Epic Merchandise Blog

While bringing a hostess gift to a casual get-together such as a brunch, or to a cocktail party, is optional, you should definitely bring a gift when attending a dinner party, even if it’s not very formal. A hostess gift need not be elaborate or expensive: the idea is to say “thank you” to the hostess for her efforts, so keep the gift simple and inexpensive. There’s no need to spend more than $25 on a hostess gift.

What to bring

Bringing a bottle of wine to a dinner party is fine, especially when presented in a beautiful artist wine box. The host has no obligation of using your wine for dinner – he probably planned the menu and paired it with wine already – but a good bottle of wine is a nice gift that the host can use later on, so make sure you choose a bottle you think your host will enjoy.

Other nice gifts for your host are candles, soaps, picture frames, a set of herbs and spices, kitchen gadgets, artisan chocolates, or something for the next morning such as homemade muffins, a muffin mix or homemade jam.

If you have enough time before the event, go ahead and order a personalized, engraved gift. This type of gift is extremely thoughtful and unique, and is appropriate for any occasion.

Gifts to avoid

Avoid bringing anything that would distract the hostess and send her searching for something to contain the gift. Flowers, for example, would force the hostess to search for a vase and fill it with water. It’s OK to bring a small potted plant or a flower arrangement already in a vase.

Avoid bringing food for the meal itself, unless the hostess has asked you to do so. The assumption is the hostess had planned the meal, and any extra dish would create an uncomfortable situation for her and force her to accommodate a dish she wasn’t planing on serving.

Photo credit: Hans Voorn