12 Entertaining Essentials Every Easter Host Needs

If you're hosting Easter this year, there will be plenty of opportunities to cook, decorate, and craft your way through the holiday most often associated with the start of spring. In addition to setting the perfect table, you'll also want to incorporate lots of Easter-inspired details. After all, this is a gathering in honor of the holiday, so you might as well play that fact up. To really shine as a host, we suggest setting up a few fun Easter activities (like an egg hunt!) that loved ones can enjoy in the hours leading up to that perfectly-curated Easter dinner.

Once guests sit down to eat, ensure their wowed by arranging a tabletop worthy of the holiday. Decorating your Easter table starts with the perfect tablecloth, which should be as festive as it is effortless. Our pick is crisp and clean, anchored with a playful Easter motif that signifies the beginning of spring. If you have a favorite table covering that you'd rather use (like an heirloom piece you've been putting out for years) you can always freshen it up with a few spring-like embellishments instead. You could also work through any one of our tablecloth crafts before your celebration. Of course, an arrangement of in-season flowers is always at home.

One of the easiest ways to ensure your Easter table speaks to the season while also being easy on you as the host? Prepare your Easter mains in cookware that can flawlessly go from oven to table—pastel-hued cast iron cookware is our pick for a display that's both functional and beautiful. Last but not least, you'll want to set the table with holiday-worthy glassware, and we have a couple of bright ideas for you. We found beautiful rose-hued stemware that's perfect for mid-morning mimosas and an affordable piece of jadeite serveware—a Martha favorite—that's ideal for keeping everyone well hydrated.

To truly shine as a host this year, check out all 12 entertaining essentials. In addition to looking great, many of them also help make hosting a breeze.

Dress up your table with a flowery spring tablecloth. We love that this one is durable and machine washable, which makes brunch or dinner clean-up a breeze.

Sur La Table "Floral Meadow" Tablecloth, starting at $129, williams-sonoma.com

.

What could be cuter on your table than an adorable set of bunny salt and pepper shakers? Kids will adore them and adults will wish they had their own set, too. 

Martha Stewart Collection "Bunny" Salt & Pepper Shakers, $20, macys.com

.

Sophisticated and elegant, this cheese board is the perfect Easter serving dish. We love the bronze butterflies and how whimsical they look on the branch handles.

Michael Aram "Butterfly Gingko" Cheese Board with Knife, $200, neimanmarcus.com

.

Add the perfect finishing touch to your Easter table setting with these beautiful and cheery floral napkins. Each one is block-printed by hand.

Terrain "Pink Blossoms" Napkin, $14, shopterrain.com

.

Carry your springtime style from the kitchen to the dining room. This enameled cast iron casserole is the perfect vessel for your Easter meal—durable and seasonally-appropriate in this pretty pink hue. The heart-shaped accent on the lid adds an extra loveable touch.

Martha Stewart Collection Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven, $180, macys.com

.

For a serving dish that is entirely unique, look no further than this reactive glaze set. The subtle mint coloring—from a technique admired for its variegated coloring—results in a truly unique collection.

Reactive Glaze "Dusty Mint" Serveware, starting at $34, westelm.com

.

Flowers are not restricted to arrangements alone. They also inspire beautiful dishes such as this china collection by Jasper Conran. Each one comes in mix-and-match prints of blousy roses, blooming peonies, and lovely lilac. Set your table with this pretty colletion for an immediate dose of seasonal charm.

Wegdwood x Joseph Conran "Floral" 5-Piece Setting, $139, wedgwood.com

.

Martha loves Jadeite and it's hard to deny its charm. This glass pitcher comes in a pretty pastel shade, almost as if it were made just for Easter. The best thing about it? When the meal is over, the pitcher becomes the perfect vase for an arrangement of pretty spring blooms.

Moss Jadeite Pitcher, Sur La Table, $45, s

urlatable.com

.

Not only are these beautiful wine glasses handcrafted, but they also comes in the perfect shade of pink to complement your spring table.

Anthropologie "Gilded Rim" Wine Glass, $22, a

nthropologie.com

.

From your deviled eggs to your decorated ones, this egg platter is the perfect way to serve your guests in style.

Martha Stewart Collection Easter Egg Platter​, $30, macys.com

.

From the makers at American Heirloom, this handcrafted cake stand is sure to let any dessert shine. The light maple wood is lovely for spring, and you even have the option of engraving the base.

American Heirloom Hardwood Maple Cake Stand, $70, aheirloom.com

.

This gold cake server is unique and beautiful enough to elevate any table. As if you needed another excuse to serve cake at your Easter celebration.

Canvas Home "Oslo" Cake Server, $45, canvashomestore.com

.