One day you’re in, the next you’re out — and nowhere is that truer than in New York, where even the most impeccably designed clubstaurants launch with month-long waitlists, only to sit half-empty by week twelve. In a city with the shortest attention span on Earth, staying on the pulse isn’t optional — it’s survival.
So what are the rules for entertaining the most in-the-know people on the planet, right now in 2025? For starters, we’re not just “having people over,” anymore, says NYC-based event planner Cameron Forbes of Forbes Functions. You might still call it that, but that’s not what’s actually happening. “Entertaining in 2025 is about creating an experience that feels effortless — but where every detail is deeply considered.”
“Today’s hosts want to spark genuine connection,” she continues. “I’m seeing clients shift focus from how things appear to how they feel.” Hence, one of her current hot takes: unlit tapered candles. “Why go through all that effort just for decor?” she asks. “A lit taper changes the entire vibe of a space.”
The point being that in 2025, phony dinner party setups are foiled. Real ambiance only. Below are three entertaining trends that have defined the past six months among the city’s most stylish hosts — and exactly what to buy if you want to keep up for the latter half of the year.
Because if you can make it here, well, you know the rest...
1. Ribbons (Sparingly)
“2025 is the year of the ribbon — tied to menus, woven into florals, wrapped around wine glasses,” says Cameron. And with ribbons came bows: “Big ones, tiny ones, bows on dresses, menus, chandeliers — they were everywhere.”
At first, the "coquette" pizzas and Diet Cokes felt cheeky and whimsical. But as with anything that gets too popular, ribbons have started to lose their freshness. “They might just be the new mason jar,” Cameron quips.
That said, don’t toss the whole trend out with the bathwater — at least not yet. “I have a soft spot for them — they’re nostalgic, feminine, and playful,” she says. The key now is editing. “Pick one tone or texture and use it sparingly" — something in satin or velvet, suggests Cameron.
So: cute as they are, resist the urge to bow-verload the table. Pick one moment. The secret to 2025 ribbons is knowing when to quit.
Taper candles are made more dramatic with ribbon. Pretty — but as we’ve already established, don’t be too precious. And actually light them.
Elevate basic linens with these unusual jacquard knit napkin rings in pink, brown, and green. A 2025 remix of the early-year ribbon trend.
If you’re sick of seeing bows everywhere, try these hand-painted crystalline cocktail glasses. The bow detail is barely there, etched near the rim like a whisper.
2. Wellness
At my birthday party this year, the cake was vegan, adaptogenic, and spiked with Ashwagandha. A dinner I went to several weekends ago opened with a group sound bath — necessary, probably, when the guest list includes both finance buffs and artists.
These woo-adjacent details aren’t accidents. “Wellness in 2025 is more than green juice, sound baths, and meditation corners,” says Cameron. “It’s about creating an environment where people feel good.” Which, of course, ties directly into the vibe-centric macrotrend we're seeing this year.
Wellness is one of those slippery, amorphous, occasionally parodied words — which we can play to our advantage. Maybe “wellness” entails a guided toast. Maybe it’s a candlelit corner for cozy conversation. “Or a menu that feels both nourishing and indulgent,” Cameron suggests. A carafe of water on the table. A non-alcoholic cocktail with adaptogenic benefits. Something leafy, intended to uplift.
The idea here is intentionality that goes beyond aesthetics — gatherings designed to leave your guests feeling lighter the next morning, not nursing a hangover.
Water — we all need it. And friends remind friends to drink it. Might as well do it with a stoneware gloss jug that actually looks good on the table.
Want to know how to set a table with very good energy? One word: incense — ideally wafting from a pair of pursed L’Objet lips.
A singing bowl might still feel a little out there. But at this price, if you’ve ever even considered a sound bath moment with your inner circle, this is an easy entry point. Low lift, high vibe.
3. Hand-Drawn
Forget the Partifuls and Paperless Posts. In 2025, the most stylish invites are handwritten — or better yet, hand-drawn. Menus, place cards, and sentimental jokes passed around as if we were in middle school. “It’s one of my favorite trends this year,” says Cameron.
The appeal is juvenile in the best way. Think Kraft paper runners covered in doodles, water-colored menu borders, and personalized place cards that suggest the host actually considered you. “Whether it’s a Kraft paper runner for guests to doodle on or a hand-painted menu, these perfectly imperfect details add warmth and personality,” she says.
Restaurants like Heroes in NYC are already on it — paper-lined tables, crayons, Pictionary over “Tiny Tinis.” Turns out that same kids-menu-logic plays well at dinner parties, too.
For the ambitious: try embroidering a menu motif onto a base cloth as a future keepsake. But even a scribbled note goes a long way. “It’s intimate in a way digital just isn’t,” Cameron says.
For your adult coloring hour, skip the Crayolas and invest in these sculptural soy wax crayons instead. They come in 32 shades and are shaped like little river rocks — safe for paper and fabric. Toss them in bowls along a paper-lined table or layer adult coloring sheets on top of each plate stack. Endless fun.
Papier may be known for custom prints, but this set — menus, coasters, place cards — is intentionally left blank. Printed on tactile Mohawk paper, it’s designed for your handwriting, doodles, or impromptu guest-of-honor roasts.
And if you’re feeling a little Capote: dramatically take notes mid-party in this hand-marbled, leather-bound Giannini Firenze notebook. What are you writing? An exposé? A dinner diary? Pass pages across the table like clandestine notes in school and let the mystery spark some light drama over dessert.
Presumably, if you’ve made it this far — you like to party. So consider this your cue to level up.
We’ve rounded up seven things people who love entertaining always have on hand. Some of them are obvious. Others might surprise you. But all are essential.
