Kitchen Before and After
• How To Plan Girlfriend Time

Resources

• Outdoor Tables and Chairs
• Outdoor Kitchen Supplies

Thanks so much for stopping by.