What to take to posh NYE do?

[Alifemoreordinary123]

We’ve been invited to some friends for New Year’s Eve. They’re lovely people and very down to earth but live very different lives to us. They’re wealthy, have an opulent house and expensive food and drink. It’s a family NYE evening they have planned. What do we take? Do we go plain champagne or something more fancy? I feel a little inadequate with my fridge full of supermarket cheese and slab of Christmas cake and I’m not sure what to do and don’t want to feel inadequate on the evening.

I would choose more of a host/hostess gift rather than wine or something that it looks like you might expect them to serve alongside their planned menu / drinks. I do love flowers, though - you could buy a bouquet in a water bubble (I don't know what these are called?) so they don't need to deal with them until the next day. Perhaps pair with good chocolates if you don't feel that flowers are enough, though I might send those after the event as @BettyBardMacDonald says.

Are you able to get to Fortnums? They have lots of lovely things that make perfect host gifts.

I second Fortnums , it's a fail safe . And a Diptique Baise candle . Lovely .

Bring what you would normally bring to a NYE party?

A bottle of wine and chocolates to say thanks for hosting. They aren't more deserving of expensive/fancy gifts because they are wealthy. Would you normally bring flowers or a candle? Or 3 expensive bottles of champagne?

Yes they are probably putting on a nice party but no one wants a bunch of flowers from every guest or loads of bottles of spirits left over

Flowers are a no no - you are creating more work for the hostess.

I would take a bottle of whatever you like to drink and a small hostess gift such as a nice handcream, a candle or a bottle of your locally produced booze (in a gift bag so she knows it is a gift and not for the bar).

Your hosts will not be expecting you to shell out on lavish gifts and doing so would be slightly awkward for them.

You don't have to bring more, or amore expensivs present, just because someone is well off. We're well off but I absolutely do not expect our guests to try to match that and would really prefer they didn't worry about what to get me. Any gesture is appreciated.

I generally avoid candles as they're very individual and personally I've got loads of Jo Malone and Diptique candles which are meant to be lovely, but I'm just not a candle person so they just sit around gathering dust (which reminds me, I should round them up really and give them away).

I'd honestly be happy with any old wine, but if you would prefer to get something a bit nicer maybe go with something like a bottle of Cloudy Bay Sauvignon blanc. That's a generally well regarded mid price option.

Bottle of Mateus Rose and some Ferrero Rocher

I would genuinely bloody love that as a gift.