Chelsea Fagan thinks we should all be hosting more. “We are losing the act of casually having people in our lives and in our homes,” the writer said. “I think young people now have an idea of entertaining that it’s something that only fancy or rich people do.”
Fagan co-founded The Financial Diet, a media company centered on personal finance. She’s proven you can throw a dinner party in nearly any scenario: on weeknights, in small spaces, even when your guests are all introverts. And, she says given how lonely and polarized people in the US are, bringing people together is as important as ever. Her new book, Having People Over: A Modern Guide to Planning, Throwing, and Attending Every Type of Party, is a call to invite people over – and make it a lovely time without breaking the bank. (Hint: shop secondhand whenever possible.)
Having People Over: A Modern Guide to Planning, Throwing, and Attending Every Type of Party
$27.96 at Amazon $27.96 at Book ShopHere are her tips for hosting a dinner party that feels luxurious without the accompanying price tag this holiday season.
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Set the table ahead of time
There’s something really nice and polished – and easier for the host – if you set the table before guests arrive. Don’t splurge on decor. How you style it matters more: I like doing a centerpiece, but most of the time my centerpieces are just made out of organic material – flowers, seasonal fruits and vegetables. During the holiday season, I will put a few ornaments throughout as well.
When it comes to anything serving related, I usually try to shop secondhand. Not only is it usually better-looking and more sustainable, but you’re less worried if something happens.
Create a beverage station
I like to have a sparkling wine and a sparkling nonalcoholic beverage on hand. I like a crémant or a Blanc de Blancs from France, because you’re often getting a really similar flavor profile to champagne without the price tag.
Crémant
$31.99 at Wine.comI always welcome my guests by offering something to drink. I get their first drink, and then I give them sort of guidance on refills. That allows me to enjoy my own party more and focus on other things.
My number one recommendation with wine glasses is do not spend a lot of money on them, because if you entertain, they will break or get broken, and you cannot afford to be upset about someone breaking a wine glass.
Hutton wine glass set (six-pack)
$22.95 for a pack of 6 at Walmart***
Keep snacks on hand – and put some effort into the presentation
I always put out something to nibble on when people arrive and it’s often on a board. There’s something about a board – whether it’s a charcuterie board, a crudités platter, or different finger foods arranged artfully – that automatically makes people feel like: ‘Wow, we’re somewhere special.’
Sur La Table teak paddle board
$12.96 at Sur La Table***
No need to splurge to find nice-looking snacks
I make an Italian tuna spread with canned Tonnino tuna and I love Cape Cod kettle chips and Carr’s water crackers. I’m a huge olives person – I keep a lot of jarred, pickled things because they keep forever and are good to put out for a quick cocktail hour.
Tonnino yellowfin tuna in olive oil
$39.17 for a pack of 12 at Amazon***
Cape Cod kettle chips
$4.98 at Amazon $4.98 at Walmart***
Carr’s water crackers
$4.59 at Walmart $9.99 at Amazon***
Snacking olives trio
$25 at Kosterina $25 at Over The Moon***
Set the mood with ambient lighting
There’s nothing worse than going to a sexy evening party and having horrendous lighting beaming down on you. I hate the big light. If you’re using candles, make sure to use unscented ones. A strongly scented candle can interfere with the taste of the food. I always use tapered or pillar beeswax candles.
12” Beeswax tapered candles (set of 2)
$24 for a set of 2 at The Floral SocietyThat said, I think smart bulbs are the only way to live. They allow you to dim and even change your lighting color. I am all about different lighting, throughout the space, at different levels and angles. It can be annoying if you have to manually turn on and off every light in your house, but you can just turn all smart bulbs off with your phone or voice. Even vintage lamps work with smart bulbs – about half of my lighting is from the 50s and 80s and they all have them.
GE Smart lightbulbs (pack of 2)
$35.99 for a pack of 2 at Amazon***
Cook what you know
I typically only cook things for parties that I’m very comfortable making or that can be made ahead of time. That allows me to be present and enjoy the party. My all-time favorite cookbook is The Woks of Life: Recipes to Know and Love from a Chinese American Family, which taught me so much about Chinese cooking. Paladares: Recipes Inspired by the Private Restaurants of Cuba is another favorite.
The Woks of Life: Recipes to Know and Love from a Chinese American Family
$21.30 at Amazon $38 at Barnes & Noble***
Paladares: Recipes Inspired by the Private Restaurants of Cuba
$27.55 at Amazon***
Invest in quality cookware
You can wait to get good sales, and you can often buy them secondhand. I try to be minimalist in the number of cooking appliances that I use, but when you do buy an appliance or cookware it is always worth investing in something of quality, because the cost of that appliance breaking down or needing to be repaired or having to be replaced frequently will always cost you a lot more in the long run. I use All-Clad cookware and a Staub dutch oven.
All-Clad D3 Stainless Steel 2-Piece Starter Set
$139.96 at Sur La Table $139.99 at All-Clad***
Staub Enameled Cast Iron Round Dutch Oven
$149.96 at Sur La Table $149.99 at Macy’s***
Guests: don’t show up empty-handed!
Whenever I am being hosted, I always bring two things: one for the evening itself and one for the host. If I’m going to a cocktail party, I’ll bring a bottle of something, wine or a bottle of interesting spirits. And then for the host, I will often bring a pastry or something for them to enjoy the next morning, or something for future gatherings such as napkin rings or cloth napkins.
Condesa Prickly Pear & Orange Blossom Gin
$39.50 at Bitters and Bottles $44.99 at Condesa Gin***
Anthropologie gold bugs napkin rings (set of 4)
$20 for a set of 4 at Anthropologie***
Hawkins New York Essential Dinner Napkins (set of 4)
$32 for a set of 4 at Hawkins New York $32 for a set of 4 at AnthropologieMy all time favorite hostess gift is a little brass bell in the shape of a little pear that my friend found at a secondhand store, and now I use it to call people from the dinner table. Recently, I received some really cute cocktail skewers with little enamel olives on them.
Olive Garnish Cocktail Picks (set of 4)
$18 for a set of 4 at AnthropologieHosts, this goes for you too: If you’d like people to bring something, say so. Oftentimes people are hesitant or feel awkward asking other people to do things, whether that’s show up at a certain time or take their shoes off. But people want to be told what to do.
Embrace imperfection
Ultimately what makes a guest enjoy themselves is if they feel comfortable and welcome. I’ve been to a lot of parties in really fancy places, with fancy stuff, where everything’s catered. The hosts themselves probably didn’t make anything. It feels sterile and not very fun or cozy to me.
On the other hand, I love when you go to houses that feel really personal and lived in, and like you really get a hit off of who these people are and where they’ve been and what they love. I would really encourage people to remember that, especially in our current moment, it’s not perfection that people are looking for, it’s humanity.
