Dinner parties need be neither exhausting nor daunting. The key to successful, stress-free entertaining is all in the planning and preparation.

If you’re relaxed and ready to welcome your guests, then your good mood will set the tone for the entire evening. Friends will be buoyed by your good humor and feel at ease in your company, allowing for an enjoyable evening all round. Your menu choice and meal preparation is only part of the battle.  Rushing around at the eleventh hour, laying the table and hunting for linen isn’t conducive to a calm and welcoming environment.

It’s often the littlest details that have the biggest impact. Clean table linen is a given but it’s also important to iron your tablecloth and napkins. Don’t spoil the effect of a pristine table with mismatched crockery.