Getting Ready Three Weeks Before the Party
Sketch out a guest list. The most important part of any dinner party is the people who attend, and a progressive dinner party is no different! If you’re planning an evening for the people on your block, make sure you remember to invite everyone. If you’re simply aiming for a cozy evening with friends, try to pick folks who know each other or will mesh well. Consider the size of the homes you expect to host the party. Most houses can’t seat more than twelve comfortably, and many apartments are even smaller than that. Plan accordingly. If you want to throw a big party (maybe for the neighborhood or a large club), consider splitting the guests into teams of a manageable size (six to twelve). Then, pick hosts and plan parallel dinners for each team.
Choose your hosts. Most progressive dinners consist of three to four courses, with a host for each. When selecting your hosts, you may want to ask yourself different questions about them, including… ...are their homes of similar sizes? Will they all be able to accommodate your guests? ...are they reliable? You want hosts who will remember the party and put effort into their part. ...are they in walking distance of one another? Alternately, do they have enough parking spaces around their homes that guests could drive or carpool? ...are their houses ADA-accessible? If you have guests with mobility restrictions, it’s best to make sure they can get into the houses they visit. ...are they good at cooking anything in particular? If you have a friend who can bake homemade bread, or make famous spaghetti, this is their moment to shine!
Pick a theme. Themes can make figuring out the menu, music, and decorations much easier. Consider holiday themes (Friendsgiving or Talk Like a Pirate Day), international themes (Italian or Indian), or even historical or fictional themes (Game of Thrones or Valley of the Dolls).
Brainstorm the menu with your hosts. You don’t need to set it in stone at this point, but you should have an idea of things that work well together. Otherwise, you might end up with a cheese plate for an appetizer, pizza as a main course, and milkshakes for dessert instead of something more cohesive.
Fine-tune the timing. This is extremely important! A good estimate is one hour for each course, plus fifteen minutes travel time. This may be different if homes are very far apart, or if your friends are very talkative.
Think about drinks. You can instruct guests to bring their own if you're working on a budget. Alternately, if the hosts are up to it, they can offer a few bottles of wine each or something similar. Really, though, a progressive dinner is all about the food and the company--you don't have to get too intense with the booze.
Meet with your hosts to confirm. You’re all going to be working together to make this party a success, so it’s vital that everyone is on the same page and feeling comfortable! Meet in person if you can and discuss details.
Send out invitations to your guests. These can be paper invitations, a plain text email, or a link to an event-planning website like Event Brite or SignUpGenius--just make sure all the information is there in writing, so your guests have something to refer back to! Include the times and addresses for each host's house, request an RSVP, and inquire about dietary limitations.
Plan ahead for dietary limitations. You want every guest to be full and happy at the end of the party, so make sure everyone has something to eat! If anyone has a physical or religious restriction, there are plenty of resources to help you work around it.
Getting Set the Week Before the Party
Follow up with guests who haven’t responded yet. You want an accurate count of guests, especially for the host who's handling the main course. You also want to make sure guests know what they’re in for in terms of traveling and timing. A simple phone call or text works best for this. Say something like "Hi, this is Sarah, the progressive dinner its happening on Sunday at 7 and I would really love to see you there! Let me know if you can come."
If necessary, facilitate a carpool. Get in touch with any guests who have a long way to travel or mobility restrictions and help them choose a vehicle and designated driver.
Follow up with the hosts, too. Once you’ve got a headcount on the guests, be sure each host knows the final number and is still prepared to host their part of the meal. It’s super-important to make the hosts feel included and appreciated. They are your collaborators, and they deserve support. Confirm that each home has appropriate seating for the number of guests attending. Having a few folding chairs on hand is a good idea. Ask hosts if they need help with nonperishable items, like dishes, ice, decorations, and playlists. Consider making a collaborative playlist on Spotify, Google Music, or Apple Music. You can make this for the hosts only, or open it up for guests to edit as well. After the party, it can be really nice to revisit this playlist as a reminder of good times.
Try a test run between the houses. At the approximate time of day when the party is set to start, practice walking or driving in between the hosts’ homes. Be aware of traffic, lighting, and other safety issues, so you’re set to advise your guests if there’s sidewalk repair happening on a dark block.
Going the Day of the Party
Check in with the hosts again. Ask if they’re still up to hosting, and make sure they’re all set! It’s not a bad idea to budget time for a grocery run or other errands.
Make sure your phone is charged. If any guests get lost or confused, you’re probably going to be the person they reach out to, so be ready! Double-check to make sure you have all of your hosts’s numbers at the ready, too.
Arrive at the first home a few minutes early. Make sure you’re prepared to shuffle your guests along so they’re on time for each stop. Check in with the hosts one more time, and get ready to enjoy the party! If you can find sneaky ways to clean up along the way, like clearing the dishes, go ahead. Don’t go too far out of your way, though--you’re there to enjoy yourself. It might go without saying, but don’t get so drunk you can’t direct people if need be!
Make yourself available to the hosts the day after. Help them clean up, and consider getting each a small present (like flowers or wine) to say thank you. If you’re all feeling up to it, you can hang out and snack on leftover cheese.
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