Valentine Dinner Party for Twelve

Sometimes I think we are crazy but this past weekend, Mr. Delight and I decided to throw a one-day-to-plan dinner party for twelve of our skier friends.  Our work schedules are such that sometimes we just have to be spontaneous! Fortunately, we entertain quite often and work well as a team putting things together quickly. Our struggles are around fitting that many people into our dining room!

Mr. Delight has crafted a piece of plywood to put overtop of our dining table which allows for extra seating.

We borrowed some chairs from our church which though not very attractive, took up less room than the more formal ones.

My tablescape started with three of these hurricane shades I got at a local Pharmasave drug store.  I added the "cling-on" Valentine hearts I picked up at the Dollar Store.

Some red and white carnations in a square glass vase with pebbles were placed in between the hurricanes.

 I kept the table fairly simple (for me!) because there were so many place settings.

 I used my lily shaped bowls (Pier 1) for our soup course. Unfortunately, I only have 8 so had to use some other square ones for 4 other settings.

 A black tablecloth adds a bit of drama to the red and white.

 Yes, we are still dining in a "SNOW CAVE" as pictured below. Of course, our skier friends loved it!

 I even hung a few hearts in with the snowflakes from the chandelier.

 Each guest had a menu placed beside their bowl.We "pre-dish" up each guest's plate (like in a restaurant) so if there is something they would rather not have, they can say so.

Mr. Delight made the Beef & Veggie (& Prawn) Shish Kabobs and the Grilled Asparagus.

 I was so upset with myself as I wanted to get pics of the food FOR SURE THIS TIME as I always forget but again, in the panic of getting things to the table hot, I forgot again.  I did manage to get these of the desserts I made though.

 Cherry Cheesecake parfait and Chocolate Truffle cake with Strawberries served on a heart shaped plate.

The lights were dimmed, the wine was flowing, the laughs were plenty and a terrific evening ensued! After dinner, Mr. Delight cranked up the tunes and we all started dancing!  Now that's a fun Valentine party! So glad we made the effort to entertain! 
The most amazing thing to me was that Mr. Delight and I even fit in 2.5 hours of skiing that day prior to the dinner party! Now, that's teamwork!

I will be linking this post to the following fantastic blogs who host some fantastic parties. Be sure to check them out this week!

Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch

Show & Tell Friday at My Romantic Home

Seasonal Sunday at The Tablescaper