The Chic Host Checklist: Beyond the Table. Let's talk Atmosphere and Flow
6/23/202641 min
Alright, we know how to set a beautiful table by now. And if not, honestly, video is probably the better educational source, so go and find me on Instagram.
This episode is about everything beyond the table. The music you put on before you do anything else, the bathroom guests absolutely notice, the porch light, the drinks station, the lighting, the food flow, the water jug, and the little old hospitality habits that keep a night moving.
Because flowers and candles are lovely, obviously. But a gorgeous table doesn’t host the evening. You do.
This is your chic hosting checklist for creating atmosphere, flow and a night that feels considered from front to back.
Polished, not precious. Special, not stiff. And yes, water deserves a vessel.
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsLouis Burke· Host0:00
[jazzy music] Hello, and welcome back to Home and Hosting with me, Louis Burke. I hope you've been well. Now, to jump straight into the episode, I've been getting so many DMs about hosting, not just about setting a beautiful table, because apparently we've covered the table now. But I've still got some more planned for the next couple of weeks, so get excited about that. But we do know we need to have a tablecloth. We know about the water and wine glasses. We know about flowers and how they can't just be stuck in a vase and called a day. We know the fork goes on the left and the knife goes on the right facing the plate. And no, there better not be any chopped cushions in sight. But people have been asking more about the actual hosting part. Like, how do you run the night? What do you do first? How do you make people feel comfortable? How do you make your home feel special without acting like you're managing a boutique hotel with a clipboard? And I mean, it makes sense that people are asking now because all over the globe we are having a hosting moment. Like, if you're in the Northern Hemisphere, it's summer, so people are having people over outside, doing those long lunches, the garden dinners, the sport previews like Wimbledon. There's barbecues, birthday celebrations, pretending that they casually live inside that Nancy Meyers film with better tomatoes. And then if you're in the Southern Hemisphere like me, we're in that cozy winter hosting mode. Like, the lamps are on, the candles are lit, something warm in the oven, and people are coming over for an intimate dinner because going outside after 6:00 PM just feels like a personal attack. So whether you're hosting outside in summer