After a champagne celebration at Fox Hall, we adjourned to the dining room, while our guests left their glasses behind in the living room.
A friend’s daughter recently asked me what she should do with her glass after cocktail hour when attending a private dinner party. Here are some tips on the gracious way to handle it.
At a Private Home Dinner Party:
Unless the host specifically invites you to bring your drink to the dinner table, always leave it in the room where the cocktail hour was held. Place your glass on a cocktail napkin on a table or, if there is a butler or wait staff with a tray, either in the room or stationed at the entrance to the dining room, gently place your glass on their tray.
At a Private Club or Restaurant:
If you're enjoying a cocktail at the bar or in a reception area, a waiter or maitre d’ should offer to escort you to your table and bring your drink to you. Or, if you prefer, you may leave your drink behind. It’s best to follow your host’s lead in this case.
At a Large Reception:
Observe the host and follow their example. Often, there will be a table where you can place your drink as you leave the cocktail reception, or you can place it on a server’s tray. If it’s a business gathering, again, it’s best to take your cues from the host.
Forbidden Faux Pas:
No-no: To ask for a different wine than the one being served at a private dinner party, or anywhere you are a guest. If white wine is being served and you prefer red, simply abstain from drinking the white. If the host notices you’re not drinking and specifically asks if you’d prefer something different, then it’s acceptable to mention your preference.
You are invited to peek at my Instagram video here. Cheers to you for being a gracious guest!
Xx
Holly
PS: Please be a dear and invite a friend to subscribe HERE!