How To Design A Dream Dinner Party, According To The Experts
From setting the scene with personalized invitations to surprising guests with intriguing floral displays, pulling together an enchanting celebratory occasion is a skill in itself. Here, a leading calligrapher, chef and florist share their secrets to hosting a special event. By KATIE BERRINGTON
The calligrapher: Laura Gillingham, Embellishing the Ordinary founder
“Invitations really set the scene for a celebration. Seeing a beautiful, personalized invite sitting on the mantlepiece really helps to build the excitement. Guests can then start planning their outfit and accessories for the event.
“Think about your tablescape – how subtle do you want the placements to be? Or how impactful? You [probably] want them to match but not to be too twee or obsessed with a theme. I scribed for a wedding in Provence and instead of the usual lavender or sunflowers illustrations, the bride wanted tropical vibes with palm trees and pineapples. It’s not what you would have expected but it really worked with the giant banana leaves against the countryside backdrop. It also added a real sense of fun to the wedding.
“Personalized menus are popular and they look impressive, too. Menus are also a good conversation starter with your dinner-party neighbor. Once, for a party in Ibiza that I was scribing for, I received a collage of the party girl’s favorite items as part of the brief. It was a real explosion of color, so I created this rainbow-effect menu with brush lettering, and the guests had a variety of ombréd placements.
“Classic calligraphy is stunning – a real art form. As an artist, I have combined expressivity with my handwriting using the traditional techniques of calligraphy and using a dip pen and ink. Someone once likened my style to a fly fisher casting their line, which is a nice metaphor, I think.”
The chef: Tim Siadatan, Trullo and Padella co- founder
“Plan the menu well in advance – at least a few weeks before your event. Like Christmas shopping, if you leave it to the last minute you end up running around like a headless chicken. Think about it all beforehand. I always get started on the prep at least a few days in advance, so on the day you’re not having to do everything at the same time. If you’re cooking, plan menus that aren’t too complicated or, if they are, ideally make sure the complicated bits can be done before, rather than in the moment. There’s nothing worse than having that pressure on the day.
“The menu needs to depend on the crowd, so you have got to know your audience. I always find it fun when I’m putting dinner parties together to try to get a group of people who are likeminded when it comes to the food, so you can do something more adventurous. Also think seasonally in terms of produce and whether you want to eat inside or outside, because that will dictate the menu. Even in the winter, if it’s a cold, crisp, sunny day, it can be nice to get outside for drinks or nibbles. Or, if you have the right space, get guests to wrap up and have the whole meal outdoors, like you would in the mountains.
“For something a bit different, I set up my pasta roller for when guests arrive. I do the laborious work, but people always want to get involved. Give them an apron and a negroni and get them rolling the ravioli for dinner – it always goes down a treat.”
The florist: Katie Smyth, Worm co-founder
“Flowers feel meaningful – they have been used for centuries as a way of marking a special event, and the environment you create is so important. If guests see something beautiful and thoughtful, even if it is a simple vase of flowers, they immediately feel a little more looked after. Having something visual as a focal point is also a conversation starter; it helps people to remember the overall experience. We live in a world in which many of us are very removed from nature, so bringing it into your event grounds a space and the people in it, [which is why] we like to use seasonal flowers as much as possible.
“We try to create displays that feel a little unexpected or surprising. We love using materials that are seen as ordinary or ugly and showing them in a beautiful way, too. When creating events, we want to understand what the event is truly about so the flowers can be used to bring everything together.
“Moving towards a simple style is really fresh right now. Rather than grand displays, [showcasing] a big vase championing one flower feels very interesting to us at the moment. Focus more on how you are arranging this single type of flower rather than having lots of different flowers mixed together, too. Choosing one seasonal flower and arranging simply can become a talking point in itself.”