Entertaining 101: Your Guide to 13 Stylish Hosting Essentials
Serve in style, flair, and grandeur!
Make the art of hosting a breeze when you have the right combo of hosting essentials. These items are a must whether you’re hosting a casual game night with friends or throwing a dinner party for the whole neighborhood. This guide covers a list of necessary items for elevating any celebration in your home. Keep reading or jump ahead to a desired section.
Stylish Hosting Essentials You Need:
These items will help you up your hosting game so you can focus on your guests and have fun!
1. Bar Carts
2. Dinnerware Sets
3. Staple Drinkware Sets
4. Wine & Cocktail Glasses
5. Drink Dispensers
6. Ice Buckets & Wine Chillers
7. Serveware
8. Cheese Boards
9. Appetizer & Dessert Plates
10. Cake & Tiered Dessert Stands
11. Cloth Napkins & Table Linens
12. Flatware Sets & Caddies
13. Candles & Candle Holders
1. Bar Carts
Bar carts look amazing and fulfill a variety of purposes, which earns them a spot on our list of hosting essentials. For one, bar carts relieve the need for an at-home bar area while allowing you to devote more sideboard or countertop space to food spreads. They usually have multiple shelves to display drink selections and glassware – or appetizers! They're also portable thanks to their wheel-style base. Just position the cart anywhere the party is and move it with ease as you transition from the dining room to the living space. Overall, these mobile bars offer total convenience and classic style in one.
Having something as simple as a complete dinnerware set can transform you into a prepared and well-equipped hostess. A dinnerware set includes everything you need to serve guests a multicourse meal with uniform style. Each set typically includes a dinner plate, salad plate, and soup bowl. Most dinnerware sets have a service of two, four, six, or more of each dinnerware item. For example, if a dinnerware set says "service for six", this means that there are six complete sets of dinner plates, salad plates, and soup bowls for six people to use. Whether you plan to have one go-to set for every hosting occasion or several styles for each holiday or themed event, a dinnerware set is vital for serving your delicacies in style.
Staple drinking glasses are a must on any list of hosting essentials so guests can stay cool and refreshed. Drinking glasses are great for non-alcoholic beverages like iced tea, flavored water, sodas, and homemade punch. A set of drinking glasses with a uniform shape and design adds a simple yet classy touch to any drink station. Select a set size based on the average number of guests you typically accommodate at dinner parties or gatherings.
Be ready for your guests' different drink preferences with a variety of glassware designed for wine, beer, whiskey, or homemade cocktails. If you’re new to the hosting game, start off with a set of dual-purpose wine glasses for both red- and white-wine drinkers. Invest in a pair of whiskey glasses for guests who love a traditional old-fashioned. You can also benefit from a set of beautiful coupe glasses; they can be very versatile and are used for a wide variety of cocktails such as martinis, margaritas, or even a sparkling wine. Finish with a couple of pilsner glasses for the beer lovers.
Make getting a drink a seamless and easy experience for guests by utilizing drink dispensers. Drink dispensers are entertaining essentials because they make refreshments more accessible to guests and take the pressure off of you to be the drink-getter/pourer so you can enjoy your own party! Not to mention, they look more polished compared to plastic bottles or drink containers. Drink dispensers also add a fun party element to any gathering and allow you to show off your homemade punch, lemonade, fruit-infused water, sangria, or margs.
Ensure your guests have chilled wine and icy cold beverages by enlisting the help of an ice bucket, wine chiller, or both! Chill wine and spirits in one and designate the other for ice to put in drinks. Don't have an ice maker and limited on freezer space? Invest in a countertop ice maker for a non stop flow of beverage-chilling ice cubes!
When hosting any gathering, it's of the utmost importance to display your snacks, appetizers, and desserts in style. That's where serveware comes in. Serveware items are party hosting essentials because they're designed to showcase your hard work (or to level-up store-bought treats!) and allow guests to engage in easy buffet-style dining. Position serving bowls on a decorative tray to highlight your selection of berries, nuts, and candied raisins. Create a "make-your-own" food station with a serving platter filled with s'mores makings – or anything on-theme! Like a burger-making station with a basket to hold the buns. The possibilities are endless.
Charcuterie and cheese boards make for an exceptional appetizer, and if presented well, they can make for an artful centerpiece on the dining table or coffee table. Great for casual get togethers or more formal dinners, these versatile boards are great for serving just about any appetizer aesthetically. Once you acquire this hosting essential, it's time to turn your attention to your favorite selection of cheeses, crackers, and cured meats. The more personal, the better. Don't forget to pair your charcuterie board with a set of cheese knives to make it easy for guests to enjoy the spread.
Appetizer and dessert plates are typically smaller in size compared to traditional dinner plates, which makes them essential for before-dinner snacks or after-dinner treats. Their compact size also makes it easy to hold them when standing or when gathered around a small cocktail table. Position a stack of these beside your appetizer & dessert table to invite guests to dine and enjoy.
Whether you're an avid baker or a pro at browsing the baked goods aisle, you need to show off your after-dinner treats or mini cakes and macarons for high tea. That's where cake stands and fun tiered dessert stands come in handy. Use cake stands to display pies, cakes, or artisan-crafted bread. Display cookies, brownies, muffins, or cupcakes on a tiered dessert stand for a bakery-esque spread. Not planning on having dessert? Cake stands make for a savvy base to an elaborate table centerpiece or to display drink selections, while tiered dessert stands can house bowls of olives, fruits, nuts, and other snack must-haves.
Cloth napkins and table linens are dinner hosting essentials that everyone should have on-hand to instantly elevate the tabletop (and cover-up scratches or water marks!). We recommend placing a table runner along the center of the table for a pop of color and using chargers or placemats to frame each dinnerware set. Position a cloth napkin equipped with a napkin ring on top of each plate for a restaurant-style feel.
Flatware sets are a must whether hosting a dinner party, brunch, birthday celebration, or game night. Having a ton of spoons, forks, and knives will save you from having to do multiple loads of dishes and ensures that everyone has plenty of utensils for each course. Display groups of flatware in a utensil caddy in the center of the dinner table or on the sideboard beside the buffet/appetizer station. Utensil caddies help keep everything organized, neat, and accessible so guests can grab what they need without a second thought.
Candles are often considered an optional addition, but these underrated items are actually an essential for any hosting activity. They set the mood, add warmth, and make for great decor too. Place candles around the living room or entryway – wherever guests will be gathering. If you are planning to have candles on your dining table, make sure they are unscented to prevent them from interfering with the dining experience. Use smaller votive and tea candles to dot the dining table without obstructing conversation, and position larger candlesticks and hurricane candle holders along the buffet or sideboard for a warm glow as guests pursue your food selections
Start prepping for your next dinner party, now!
