Hold a Final Titanic Supper Dinner Party

Whether you're commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Titanic’s demise or you happen to be a Titanic-o-phile, holding a dignified, authentic Titanic dinner party is a great way to entertain friends and honor the memory of those who sailed and perished on that fateful ship.

Steps

  1. Dress up in period clothing. In order to make this dinner party authentic you’ll have most fun if you and your guests come dressed as the passengers who traveled on the ill-fated ship.
    • Investigate how the upper class and lower class dressed for the voyage. Upper class men wore tuxedos to dinner and women dined in long, silk dresses with puffed sleeves and lace inlays. Men could rent a Wear a Tux from a local tux shop and women could rent a period costume from a costume rental store or even purchase pieces at a vintage clothing store.
    • Role play from some of the folks listed on the manifesto. Public record shows not only who was on the ship, but also their age, where they came from and what they did for a living. Learn more about the individuals on the ship and assume their identity for the evening. You could assign the roles to guests as befits their age and interests.
    • Dress like the star-crossed lovers “Rose” and “Jack” from the film Titanic. While both are fictional characters, they are appealing to lovers of the popular James Cameron blockbuster. If you're hosting a party with a bunch of Titanic film buffs, consider playing “who am I”, and have guests try to guess which character you’ve transformed into.
  2. Copy the dining fare from that last evening. Follow the menu to a “t” by making some of the delicacies actually served on the Titanic.
    • Go for the entire seven to 14 course meal of select items that strike your fancy. Depending on how you attack this dinner party, you could either stick strictly to the menu, serving each and every course or select a few items you know your guests will enjoy. Some of the food choices are a bit old-fashioned nowadays, so you might want to finesse them a little or drop a few. Also, you might want to add in a vegetarian choice or two, depending on your guest's preferences.
    • Include an appetizer such as oysters or Make Stuffed Endives. Passed hors d'oeuvres were popular, so consider adding caviar and fine crackers or fresh shrimp and cocktail sauce.
    • The main course was extensive, so unless you can handle making numerous meats and vegetables in your kitchen, in the time you have available, you may want to select one main course and a few vegetables. Choose from lamb with mint sauce, squab, sirloin of beef, chateau potatoes, glazed Roast a Duck with applesauce, salmon and squab and asparagus.
    • Serve popular cocktails from the era. Punch Romaine was rumored to have been served on that final evening so tantalize your guests with a round of this enchanting spirit. Combine 6 cups crushed ice, 1 cup simple syrup, 2 cups Champagne or sparkling wine, 1 cup white wine, 1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice, 2 tablespoons lemon juice and slivered orange peel. Combine crushed ice, simple syrup, Champagne, white wine, orange juice and lemon juice in a blender and blend until well combined. Spoon the mixture into individual dessert cups, drizzle with rum and garnish with a sliver of orange peel.
    • Punch Romaine was considered to be a palate cleanser. A palate cleanser is something served to refresh the appetite between courses. Today, you could serve a small portion of sorbet instead.
    • The tenth course, or dessert course, served Waldorf Pudding, Peaches in Chartreuse Jelly, Chocolate and Vanilla Éclairs and French Ice Cream. You could also serve a small dessert such as crème brulé or a delicate serving of fresh berries and cream.
    • A full menu can be found in Gary Fisher's article The Last Dinner on the Titanic at: http://www.armchair.com/recipe/titanic1.html.
  3. Decorate the room with 1912 flair. Go for the authentic instead of the morbid by ditching any images of ships sinking and instead opting for classy 1912 cruise ship decor. The ship’s décor was a grand affair, which included numerous sparkling chandeliers, endless massive dining tables and the finest stamped china. Even if you're working within a small space, you too can recreate some of the Titanic’s magic that last evening.
    • Dress table in fine linen. Include well pressed napkins for each guest along with a handwritten place card. Use linens in rich satin and deep colors, which were popular during this period.
    • Add fresh flowers to the table. Consider lilies or classic roses to create a traditional, elegant arrangement.
    • Dig out your best fine bone china and Clean Silverware (Vinegar and Milk Method). Better yet, use your grandparent’s or parent’s fine bone china as it may be more representative of what was used on the Titanic.
    • Use the full dinnerware serving platters. Present your meal using the finest serving platters and dinnerware––treat this dinner as if you're serving royalty.
  4. Invite live musicians to fill the room with music that was played on the ship. Consider asking local musicians to dress the part of the famous eight man band and play some of the melodies performed while the ill-fated ship slowly began to sink. Documented songs include “Alexander’s Ragtime Band” and “In the Shadows.”
    • Seek student musicians from a local college. Not only could you get a break on the price, student musicians may be more game to play along with dressing up to match the period.
    • If you can’t afford or can't acquire live musicians, consider downloading music from a music website that was popular during 1912, in addition to the documented songs. Depending on your theme, you could purchase a copy of the soundtrack from the film, “Throw a Titanic Party” for background music.



Tips

  • Write an interesting fact about the ship and its passengers on the back of each guest’s place card. Guests can discuss facts during the dinner.
  • For the truly authentic Titanic dinner party, pick up a copy of “The Last Dinner on the Titanic” by Gary Fisher.

Warnings

  • Keep it classy and avoid being morbid. Respect and honor the tragedy in a dignified manner––one that would have made the passengers proud.

Things You'll Need

  • Suitable food
  • Silverware
  • Fine bone china
  • Elegant linen
  • Ship-like décor
  • Live music or downloaded music of the time

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Sources and Citations

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