Supper clubs may seem like something out of bygone era, but they are not! Today I am sharing how to start a supper club and details of our Valentine themed supper club we hosted last weekend.
We have been in a couples supper club for seven or so years. Many of the wives were originally in a play group together with our oldest children so it was a natural transgression to move our social gatherings to adults only (and invite our husbands!) when our children stated attending school full-time.
Our supper club has evolved over the years, but what I love about it is that it prompts my homebody nature to be more social and gives my husband a chance to see more male friends. And as a young mom and wife, it gave me practice on entertaining at home – and a reason to use my wedding gifts!
How to start supper club:
1. Choose the members.
Since you are starting the supper club, you get to pick! Not everyone has to be best friends (it’s actually interesting to be with people you don’t necessarily see all the time!). But I recommend that everyone know at least one other person besides the host or host couple. Invite more than makes you comfortable because not everyone will be able to come every time. I think a good number for starting out would be 12 people.
We have grown to 20 people (10 couples) in our supper club, but generally only half can come each time, making for a new and fun dynamic with every gathering. The good thing about having a lot of people in your supper club is that you don’t have to host very often. But be prepared to have two tables set up if everyone RSVPs yes!
2. Set a schedule.
Before you invite people, set a tentative schedule to give members an idea of the commitment. Our supper club meets about every 6-8 weeks and not during the summer. Saturday nights have worked for best for our group. The organizer sets the dates in the fall and sends out via email so everyone can put on their calendars.
3. Determine the rules.
Decide things like whether the dinners will be potluck or will the hosts provide the meal? Will you have themes or will it be more low key?
Our supper club is not pot luck. The host couple determines what they want to serve. It could be something fancy like beef tenderloin for Christmas or something casual like take-out friend chicken on a casual summer evening. Each couple brings $30 to help offset the costs as well as whatever alcohol they want to drink that evening.
We don’t do themes unless the host couple plans it. The Christmas Supper Club is generally more festive although one year I hosted a tacky sweater supper club. Another time we hosted at an upscale local bowling alley because we had just moved. This past week I hosted a Valentine’s themed dinner and served lasagna and played music from the Italian Cooking Club Spotify playlist. Easy, but fun!
4. Send out an invitation (email is fine) with rules and tentative dates!
Set the tone for your supper club in the first email. Remember, supper clubs shouldn’t be stuffy or stressful, but fun!
Are you in a supper club? Tell me how yours is organized in the comments section below! People love reading your ideas!
Sources:
Tablecloth | Placement | Silver Place Setting | Candlesticks | Clear Bud Vases | Dining Chairs
Antique Linen Napkins | Stemless Wine Glasses | Pink Ribbon | Chinoiserie Bud Vases
Chinoiserie Planter | Tiramsiu from Carlo’s Bakery Dallas
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I love reading how other group’s supper clubs work! We have 15 couples and get together 6x/year. We started having 3-4 couples host each gathering since we have so many people, and then everyone BYOB. It is a lot of people to host for, but not bad when you have 3 people to plan it with!
That sounds like a fine idea! Thanks for sharing!
What do you do with your kids during Supper club?
Good question! We don’t start until 7:30 so usually the hosts’ younger children are asleep. Some couples will hire a sitter or send their children to grandparents.