10 Party Hosting Must Haves
To quickly pull together a chic look for any get together.
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Whether I am hosting family dinner, throwing a party or just setting the table for a nice dinner for two, I have a handful of go-to items that I grab on every occasion to make the space feel intentional and elevated. I have collected many items over the years and, one day, will need to buy a bigger house to accommodate everything. I like to be ready for any party!
Of all the many great things, the below are my top 10 items that I think are must haves for anyone’s collection.
1. Fancy Cocktail Napkins
Napkins are both a necessity and an opportunity to make things fancy or fun. You could either get plain, fun and/or themed paper napkins or invest in the more sustainable option of reusable cocktail napkins. I don’t like using disposable napkins, and I love being fancy, so I have purchased two sets of linen cocktail napkins on Amazon. These are inexpensive and come in so many colors, it is hard to choose.
2. Serving Board with Lid
Graze board with veggies, cheeses, nuts, cracks and ranch in the center.
In my opinion, you should have appetizers ready and waiting for guests for any occasion. People are usually hungry and it makes you look like you’ve got it together (lol). One of the downsides of having appetizers ready and waiting, is that they are usually left sitting out on an open table- slowly warming to room temperature and vulnerable to all the elements and flies. So when I found a cute serving platter with a clear lid, I couldn’t click “Buy” fast enough!
This platter can be used on either side- on one side there is a bowl in the center of the platter (see pic above), or you can flip it over and the bowl acts as a stand, turning this into a raised platter. The lid can be used on either side. I love making graze boards but hate leaving food out in the open. This platter was a perfect solution for me, and I get a ton of use out of it!
3. Matching Serving Set
If you have ever hosted a large dinner or party (i.e. Thanksgiving), you know what it is like to need 8 – 10 serving spoons or forks ready to go so your guests can actually serve themselves all the good food you’ve cooked. After far too many times of scrambling to grab every random extra-large spoon I could find to have serving spoons for 6+ dishes, I finally broke down and purchased a serving set. I wanted a full serving set with the assortment of serve utensils- spoons, slotted spoons and forks- and I wanted them to be pretty and match. Since I am on a budget, I opted for the stainless steel, dishwasher safe set from Amazon like the one below.
4. Carafes for Table Water & Drink Dispensers
Outdoor table with bucket of drinks, drink dispensers, cups and napkins.
I have far too many drink dispensers- I will be the first to admit this. I think I need them all, but really a couple of water carafes and a large pitcher or dispenser for larger batch drinks is all you need. I like to fill 1-2 water carafes for the table and use a large pitcher or beverage dispenser for mixed drinks and batch cocktails. Sometimes I will also do pitchers or dispensers of lemonade and sweet tea depending on how many guests we have. I could leave water, lemonade, tea, etc. in the pitchers they are made or bought in, but that’s no fun and usually not aesthetically appealing.
There are so many options for beverage carafes, pitchers and drink dispensers. You can find them at all price points and at all home goods stores. You can also probably find great options at your local thrift store.
5. Bucket for Wine & Assorted Drinks
If I am having more than 5 people over, I like to set up a drink table to make it easy for guests to get drinks and keep the kitchen and refrigerator traffic down to a minimum. A drink bucket is a must have because you can use it to keep an assortment of wine, beer, soda, and canned drinks cold, and keep them together and cutely presented at your drink station.
6. Glass Water Goblets & Stemware
Outdoor table setting with white plates on top of jute placemats, with water goblets and 4-piece silverware.
Glassware and stemware is one of the quickest ways to make your dinner or event more chic or formal. If you have a lot of people, I recommend getting classic and inexpensive clear glassware like the ones linked below. These are perfect for big groups and don’t ruin a chic vibe. If I have less people (my glassware limit is 12), I will always break out glass water goblets and wine or champagne glasses, as needed.
A water goblet is a must have for any proper table setting. We were gifted beautiful sets of 4-6 drink glasses and tumblers for wedding gifts, but I did not have a matching set for larger dinners. I am obsessed with colored drinkware (and would have glasses in every color if I had the cabinet space), but being the practical girlie that I am, I knew it would be more affordable and realistic for our space to get a set of 12 clear glass goblets that would work for any occasion. I am so happy with the ones we got- they are like any glasses you’d see at a nice restaurant or wedding reception and are exactly what I wanted. My husband is also a fan- he likes the way they look and that they hold a lot of water.
Glass stemware is a must have if you plan to drink any wine or champagne. If you are doing a formal dinner place setting, you should include a water goblet and both red and white wine glasses. Also, it is just not the same drinking wine out of a regular glass or mug, or worse- a paper cup (hello, college days!). I recommend having sets of white and red wine glasses (6-8 each), champagne flutes or coupe glasses (6-12), low or hi-ball tumblers (6-8) and a set of martini glasses (6-8). Optional and fun add-ons include French wine goblets, margarita glasses or colored stemware.
7. Table Linens- Tablecloth, Runner & Napkins
Thanksgiving dinner table 2024
Christmas dinner 2024
Table linens set a space and are functional in covering an ugly table or protecting a pretty one! I have a handful of tablecloths, runners and dinner napkins that I change out by the season or holiday. I have so much fun changing out decorative table runners and centerpieces, and I love using a pretty tablecloth for setting a beautiful table. I don’t think you can have too many of these, but if you only get one, a classic white tablecloth and set of white dinner napkins are must haves for any dinner party.
8. Placemats
I don’t know if it is because I love placemats, or because we eat on beautiful wood tables that I don’t want to hurt, but I can’t set a table without including a placemat or charger. As with table linens, there are endless options for placemats. So many different shapes, colors, materials, styles, you could look at these for days, but you really just need 1-2 sets that can be used for all occasions. Neutral colors or materials are versatile and can be used all year long as you change out table linens. I bought these very “basic” coastal vibe jute placemats years ago and I love them so much I don’t remember the last time I broke out any of my other sets.
9. Candlesticks, Hurricanes and Candles of All Sizes
Candles are a must have for any dinner table. I have an assortment of low and high candlesticks, and a set of glass hurricanes that I love using for an outdoor table setting. The hurricane is perfect for making sure the wind doesn’t blow out your candles. I also have an assortment of candles and candlesticks to go with all the candlesticks. I visited the Old Candle Barn in Lancaster, PA years ago and bought taper candles in all the prettiest fall colors. Since I primarily use them for decoration, I still have many of them and swap them out with the seasons. I also have white and black tea, votive and taper candles which can be used year-round. Battery-powered candles are a great option if you don’t want or can’t have an open flame.
10. Vases with Fresh Flowers
A variety of vases for fresh flowers are the last, but certainly not least important, of must-have hosting items. Fresh flowers are beautiful and provide endless options for centerpieces or mantlepiece decorations. I like to use tall, beautiful vases for flowers I put on my fireplace mantle, or for a tall centerpiece on the dinner table. I don’t think many people like having to talk over or see around a tall centerpiece at a dinner table- and, at my house, if I do have a tall-ish flower centerpiece, my Dad always seems to move it before we even sit down to eat! So, instead, I opt for small or lower vases that are visible and pretty, but not intrusive and in the way. Vases can also be found, purchased or repurposed from almost anywhere. This is another great item to look for at your local thrift store!
