3 Dinner Party Vibes That Even Laura Jackson Would Screenshot...
Host It Like It's Hot #1
Hosting really is an art.
When I lived in the South of France (don’t be fooled — it wasn’t all linen frocks and fig trees. I was living in a mobile home where the ants formed a queue from the window to the shower like it was an Easyjet flight to Ibiza), one of my greatest joys was laying out a spread of picky bits with the girls.
Summer evenings spent pulling tarot cards over a glass of wine and enough bread and cheese to open a small deli...hoping the universe would confirm my manifestation calls and Matthew McConaughey was in fact on a flight to the South of France, engagement ring in one hand and customised photo album titled ‘The Best Is Yet To Come’.
As someone who styles events for work, I can tell you this: creating a mood doesn’t require an inheritance fund. You can make a bowl of pasta puttanesca feel like fine dining if you’ve got the right ambience and enough candles to pose a mild fire hazard.
So I’ve nailed some fail-safe hosting vibes so sharp, your mates will swear you’ve quit your job to become an influencer.
Consider this newsletter my love letter to the art of entertaining.
Heads up: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means I might earn a small commission if you buy something through them. It won’t cost you anything extra — but it will help fund my small business. Bisous x
Apocalyptic Garden Party (Elevated Edition)
The world’s a bit of a mess — however, this means it’s all the more important to share some lols with family and friends. Embrace the beautiful chaos and throw a garden party that says, ‘Yes, everything’s unhinged… but have you seen this tablescape?’ Think concrete slabs that feel more Architectural Digest than Carpark chic, moss (natures secret hack), and a spritz in hand while you toast to… whatever’s left in your bank account. We’re in this together so we might as well be filled with great snacks, sporting excellent outfits, and listening to a playlist that turns the dread into a vibe.
Products feature in mood board: Silver Candle Holder | Tumbler | Mossy Florals | Folk Glazed Plate | Tiger Plate | Cement Pot | Iron Candle Holder | Low Silver Candle Holder | Creative Mushroom Styling | Rounded Moroccan Glass Set
Setting & Decor:
Cement pots, or just actual breeze blocks that give just the right amount of end-of-days vibe, filled with the usual suspects — pampas grass, curly twigs, moss… basically anything that looks like it’s been foraged from a stylish dystopia.
Did you spent 45 minutes arranging the candles: yes. Should this be obvious: no - scatter them around in a whimsical and unintentional way. Aim for a soft, moody glow — the kind that says ‘we drink Sake and know our rising signs.’ Silver or burnished brass would be ideal.
Mushrooms are having a moment — lean in. Channel The Last of Us, but skip the fungal apocalypse and instead use them to create low cost—high aesthetic display.
Grab a tray of moss from the flower market (or just steal some from your garden — the worms won’t mind). Chuck it on the table like nature’s table runner, then stab in a few moody stems using flower frogs.
Linen napkins and tablecloths in earthy, muted tones — raw linen, rough cotton, anything that looks like it’s been through something. Top tip: buy a metre of linen, attack it with pinking shears, and voilà — rustic edge, zero sewing, some money saved for that £19.50 organic olive oil you didn’t need.
Ceramic plates with wonky glazes in moody greens, stormy greys or “artisan ochre” (aka brown). If they look like they were sourced from a tiny flea market in France, you’re on the right track, even if it was actually a sample sale in Canonbury. Tiger have some simpler bargain bucket options that would work too.
And if you don’t have a reclaimed wood table, fear not — throw a loosely woven, neutral tablecloth over your table.
Lighting:
Candlelight only — we’re channelling golden hour meets end-of-days glow. Think amber tapers, tonal pillars, the visual depiction of ‘I understand what Hygge is’.
Peel the labels off some tins from the recycling and pop in some tea lights. Just hide these out the way avoiding the jagged edges, unless you fancy sending someone home with a tetanus souvenir.
Food & Drink:
Wine, Lambrini, Buckfast - whatever you fancy serve it in a tumbler glass or mismatched reactive glaze mugs, if you need to buy more, rummage a charity shop - the more mismatched the better. No stemware welcome here.
Use ginger to brew up some homemade ginger beer a mysterious and fizzy option which has added aesthetic points too.
Think rustic, hearty small plates and chaotic shared platters — charcuterie, olives, and crusty bread that doubles as both food and décor. Drape it like art, stack it like rubble. Keep spreads and dips in tonal greens to say ‘nature’s reclaiming this tablescape.’ If you’re no Gordon Ramsey, take comfort in knowing your burnt sausages would feel at home here.
Soundtrack:
Think Sigur Rós, Midlake, or mellow Teebs.
Soft Focus Luncheon
One for the Sofia Coppola fans among us, a dreamy, high aesthetic lunch theme perfect for a casual get to together or a more elevated idea for a hen party lunch.
It’s delicate, edgy and will have your whole insta swooning.
An afternoon of curated nonchalance, where everything looks effortlessly perfect and has you wondering if you are in fact a character in movie, life is that sweet. Expect sun-drenched linens, wine that tastes like it listens to vinyl, and florals so effortlessly refined they make you question every printed garment in your wardrobe.
There will be cheese. There will be gossip. There will be soft French music that makes you feel mysterious for no reason.
Products Featured in Collage: Blue Napkins | Steel Plates | Check Napkins |Pink Anthurium | Blue Bud Vases | Seat Cushions | Doilies | Pink Tumblers | Lemon Squeezer | Silver Candle Holder
Setting & Decor:
Drape the table in washed linens — ideally ones you found in a cupboard and forgot about - let’s leave the iron where it belongs: in the cupboard.
Lightweight napkins encouraged — bonus points if they look like or were in fact stolen from a cute café in Bordeaux.
Polaroid camera at the ready, because, of course
Menus should look like they’ve been lovingly ripped out of someone’s Year 9 sketchbook — masking tape, lined paper, 90s scrapbook energy. If it looks like a GCSE art project from a cool girl who used to smoke at the back of the astroturf, you’re on the right track.
Paper doilies? Yes. Layer them with linear check napkins that say to juxtapose the ‘granny-core’ with ‘mathematical-chic’
Glassware: mismatched, obviously. If it looks like any well respected house shares cupboards— a few random items your flatmate found in a box on the street, one gorgeous glass that used to have siblings, and a mug for good measure— you’ve nailed it. Throw in a few milk glass pieces to soften the edges and pretend you're starring in a dreamy Italian toothpaste ad.
Tonal one colour Anthuriums, however, If the idea of a 5am flower market run and parting with the best part of £40 fills you with dread (same), just go foraging in your local area. Add a few tiny bud vases , colourful over glass - shabby chic has no place here.
Lighting:
Pick a room in the house that gets nice light during the day or you could take this outside to the garden (if you have one)..
Food & Drink:
An eclectic spread of natural and biodynamic wines — orange, pét-nats, cloudy reds. Bewildering fizzy wines that also taste a bit like Babycham.
For the non-drinkers: enter the Shirley Temple, she’s sweet, she’s retro, and she doesn’t judge.
Peach, basil & burrata salad, drizzled in an olive oil that probably costs the same as your rent but earns you immediate hosting credibility.
A cheese/fruit/cracker situation that says: “No I don’t cook, but yes, I have vision.” The usual suspects of brie, figs and fruits will do.
Basically: Pinterest board energy, zero actual culinary skills required.Now for the unexpected element — goat cheese balls rolled in Za’atar, crushed pistachios, edible flowers. An elevated canapé with full aesthetic credibility.
And finally Anchovies with bread and salty butter, because nothing says refined like a salty sea creature reclining on a carby lilo.
Soundtrack:
Vintage French pop (Serge Gainsbourg, Françoise Hardy) or Italian indie folk (Mannarino, Calcutta).
GOLDEN HOUR CABANA
Sophia Loren meets Frida Khalo. Bold, unapologetic colour — stripes that even Colours of Arley would swoon after, and yes, they should be chunky enough to warrant a warning. No quiet aesthetic here. This is a full-throttle dopamine hit, the tablescape equivalent of a £500 serotonin-fuelled shopping spree.
Think Italian Nonnas who found a bucket of ponchos and decided to dance like a Limonello-fuelled Matador, all the while surrounded by colour and Mezcal vibes.
Yes, gardens are ideal — a breeze in your hair, lemons on the table, you get it — but honestly? Don’t let a lack of outdoor space stop the vibe. Throw open the windows, blast the tunes, and let your flat become your own private summer holiday.
Let’s get stuck in…
Products featured in collage: Cotton Multi Stripe Placemats | Green Plates | Lemon Florals | Gold Chandelier | Lemon Napkin Ring | Blue Candle Holder | Stripe Pouffe | Coloured glasses | Amber Wine Glasses | Gold Decorate Bowl | Blue Rim Plate
Setting & Decor:
Stripes? Everywhere! Thick ones, loud ones — on the tablecloth, napkins, cushions, your guests if they know what’s good for them. Pair with solid brights so it doesn’t look like a stick of Brighton rock got car sick. I absolutely ADORE these cute placemats from mango with a little pocket for cutlery.
Citrus fruit doubles as decor, just don’t waste your pennies on organic for this - Lidl will do just fine.
Scatter Terracotta pots with fresh herbs, making it smell like a picturesque moment in the sun, even if the reality is a car alarm going off outside and it’s pissing with rain.
Clashing patterns welcome, maximalist pattern clashing is fast becoming a trend you need pay attention to. If your table looks like it’s related to Carmen Miranda then you’re on the right track.
Tap into the golden hour feeling with some brass or gold nods that feel more bling than an Italian mobster.
Think poolside cocktail hour. Deck chairs? Essential, or you could use these Ferm Rip-Offs from George for £39 each (I know right!)
Loud shirts? Encouraged. Naturally. The kind of set-up that exudes Tony Soprano stays here energy — minus the FBI surveillance.
Lighting:
Festoon lights: obviously.
Colourful candles? Absolutely — but keep it tonal. Pick a few shades that vibe together instead of chucking the whole rainbow at your tablescape.
A few stubby tapers shoved into empty wine bottles? Ideal. Bonus points if the wax has already melted down and fused to the table and obviously those well designed natural wine bottles are the vibe we’re after.
Food & Drink:
Spritzes with a twist — Aperol, mezcal, prosecco, grapefruit soda. Anything fizzy, citrusy.
Have a look at the book Mezcla for your menu - bloody delicious and you’ll never eat a salad without a miso, honey and lime dressing again.
Grilled corn with chilli butter and charred veg with herby yoghurt.
Tiny bowls of everything — olives, nuts, pickled bits — picky food that feels like you raided a Mediterranean deli and a Mexican market in the same afternoon.
Soundtrack:
Think Sergio Mendes and Marcia Maria for absolute summer vibes!
So which one will you be using for your next summer BBQ? Leave a note in the comments and let me know which is your favourite…