Summer Entertaining: Party Ideas & Tips

Summer months were made for relaxing days and unforgettable nights with your loved ones. What better way to celebrate warmer weather than hosting a festive gathering highlighted with delicious food, great conversations, and your closest friends. As the weather heats up, we want to share some tips and tricks to help you make the most out of your festivities.

Let’s begin with the pre-party planning. The secret to making sure you execute the perfect dinner party is to plan far in advance. Begin by choosing a date approximately 6-8 weeks ahead of time so your guests can make sure to mark their calendars.

Set the tone for your summer celebration with a pop of color on your invitation design. Don’t forget to include R.S.V.P details to get an idea of how much food and drink you’ll need. Asking guests to note any dietary restrictions or allergies can help avoid potential surprises during dinner.

Décor is an essential element for setting your desired party mood. A simple and clean-looking layout is helpful when it comes to conversations amongst different people. Ensuring you have enough dishes, glasses, and silverware for everyone attending is key. And, something as simple as folding napkins into a beautiful design is sure to impress your guests. One of our favorites is this classic, yet modern “Lily” fold here.

Award-winning chef and Bosch brand partner Curtis Stone recommends doing as much as you can the night before the party. Think of which elements you can do beforehand that will take the stress out of hosting, such as preparing decorations and setting the table. There might even be a few food items that can be made in advance, like this caramel sauce recipe from chef Curtis Stone, which can be made up to three days before becoming a sweet treat at the end of your dinner party.

Setting your table correctly may seem like a daunting task at first, but it’s easier than you think. For example, the cutlery for the first course is placed outermost and every course works inwards towards the plate. This beginner-friendly guide on the proper way to set a table can help you prepare a beautiful table for any summer occasion.

Once guests arrive, dim the lights and start the music! Setting up a self-serve refreshment station is an easy way to reduce the workload.

Hosting dinner parties is always a memorable experience and cleaning up afterwards can be fun and easy with the Bosch 800 Series Dishwasher with Home Connect™. The dishwasher includes the MyWay rack, perfect for larger utensils and bowls, and an adjustable RackMatic™ feature that allows you to adjust the racks and customize the dishwasher set up. With PrecisionWash™, you’ll never need to worry about washing your dishes before washing them. The PrecisionWash™ intelligent sensors continually scan and check the progress of dishes throughout the cycle, and powerful, precision spray arms go to work targeting every item of every load. Simply push the start button and let the dishwasher do the work. Additionally, the Home Connect™ smart technology lets you remotely monitor the status of your dishes from your smartphone, so you can spend more time enjoying the sunset with the ones you love, with the peace of mind that the dishes are getting cleaned.

Whether it’s an intimate dinner party, or a backyard BBQ, these tips can help you have just as much fun hosting your event as the guests will attending. Here’s to an unforgettable summer!