The Art of the Last-Minute Dinner Party
A minute-by-minute guide to hosting on the fly.
There are certain celebrations—a 40th birthday, baby showers, a wedding—that should be planned well in advance. But a free Friday night? (A rare, celebration-worthy event during the holidays.) For that, a dinner party can be planned in 10 hours or less—and mostly from your desk. The key? Not overreaching. Here, our editor-tested timeline for throwing an impromptu party with panache.
9:00 a.m.
Make your guest list and keep it relatively small (we find eight is usually the magic number). Next, spread the word with a straightforward text or call—evites will only delay headcount.
10:30 a.m.
Call in a favor to your favorite stylist and book a blowout during your lunch break.
1:00 p.m.
Scope out the takeout scene. Look to fare that can easily be re-plated, and a restaurant with a history of on-time delivery. Once you’ve finalized your menu, time your order to match your commute home—you’ll want it hitting your doorstep about 20 minutes before guests arrive.
2:00 p.m.
With your dinner menu finalized, hop on your phone and delegate the rest. To guests who offered to bring a dish, suggest sweets. As for alcohol, stick to wine (three bottles for every four guests) or a simple three-ingredient cocktail, and then have it delivered with an app like Drizly, Buttery, or Klink. Limited iPhone storage? Odds are your local liquor store will run your order over.
3:30 p.m.
Pop out of the office for a quick afternoon coffee (with a fun night ahead, you could use the caffeine fix) and pop in that quaint deli around the corner for cheese, preserves, and olives while you’re out.
5:00 p.m.
On the commute home, make a pit stop at your local supermarket or bodega for flowers. Fresh-cut hydrangeas are always a safe bet, but even a mixed bouquet will do—just cut the stems short and group them by color in a short, wide-mouthed vase.
5:30 p.m.
Arrange your flowers and set the table family-style with—this is important—your good china. It'll give your takeout a thoughtful, elevated feel.
6:00 p.m.
Give your place a quick once-over starting with your entryway: shoes, umbrellas, and other clutter should be moved to an upstairs closet. In the bathroom, wipe down the sink and toilet, and put out a fresh hand towel. Remember: this is just a top cleaning—no need to fret about the rooms and surfaces guests won’t see. When you’re done, light a few candles and head upstairs to freshen up.
6:45 p.m.
Tip the delivery guy, then re-plate your takeout with the exception of hot dishes; those should be kept warm in the oven until guests arrive. Lastly, set out your cheese and preserves, take a deep breath, and wait for guests to arrive.
