{"id":177333,"date":"2025-06-27T22:31:54","date_gmt":"2025-06-27T22:31:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2025\/06\/27\/how-to-break-the-ice-not-the-vibe-at-your-next-dinner-party\/"},"modified":"2025-06-27T22:31:54","modified_gmt":"2025-06-27T22:31:54","slug":"how-to-break-the-ice-not-the-vibe-at-your-next-dinner-party","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2025\/06\/27\/how-to-break-the-ice-not-the-vibe-at-your-next-dinner-party\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Break the Ice, Not the Vibe at Your Next Dinner Party"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Welcome to Come On Over, a Food52 newsletter about hosting life\u2019s big and little moments. It\u2019s where we share our personal tips and tricks, from modern-day etiquette\u2014shoes off or shoes on?\u2014to making extra seating out of every surface of an apartment. This week, Kelly\u2019s breaking the ice.<\/em><\/p>\n

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There\u2019s nothing I love more than introducing one group of friends to another, especially when I know they\u2019re going to get along swimmingly. But walking into a room full of unfamiliar faces can be awkward, even in the friendliest setting. And when you\u2019re the one bringing everyone together, it\u2019s on you to smooth that tension. So I gathered a few go-to tricks from the Food52 team.<\/p>\n

1. No Interrogation Lamps<\/h2>\n

Think about it: Harsh overhead lighting only makes those early awkward moments feel even more intense. Alexis says to ditch the formal sit-down dinner so people can move around and mingle naturally. Keep food and drinks easy to grab, and soften the lighting wherever you can. As she puts it: \u201cThe number one thing to improve a space\u2026 dimmers.\u201d<\/p>\n

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2. Music, The Great Communicator<\/h2>\n

Jillian notes that making sure there\u2019s upbeat music is important to making people feel comfortable\u2014no mournful tunes, please and thanks. Take it a step further and have music videos playing on the TV. Nothing brings people closer than bonding over Panic! at the Disco.<\/p>\n

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3. Intentional Intros<\/h2>\n

It might sound obvious, but it\u2019s often so obvious that hosts forget. As guests arrive, Alex reminds hosts to be intentional about introducing people to one another. \u201cShare how you know each other and maybe even throw in a detail about what they might have in common. Hosting means more than just organizing a pretty party!\u201d<\/p>\n

4. Game the System<\/h2>\n

The fastest way to get people vibing is to get them gaming. Start with something classic like two truths and a lie. And Jackbox party games are another way to include a ton of people at once. It\u2019s low effort, high payoff, and everyone can join in right from their phones.<\/p>\n

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5. Bring the Chatterbox<\/h2>\n

Got a friend who\u2019s never met an awkward silence? Make sure they\u2019re at the top of the guest list\u2014and have them arrive a little early. If you\u2019re doing assigned seating, put them smack in the middle to help bridge groups. As Julia puts it (\u00e0 la Curb Your Enthusiasm), your \u201cmiddler\u201d should be the strongest conversationalist with the best stories to tell.<\/p>\n

6. Be Prepared<\/h2>\n

As the host, be ready to jump in and smooth over any lulls with a tailored conversation starter. If you already know what your guests have in common\u2014great. If not, throw out one of these: celebrity encounters or their Kevin Bacon number from Beyonc\u00e9, their most cancellable food take, or how they\u2019d describe themselves as a charcuterie board ingredient.<\/p>\n

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\nWhat are your best tips for breaking the ice around a dinner table?<\/em>
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Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Welcome to Come On Over, a Food52 newsletter about hosting life\u2019s big and little moments. It\u2019s where we share our personal tips and tricks, from modern-day etiquette\u2014shoes off or shoes on?\u2014to making extra seating out of every surface of an apartment. This week, Kelly\u2019s breaking the ice. There\u2019s nothing I love more than introducing one […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":177334,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-177333","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-food"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/177333","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=177333"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/177333\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/177334"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=177333"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=177333"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=177333"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}