If you are planning to host a dinner party for your loved ones, you don't have to worry about minute details. If say, you're throwing a party for important guests or visitors from another country, then you'll have to keep certain things in mind like, cuisine preference, seating arrangements, and the like. The thought of hosting a dinner party can throw anyone into a state of panic, but there are ways around the most common of problems. If you're tired of hosting fancy parties or never hosted one to begin with, these easy dinner party ideas should be of plenty of help. Email Invite/E-Invite Gone are the days when one received a well-written invitation in a beautiful card; technology has replaced the need for us to pen an invitation, with emailing and sending e-invites in the picture. If you're throwing a big party, an invitation card may seem appropriate, but sending an email or e-invite will suffice. You'll be saving a lot of money (and time) if you opt for the latter. Decorations Making the decorations yourself is a great alternative to buying them in bulk; have close friends or family help out over the weekend, two weeks prior to the party. You can acquire the materials you need from the closest arts-and-crafts store, and look for inspiration online from websites like Pinterest. Food and Drinks Plan your menu at least two weeks before the party. Buy all the ingredients that you'll need at least 2-3 days before the party, if you plan to cook the food yourself. Always prepare a little extra grub for parties, for fear of running out of food midway; this includes drinks and packaged snacks. For guests who'll be drinking, keep a stock of alcohol that they are likely to drink, like wine, beer, and scotch. You can always ask guests in advance if you'd like, to save yourself the trouble of buying something guests don't drink. If you wish to go through a caterer instead, give them the outlined menu at least a week in advance, but check if they're available a month prior to the party. A smarter away to go about this, is to arrange for a potluck. This way everyone gets to bring a dish to the party of something they're good at making, providing guests with a variety of food to dig into. It would also save time and money. Music You can always hire a DJ for a big party, or better yet, a good band. But if you have a good music system, why not just compile your own playlist for the party? Choose soothing genres like jazz or the blues, or even the classics of the '80s. Parking If you're throwing a party in your backyard, be sure to provide adequate parking space for guests at a different location. You can mention the location where guests can park at, by including the details in the invitation itself. A little far off from the house is usually better, so that neighbors aren't bothered by an overcrowded parking space.