How far in advance should a dinner party be planned? It really depends on the person's organization and what you are trying to serve. I can meet with a client a month in advance and actually start working on the menu.
How far in advance you plan a dinner party depends on several factors. Are you a very organized person? Is it a small party or a large party? Are you going to have the party at your home or do you need to find a different location? Are you going to have a theme that you and your guests will have to make special arrangements for?
Brian Hay, a chef and culinary instructor at Austin Community College and a sommelier who also teaches for the International Sommelier Guild, says, "It really depends on the person's organization and what you are going to serve. I can meet with a client a month in advance and actually start working on the menu. I will practically be doing something with the party every other day and be thinking of the organizational steps that need to get done. When I get to the day of the party, it all runs like clockwork. I always tell people that cooking is 90% organization and 10% execution. So, 90% of the time is spent figuring out what you want to do and 10% of the time is actually spent doing it."
All of these factors will influence how far in advance you will need to start your planning. The more organized you are, the less time you will need, as long as you will have the time to actually work on putting the party together.
The time of year is also going to be a factor. Don't expect to put together a last minute party the weekend before Christmas and have all of your invited guests be able to attend. June is also another very busy month because of weddings and graduations. Any other time of the year associated with holidays should be avoided, unless you plan it way in advance and know that your guests will be committed to coming.
If you are holding your dinner at a banquet hall or some other facility you need to rent, this may also affect the amount of advanced planning time you need. Some facilities fill up rapidly and can be booked years in advance for certain times of the year.
For parties that will be held in your home, you need to make sure you have a back up plan for anything that does go wrong.
Hay says, "You have to have a complete list of everything that is needed, so you make sure that you don't forget anything. My philosophy is that when thinking of dinner parties, I always ask myself 'What could go wrong and how do I correct it? If I burn the bread what am I going to do? If I forget something, what am I going to do?' You have to have backup plans for everything."
It's important to remember that even though you may be able to pull off planning a party in a short amount of time, it doesn't mean everyone else involved will be able to do the same.
People will need advance notice in order to save the date and not make other plans. Depending on your event they may need to buy certain outfits or have alterations made or even reserve a tuxedo. For themed parties that require guests to dress in a more unusual manner, they will need time to get their outfit together.
Courtesy requires sending your guests an invitation thirty days before the event. With some events you may want to give them even more notice. Christmas party and wedding invitations should be sent out six weeks in advance of the event to ensure your guests will have ample time to prepare themselves and to ensure they don't already have other plans on that day.
