3 Tips For Easy Entertaining
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One of our favorite ways to unwind and connect with others is to host guests in our home. This is time when we are off of our devices and investing in the type of meaningful relationships, allowing for personal growth and a sense of community and belonging. I would say most of our gatherings come together with little planning and are often casual evenings. Over the years, I have developed several ways to be ready to host in less than 30 minutes and today I will share three tips to make entertaining easy so you can say yes to guests!
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Tip #1 | Set the mood
Tip #2 | Serve the food
Tip #3 | Drink the wine
Set the mood
Setting the mood helps your guests feel welcome and creates a cozy environment. This will look and feel differently depending on the reason for the gathering, the number of guests and time of year.
For me, setting the mood is getting a few things set-up in advance to our guests arrival so we can easily move into a space where we can settle in to enjoy catching up with each other. This doesn’t need to be much and setting a few items such as plates, glasses and any food items will help everyone know where we plan to be for the evening. Since our gatherings are more casual, our friends or family will often bring over their own drinks or food to share, which allows for a quick set-up while we start to chat.
Depending on the reason for the gathering, the other quick set-up is to get the TV’s on the right channels for the sports events we plan to watch or starting a playlist of our favorite music to enjoy some background noise filling the space around conversation.
Serve the food
Serving food can be as simple as setting out a bowl of chips or a set of bowls filled with munchies such as nuts, grapes and cheeses. I try to keep staples in the house for our favorite appetizers so I can easily pull together items to host company with little notice.
This spread above came together in five minutes, so simple and appreciated by hungry guests who need a small bite to eat. I recommend having a several different sizes of serving dishes to give you flexibility for the amount of food you want to serve and how you need the set-up to be in your space. I shared in this post my favorite entertaining essentials to have on hand, making it simple to host and have a quick display to serve your food.
Drink the wine
…or the beverage of your choosing and relax! Once the guests are here and the conversation is flowing, it’s time to enjoy your company. Our wine cellar is one of my favorite decisions we made when building this house. This modest space allows for us to stock up on all of our favorite selections which can be ready to serve in minutes. The only challenge is keeping the wine on the racks for display!
Anytime we are drinking wine, we have out one of our wine coasters to protect the countertops or table. We have collected several of these over the years and this marble wine coaster is my new favorite. The coasters are easy to wipe off if the wine drips and gives your wine bottle an elegant holder for the evening which looks great out on display.
These three tips: set the mood, serve the food and drink the wine help focus my energy and gives a fool proof way to be ready for hosting company in just a few minutes. The next time you have an opportunity to gather with friends or family, seize the moment. Life is short and entertaining guests can be simple and uncomplicated.
This post pairs well with a Chateauneuf-du-Pape wine which is great French wine to enjoy with friends! If you found this post useful, please consider sharing it on Pinterest with others! Cheers!
Love these simple hosting tips—because ‘set the mood, serve the food, drink the wine’ is a mantra I can fully get behind! 🍷😆 Also, your choices of wine, trays, and coasters are chef’s kiss perfection! Cheers to effortless entertaining!
Great tips for easy entertaining! I’ve gotta check out those marble wine coasters for my next family gathering!
Set the mood – it is a great tip. I always struggle with how to start a party. The summer with barbeque gatherings is coming!
The three tips you listed gives me a foolproof way to be ready for hosting on short notice, which by the way seems to be the story of my life. So, the next time I’m faced with the task of gathering with friends or family, I’ll definitely be able to seize the moment with confidence. Life is too short to pass up impromptu moments, and thanks to your post I’ve been helped to see that entertaining guests can be simple and uncomplicated.
Great tips for entertaining. It doesn’t have to be stressful or hard! People just enjoy each others company.
I love this approach to hosting! Sometimes the idea of entertaining can feel overwhelming, but your tips make it feel so effortless and inviting. Setting the mood really is everything—just a few small touches can completely change the atmosphere and make guests feel right at home.
Also, I’m all for the “serve the food, drink the wine” philosophy—simple, stress-free, and all about enjoying the moment! Thanks for sharing these easy yet impactful hosting ideas. Can’t wait to put them into practice! 🍷✨
Wonderful tips for entertaining! Love the idea of setting the mood. These are all easy things to do as well, thanks for sharing!
So practical. What a great mantra and it helps to simplify all that you really have to do to entertain people. Thanks
Love these tips! Setting the mood really does make all the difference—whether it’s music, lighting, or a cozy atmosphere, it sets the tone for a great gathering. And keeping food simple but delicious is key! No one wants to be stuck in the kitchen while guests are having fun. Of course, pairing it all with a great glass of wine is the perfect way to relax and enjoy the moment. What’s your go-to dish when hosting?
I have an artichoke dip with chips I love to serve in the fall/winter and in the spring/summer I usually do fresh veggies with a homemade ranch dip! Both are easy and delicious!
Great tips for entertaining, I really like setting the mood idea.
You make it sound so easy, thank you, some great advice and tips, bookmarking for later
I’ve noticed these are the kinds of things great hosts do when welcoming guests. It’s a bit tougher for us since we live in a van, and, let’s be honest, we don’t exactly have a crowd of visitors dropping by!