Are you hosting someone for Easter this year? We almost always have Easter dinner with the whole family, and it’s so much fun to have everyone around the table for the special occasion.
Drum Pendant | Dining room | Sconces | Candlesticks | White bowls | accessories (similar)
What I’ve found is that with a little preparation, you can welcome people to a fun, stress-free event, and it’s turned into a great tradition for us. In fact, we started hosting a lot more when we had little early-to-bed babies (who were so strict!) and over the past 14 years we’ve learned a lot about how to make it successful as well as relaxed.
In case you’re hosting for Easter or any holiday, here are some things I try to remember (or in the case of the second point, try to implement in the future)!
1. Prepare the main dish
Copper canisters | Marble vessel | Glass Vase | bunny (similar)
My favorite is Chris’ Easy Overnight Ham. It is to die for. Start the main event the day before to take some stress off your plate. This recipe is everything I love about an Easter meal: it has classic flavors, it’s comforting. You’ll love it. Everyone will.
2. Be open to foreign guests
Grilled Carrots Recipe | Gingham napkin | Plate (similar) | Bunny (similar) | Pepper Mill | Marble Bowl
Now this is new territory for us. Chris has always made everything (and luckily, I might add!) When people ask what they can bring, he says, “Nothing, I got it.” But after our whirlwind hosting over the holidays, we realize that maybe we should welcome the offer. People actually like to bring something. In fact, sometimes there is a traditional dish that they have eaten every year that sums up the whole holiday for them and they might want to bring that. And sometimes they don’t want to arrive empty-handed. If you are hosting and they offer, give a task for the category and let them surprise you! Everyone will be happier.
3. Gather serving supplies
This is the time to round out your serving plates, silverware, cups and saucers. We just got enough nicer plates to serve 20 which is nice for special event dinners. But we used melamine for years. If you’re short on plates, you can thrift or buy some of our favorite paper products. There are some nice options these days.
4. Stock up on bathroom supplies
Buy The Powder Bath
Replace with fresh towels. Check for extra toilet paper. Fill a nice hand soap dispenser. I like to put a reed diffuser in the bathroom. You know the drill.
5. Prepare — Then Ignore — Your Dishwasher
Make sure your dishwasher is empty before people arrive. This makes it much easier to start cleaning. But when it comes to when for cleaning, I say wait until people leave. If someone offers to clean the dishes, I politely decline because I’d rather spend my time chatting than cleaning! That can wait until everyone’s gone – I’d rather be piling the dishes in the sink for now. But that’s just me!
6. Adapt the serving style to the size of the party
If you have more than ten people for dinner (which is most of the time since we are a family of five), we usually serve buffet style food. It is much easier for people to get food. It also allows you to make a really nice centerpiece on the table. Keep the flowers below eye level. But yes to tall candlesticks!
7. Give everyone a seat
I like to have name cards on each chair and have noticed that guests like it too. I get that it’s a lot of pressure to decide where to sit, when you really don’t care. However, things can almost always get awkward when there are couples. People will ask where to sit, and it feels so special when they have a designated seat. I got a pack of 200 cards on Amazon, and I just italicize their names. I also use these cards for the buffet, to note if something is gluten-free, dairy-free, or vegetarian. It’s nice for those with dietary restrictions.
8. Give your pet a place too
Sofa | Francis Rug | Pillow | Floor lamp | Cabinet | Tree Print
Everyone loves cricket, but they usually call her to the table. And we don’t want him to get into the bad habit of begging for food or wiping things off his plate! Let pets have a special treat and give them a room to themselves for a few hours. You’ll love the stress reduction of taking care of another “guest” and they’ll love the nap!
9. Create a drink station
I think it’s fun to have a drink station. We will always have a large jar of cucumber flavored fruit water and then another option. When I’m trying to get things done around the house, it can be hard to fill up glasses before people get there. But having a drink area and an ice bucket ready is perfect. People come in, chat at the drinks station. And I don’t worry about drinking for everyone.
10. Prepare the Vibe
Print trees | Vase (similar) | Stems (similar) | stand (similar)
Light candles 30 minutes before people arrive so the scent has time to permeate the space (or light a Pura!) I love how tapered candles or tea lights add flickering light that bounces around the room and makes the space sparkle.
11. Don’t forget the music
There are lots of fun, soft spring Easter playlists out there. I usually play instrumentals while I eat or this fun “Bubbly Brunch” mix. It can actually sustain the energy of the entire event.
12. Have a little game for the kids
Especially if there are little kids around, I like to have fun looking for Easter eggs outside, weather permitting. Even if the children have already had an Easter egg hunt, it is an event to remember. You can do a fun thing like adding coins to the eggs – it doesn’t have to be candy.
Green Bunny Plates | Chambray Serving Plates | Ruffle Serving Dish | Green Bunnies (similar) | Chinoiserie Bunny (similar) | Copper Napkin Rings (similar) | Vase | Faux Snowballs | Artificial Fig Branch | Copperware | Copper canisters | Pepper Mill | Candlesticks (similar) | Picture Light
Don’t forget to check out our Easter Shop here, our favorite candles here or our favorite paper products here. We hope these holiday entertaining ideas help you feel more relaxed when people come over for Easter lunch or dinner. I’m already looking forward to it — I need to get those note cards ready!