You may entertain your guests in various forms, but the most popular methods are as followed:
■Banquet
A banquet is a large public dinner or feast, which includes main courses and desserts. It usually serves a purpose, such as a charitable gathering, a celebration, or a ceremony, often preceded or followed by speeches in honor of someone. According to its purposes, banquet includes business banquet, conference banquet, holiday banquet, welcome banquet, farewell banquet, wedding banquet, etc. According to its formality, banquet covers state banquet, formal dinner, informal dinner, family dinner.
State dinner is a dinner or banquet paid by a government and hosted by a head of state in her/his official residence in order to renew and celebrate diplomatic ties between the host country and the country of a foreign head of state or head of government who was issued an invitation. In many countries throughout the world, there are many different rules governed by protocol. State dinners often include but are not restricted to black tie or white tie dress, military honor guards, a four or five course dinner, musical entertainment, dancing, and speeches made on behalf of the head of state hosting the state dinner as well as the foreign head of state.
Formal dinner: The formal dinner doesn’t begin until seven o’clock; the time normally is eight or eight-thirty. To be late is very discourteous for a guest. You should arrive at least five minutes before the hour set for the dinner. Telephone the hostess and explain the reason to her if you can not arrive on time for some unavoidable reason. If it has been impossible for you to notify her and she has started the meal after having waited the required fifteen minutes after the hour set, go to her, offer apologies, and take your seat at the table as quickly as possible. The tardy guest begins with the course that is then being served.
Informal dinner parties are easy to plan, and you don’t require the same rigid set of rules that you need to follow for formal dinner parties. Informal dinners can be planned in much less time and don’t need to give your guests as much notice as with a formal dinner. It is also appropriate to just call your guests or even send them an email invitation, although you can mail invitations.