How to Plan a Dinner Party Timeline
Your Step-by-Step Guide to Hosting with Ease This Holiday Season!
So, you’ve decided to host a dinner party. Amazing! 🎉
Whether it’s Friendsgiving, a cozy fall dinner, or a holiday celebration, hosting at home can be one of the most meaningful things you do this season.
But… where do you start?
Here’s your step-by-step Dinner Party Planning Timeline, designed to make hosting simple, enjoyable, and stress-free (especially when you have a personal chef from Chefpost by your side).
🥂 Step 1: How Do I Start Planning a Dinner Party?
Start with the basics, the foundation of every successful gathering:
Pick your date. Choose a day that gives you at least four or three weeks to plan. Chefs fill up fast during hosting season.
Decide your guest list. Six for an intimate dinner? Twelve for a festive night? Maybe a family-style set-up for a larger party? The number of guests will help you define the menu, setup, and vibe.
Once you have your date and guest list, you’re ready for the most important part.
👩🍳 Step 2: When Should I Book My Personal Chef?
Now. Seriously.
This is the busiest time of year, everyone is booking for Friendsgiving, holidays, birthdays, and cozy winter gatherings.
Here’s why you should book your chef first:
Chefs get booked weeks in advance during the holidays.
At chefpost, you can book now and pay later so you can secure your chef for the minimum guests and confirm final headcount a week before the day of.
You can search by cuisine, budget, chef, or availability to find your perfect match.
Not sure who to choose? Our Chefpost Concierge can hand-select chefs and menus based on your preferences, dietary needs, and style.
Once your chef is booked, you can relax knowing the most important piece of the night, the food, is covered.
🍽️ Step 3: What’s the Ideal Dinner Party Timeline?
Here’s a simple timeline you can follow to stay on track:
3–4 weeks before:
Pick your date and guest list.
Decide style: plated dinner, casual family-style or appetizers
Book you chef at chefpost, browse by cuisine and find the best menu for you
2 weeks before:
Create a vision moodboard of your party
Choose your dinnerware and table décor.
Send invitations to your guests.
1 week before:
Confirm final headcount.
Buy, rent or coordinate the table decor
Plan final details, like flowers, drinks and playlist.
Day before:
Set up your table and prep small details.
Relax and Enjoy! Your chef has everything under control.
✨ Hosting Doesn’t Have to Be Stressful
You don’t need to do it all and you’re not alone. Hosting can feel like a lot, cooking, serving, cleaning, planning.
But remember:
Hosting is about connection, not perfection.
With Chefpost, your chef takes care of the cooking, serving, and cleanup, so you can actually be present.
Plus, you have your Personal Concierge at chefpost who can help you coordinate all the details, like the rentals, the tableware and server or bartender. Let us help you plan, cook, and create a beautiful experience that feels effortless, so you can focus on enjoying the people you love.
📅 Let’s Start here:
Pick your date.
Decide your guest list.
Book your chef at www.chefpost.com
That’s it, your dinner party planning has officially begun!
💌 Want help planning your dinner party?
Connect with your Chefpost Concierge for complimentary party coordination. Book, Relax and Enjoy this Holiday Season!
Coming Next in This Series:
How to Create a Mood Board for Your Dinner Party
Holiday Dinner Party ideas
How to Style Your Table Like a Pro (Without Overspending)
How to Host a Friendsgiving That Feels Effortless
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