With International Friendship Day right around the corner, we’ve put together a 7-step guide to planning a dinner party for the ages. Show your friends how much they mean to you and earn some brownie points along the way.

International Friendship Day was introduced in 2011 by the United Nations to promote understanding, solidarity and a global commitment to Diversity and Inclusion. It serves as a lovely reminder of all the feelings of comfort and happiness that friendships bring.

Just like the inspiration for International Friendship Day, fethr is all about Diversity and Inclusion. Sharing food, which is often seen as being an important foundation of identity and belonging, is a great way to connect with one another.

Here are seven tips and tricks to help you plan a fun and memorable evening.

Step 1. Settle on a date and theme

First things first, verify dates with your friends to avoid clashes. Fridays and Saturdays work best as it’ll be less likely to clash with busy work schedules.

A themed dinner party can be a fun way to tie every aspect of the night together and get your friends dressing up. Our favourite themes include: casino night, murder mystery, a decade dinner party (I’m partial to the 70’s). Go wild.

Step 2. Plan the itinerary

Next, think about how your evening will flow. You might want to start off with some chilled music, cocktails and hors d’oeuvres (a fancy way of saying smaller savory dishes or appetizers). Then move on to dinner, dessert and party games.

Step 3. Plan your meals strategically (make sure you’re fully stocked in the drink department – seriously!)

Unsurprisingly, one of the most make-or-break parts of the planning process is deciding on your menu. Work out what you’ll be preparing ahead of time,ensuring you have all the ingredients and cooking utensils necessary and that different dietary needs are being catered to.

Below is an example of a menu containing a variety of boujie yet manageable meal ideas:

Appetisers

1. Hummus is a classic. It goes with everything ( fresh vegetables, crackers, ANYTHING) and is so tasty it can be eaten on its own with a spoon. Hot tip: pair the hummus with guacamole. (Every foodie knows that hummus and guacamole is a match made in heaven.)
2. Cheese and charcuterie boards are a safe bet. Create a board containing moreish treats: an assortment of meats, cheeses, artisan breads, olives, fruit, and nuts – easy, simple and delicious.

Pre-dinner, serve cocktails such as: gin & tonic, martini, or better yet create a signature drink of your own.

Main Course

1. Chicken is easy, versatile, relatively cheap and forms the basis of most comfort meals – just make sure to season well and dress it up. Try out this Sheet Pan Citrus Glazed Chicken from Delish.
2. For the non-meat-eaters, these easy vegan tacos are just begging to be made.

Drinks-wise, you can serve champagne (great to start off), red wine (ideal for meat dishes) or white wine (recommended for fish). Juice and soft drinks for those less alcoholically inclined.

Dessert

End the meal with this decadent, gluten-free chocolate cake from The Loopy Whisk. Pro tip: pair it with vanilla ice-cream (thank me later).

Step 4. Postprandial Game ideas

Leave an hour or two after your meal to play party games and have a laugh. Fun game ideas include: Charades, Heads Up, Uno and possibly even Monopoly (if your friend group shares a bond so strong that nothing can break it).

Step 5. Send out your invites

Either create a Facebook Event which will make it easier to update attendees about changes or things they should know. Or go extra fancy and use invitation card maker apps for that personalized touch (we like Canva).

Step 6. Decorate the space

Also remember to buy decorations, especially if it’s a themed dinner party. Even if it’s not themed, decorations can be as simple as getting some candles that smell like a Pumpkin Spice Latte or chucking some flowers in a funky vase from your local charity shop.

Step 7. Enjoy and don’t stress!

Lastly, remember to enjoy the process, play around with some of these ideas and don’t stress!

Research has shown that social eating is the most popular way to bring people together as it increases social bonding and feelings of well-being and comfort. Put in the preparations to make it meaningful and memorable, but also don’t be afraid to just let the night take you where it will.

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