Call me old fashioned, but, in my opinion, there’s almost never a wrong time for a hostess gift. That doesn’t mean I always have my act together enough to bring one (sorry, friends), but I do think they are an important social grace that’s been slowly fading away.
Thankfully, hostess gifts don’t have to be elaborate. The cliché is true: It’s the thought that counts. A bottle ofwineor fresh flowers are both great options, and easy to pick up on your way to the party. You can’t go wrong with either of them.
Now in spite of what I just said there are two times when youdon’tneed to bring a hostess gift, but they are definitely exceptions to the rule. The first is a formal dinner party. The host has enough to worry about on the night of the party. Instead, plan to send a thank you note the next day. Second, there’s no need to bring a gift if you’re bringing a dish to contribute to the meal. In that case, your salad, side dish, or dessert serves as your gift. But as a frequent hostess, I can say I will never turn down an extra bottle of wine.
As a general rule, hostess gifts should be given at the brunch, dinner, or co*cktail party. The one exception to this is for overnight or weekend visits. I recently spent a lovely weekend with friends of mine who recently moved to Chicago. I hadn’t seen their new place, so I didn’t bring a hostess gift. But in the course of the weekend and the afternoon we spent shopping, I got plenty of ideas for a thank you gift to send them. Plus, it will be much more personal since I’ve spent time with them in their new home. So, for long weekends it’s perfectly acceptable to send a gift after the fact.
Here are five great go-to hostess gifts. They are all inexpensive, so you can keep a couple on hand and not have to worry about showing up empty-handed.
1. Custom Coasters
It’s always a good idea to give a gift related to hosting or entertaining. These Classic Photo Coasters are not only practical, but look classy on any coffee table.
If you want to personalize a notepad for your host, you’ll have to plan ahead. But you can also order slightly more generic notepads to fit most occasions. I’m always in need of a place to scribble notes and ideas.
3. Photo Magnets
Similar to the coasters, these custom photo magnet sets make a fun & practical hostess gift. You can choose to feature photos from previous gatherings, or your host’s dearest friends and family.
4. Photo Gift Labels
Sometimes the best things come in small packages, or in their labels! Jazz up your homemade holiday cookies or a jar of hot cocoa mix with a personalized photo label. You can use these throughout the holiday season, or better yet, give the leftover labels in the set to your host.
5. Personalized Beer or Wine
Take the classic wine bottle gift to the next level with these cool bottle labels. Get creative with colors, photos, and messaging on these custom bottle labels, to add a festive touch to any party table.
Looking for more inspiration or other creative gift options, check out some of our customers’ favorites.
Something else that's changed is we used to only bring gifts with us when we arrived at someone's home, but now it's more common to bring a gift or send it before or after your visit. If you're invited to a co*cktail party or dinner party, it's a nice gesture to bring the gift with you.
Gift possibilities include wine, Champagne, flowers (preferably in a vase), a potted plant, chocolates, specialty food items such as jams and jellies or other condiments, fancy nuts, olives, olive oil or vinegar, or items for the house, such as co*cktail napkins, guest soaps and lotions , a picture frame, or a scented ...
On Trent's list of treats she loves to give and receive: a favorite room spray with a cute ribbon, a simple candle with a sweet note, or a single flower in a keepsake bud vase. "This is always cute, because it's meant just for the host," she says of the individual bloom.
You don't have to match the price of the gift to the bill, but consider bringing something you might bring to a home dinner party. Appropriate gifts for a dinner party host include: Bouquet of flowers in a vase.
Bringing a hostess gift is a great way to show your gratitude—and possibly even score you a follow-up invitation. Hey, it's always nice to bring a little something to thank your host for his or her hospitality. But you don't have to get your gift on for every party.
But, do put a bow around the item or put it in a gift bag to dress it up a bit. Be sure to include a card or tag with the item so it's clear who it came from. This will help the host who may receive several gifts and not remember who brought what or if you're not able to hand it to the host directly.
“Someone with good enough manners to tell you not to bring something will surely recognize the fact that you did.” This shows your gratitude for the host's hospitality and effort in hosting the event, Hirst adds. If you don't bring anything, it can be perceived as a lack of appreciation. Don't forget to RSVP.
Whether that is for an open house or some type of dinner party or event, it is appropriate to bring a small gift to show your appreciation for them opening up their home to you,” said Dina Schmid, etiquette consultant and founder of Queen City Etiquette.
And no matter how modern some time-honored traditions become, hostess gifts never go out of style. Pulling off a crowd-pleasing gathering from start to finish is no easy feat, which is why nothing says “thank you” more than a little something special for the host or hostess.
You can bring the gift with you and present it to your host when you arrive, buy it during your stay once you've gotten a better idea of what your host might like, or send it as soon as possible after you return home. In lieu of a gift, you could also treat your hosts to a dinner out if you think they'd prefer it.
If you are presented with the gift in person, smile and thank the gift giver. If you receive a gift by mail, call the gift giver as soon as you can to alert them that the gift has arrived. You should also send hand-written thank-you notes whenever possible.
Introduction: My name is Dr. Pierre Goyette, I am a enchanting, powerful, jolly, rich, graceful, colorful, zany person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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