Everything You Need To Throw an Unforgettable Dinner Party

There’s a certain level of artistry when it comes to hosting a successful holiday dinner party: There’s a curated menu, place settings, a sense of order and theatricality. The combined experience of gathering around a table during this special time of year with a group of people you’ve deemed sufferable (beloved, even!), sipping wine, and telling stories, is bound to create cherished holiday memories. Some would even call it magic.

So how do you go about cultivating the sort of witchcraft that is a perfectly rendered dinner party in your own home? Well, the easy answer is: supplies. Ahead, shop our favorite dinner party essentials from Target to help you (or your dinner party-throwing friend) stock your space with all the appropriate barware, table accoutrements, and serving dishes required to cultivate the ideal ambiance (all that’s left is just food…and friends). 

Step one: Get toasted

“Ten-in-one” is exactly the kind of phrase we like to hear when we’re prepping for a dinner party. And this contraption from CRUXGG—which is small enough to store conveniently on the kitchen counter—meets all your basic needs: It’s an air-fryer, a convection oven, a toaster oven, a broiler, and more. Plus, it’ll fit a whopping 6 slices of bread or a 12-inch pizza, so it’s an excellent choice when cooking for the masses. 

Some fun and card games

There’s only so much you can do to steer a dinner party conversation—unless, of course, you demand that guests play a verbal game like this one. With three separate tiers of questions designed to allow you to deepen your existing relationships and create new ones, it’s the perfect way to help spark dinner party rapport. 

 A classy table runner to show you’re classy

When you need to take your tablescape from “everyday” to “holiday,” there’s no simpler quick fix than a table runner. This gray, textured strip of fabric will add some extra pop to your gorgeous place settings without requiring any serious (i.e. labor-intensive) updates. 

A cold-as-ice bucket

Nobody wants to be schlepping back and forth from the fridge to the kitchen mid-meal. So be sure you can keep white or sparkling wines table-accessible with a chic, understated ice bucket like this one—without missing out on key talking points. 

Go Nuts

Everyone knows that hor d'oeuvres are the absolute best part of a dinner party. So top off a classic cheese-and-cracker situation with a little bit of sweet/salty crunch in the form of a divided nut trio. It’s precisely the little detail that’ll take your snack spread from good to unforgettable. 

Stemware, do care

Drinking is already fun. But if you plan on going the cocktail route (in lieu of a more classic wine-forward situation), and you want to make things even more fun, we highly suggest a glamorous set of coupe glasses like these. 

Chairman of the (cheese) board

You can’t just be serving those nuts right from the tin, you heathen! Obviously, you’ve got to arrange your goods (meats, cheeses, nuts, jams, berries, you know the drill) across a chic cheese board. Or else, what’s the point?

A solid foundation

Mood lighting. It’s important. And candles are the most surefire way to help you achieve it. Naturally, you can’t have candles without candle holders. And especially if you’ve gone with statement candles, you’ll want to be sure you’ve chosen something that’ll let them shine (see what we did there?).  

The stone to pull it off

As far as centerpieces go, you’ll surely want something spectacular to bring the table together. So whether you go big and flashy with flowers or understated with a batched cocktail and some chic glasses, a stoneware pitcher like this one will make for a perfect center to your tablescape.