Good to Know: Hosting Tips and Guest Etiquette

Good to Know

Nov 12

The holiday season is upon us. It’s always a very exciting yet stressful time of the year - especially this year with supply chain issues. To help ease some stress, we put together our best hosting tips and tricks as well as some guest etiquette if you’re not hosting any dinners this year. If you haven’t checked out our Holiday Entertaining Essentials Good to Know yet, read that here.

Hosting Tips

This first bit of advice might be obvious but it’s crucial: prep as much as you can beforehand - make the salad dressings days before, chop the veggies, make and freeze the pie dough, set the table the week of, etc.
Speaking of cooking, it’s best to stay away from a completely new recipe in case it is a flop. Try a tried and true dish or one recommended from someone you trust.
Have a place for your guests to store their bags, coats, shoes, etc. and offer to take them when they arrive.
If you have dimmers, dim the lights, turn on lamps and light a few candles to create a nice, inviting ambiance.
Always make sure your guest bathroom is clean and stocked with soap and hand towels - better yet, light a candle in here too or add some fresh flowers or greens.
Create or find a dinner party playlist (Spotify has some great ones) that can be quietly played in the background to avoid any awkward silences.
Prep yourself with some conversation starters or you could have question cards out on the table. For anyone with older kids, have them prep a few questions to ask your guests so they can feel part of the event.
Make any introductions to guests who might not know each other.
It’s helpful to have seating options or a gathering place around your home that encourage conversations before or after dinner, other than the dining table.
Don’t start cleaning up right after dinner. This often sends the message to your guests you want them out. Also, don’t expect your guests to help do the dishes either.

Guest Etiquette

If you’ve been invited to a holiday dinner, it goes without saying but confirm that you’ll be attending as well as anyone else you’re bringing with you so there are no surprises.
A good guest never shows up empty-handed. Even if your host says they’ve got everything covered - coming with a small gift goes a long way (see below for our recommended host and hostess gifts). We like to stock up on these giftable items to have them on hand to make it extra easy.
Be mindful of the time - arrive when you’re expected and never show up early. There’s nothing worse than rushing your host before they are ready. If you’re going to be a little late, be sure to let your host know so they can plan accordingly.
Prep yourself with conversation starters, interesting stories to tell, genuine questions to ask, etc.
If no introductions were made, ask for names and introduce yourself to the other guests around you as soon as possible. This will help everyone feel comfortable and eager to get to know each other better.
Stay long enough to enjoy conversations and don’t jump up to do dishes. Your host spent time setting the table and getting the house ready so, enjoy the space they created and enjoy being in their company. Decide if it is a setting to offer to help with dishes or not: a more formal setting is probably not an appropriate time to do dishes.
Take social queues to know when it is time to wrap up and go home.
After the dinner, a thoughtful note (hand written or a text) thanking your host for having you is always appreciated.