Dinner Guest Gifts: Dos & Dont’s

November 12, 2012    |    By +
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Being invited to dinner at someone’s home is an opportunity to show off your fabulous manners whether old or new friends. But, because dinners can feel so comfortable, we all eat dinner after all, we can take the situation for granted and make easy etiquette mistakes. So, I’ve put together some quick Dos & Don’ts that will help you navigate future dinner invitations with a proper hostess gift. Swoop in with a fabulous gift that will leave you feeling good about yourself and your relationship with the host! Who knows, you might even get invited back.

Do:

  • Give them something that will be useful for the meal or that can help them prepare future meals. If you have a favorite kitchen gadget, now is the perfect time to get one for your host! A fun set of cloth or cocktail napkins, napkin rings, or place card holders will be appreciated and used at a later date.
  • Give them something fun to keep people busy while waiting for the meal to be served, like a box of Table Topics, or a book of parlor games. But only use them at this party if the host gives you the go-ahead. Otherwise, you’ll have to be invited back to see them in action when they’ve been planned into the evening.
  • Ask the host if they need anything for the evening that you can bring.  There is almost always at least one thing that will make you a hero. Too often, people just show up with wine when what the host really needed was another wine opener, or a cheese knife. It may not be glamorous, but they will never forget how you helped save the day.

Don’t:

  • Bring flowers. Flowers at worst need a vase and at best need to be worked in to the party décor somewhere while the host is busy tending to her guests & the kitchen.
  • Bring something that must be consumed that evening.  Meals require careful planning on the part of your host. Showing up with a snack that will ruin everyone’s appetite will not get you invited back again.
  • Give scented candles and expect them to be used at the dinner table. It’s surprising how often a table is scented by candles that clash with the scents of the food.

 

Happy Gifting!



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Dana H.
Dana is Editor in Chief at Gifts.com. She loves helping make every occasion stand out with her unique gift ideas, handy tips & special touches. She has over a decade of experience with matching fabulous products with fabulous people.

Dan T.
As the Men’s Gift Editor, Dan is fortunate to be able to blend his work week with off-hour hobbies. Dan’s marketing background goes back over a decade, but he's always been passionate about the “guy” things like sports, electronics and grilling.

Gillian J.
While Gillian oversees Merchandising & Content for Gifts.com, she focuses on Women & Home Gifts. Prior to Gifts.com, she spent over a decade honing her gifting skills in the retail industry.

Michelle D.
Michelle is the Gifts.com Gift Guru who specializes in Teen and Beauty gifts. For the last half-decade Michelle has been refining her teen and beauty gifting expertise by working for Urban Outfitters and obsessing over social media.

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Liz is the children & baby gifts trend editor at Gifts.com. Prior to Gifts.com she spent several years matching people with products while working retail. Her niece and nephews give her the inside scoop on kids. She also knows the best gourmet gifts for every occasion.

Felicia W.
Felicia works as a "Gift Guru" with a focus on pet and flower trends. While she is still learning the art of gift giving, Felicia loves focusing her attention on pet gifts. She is always on the lookout for the best and most unique items for our lovable cats and dogs.

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Donna is Gifts.com's very own Editorial Assistant. You have her to thank for all of our fabulous Facebook posts and for making sure the blog is up every day. She is a "Gift Guru" in her own right.

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