How long is the workshop?

Plan for about 2–3 hours, including the workshop, live podcast recording, and book-signing/photo opportunity.

Is this suitable for beginners?

Yes—content is practical and approachable, aimed at hosts of all experience levels.

Are refreshments provided?

Event details will note refreshments; bring dietary notes if needed and check the booking page before attending.

Can I buy Holly Holden’s book at the event?

Yes—attendees can purchase The Pretty and Proper Living Room and have it signed after the podcast recording.

Is the venue accessible?

Stanton Hall is historic; accessibility can vary—check event booking details for specific accessibility information.

Can I record or take photos during the podcast?

Photography and recording policies are set by the event organizers; ask staff on arrival and be mindful of the live recording.

Pretty and Proper: Hostess Workshop with Holly Holden at Stanton Hall, Natchez | Workshop

On a bright afternoon in Natchez, Mississippi, conversation and craft converge in The Queen's Room on the grounds of Stanton Hall. Pretty and Proper: A Hostess Workshop with Holly Holden turns old-school etiquette into practical skills—table layout, timing, and the subtle choreography that keeps guests comfortable—then pairs that instruction with a live episode of The Punchbowl Diaries and a chance to meet the author. The result is part classroom, part salon, and entirely suited to anyone who wants to host with more confidence. The setting matters. Stanton Hall’s formal rooms and historic proportions set a clear tone: this is about presence as much as polish. In The Queen's Room you’ll be close enough to examine place settings, hear phrasing that eases introductions, and practice small rituals that make gatherings flow. Holly Holden teaches with warmth and plainspoken wit; her book, The Pretty and Proper Living Room, provides takeaways you can tuck into your toolkit. After the workshop, the live podcast recording adds behind-the-scenes stories and lively banter that highlight how etiquette adapts to today’s hosts. The workshop is practical in focus. Expect demonstrations on seating, timing a multi-course meal, host-guest roles, managing awkward moments, and simple staging that elevates a casual porch supper into an intentional event. Bring curiosity and a notebook—questions drive much of the conversation—and plan to stay for the podcast and book signing so you can personalize what you learned. Why come here instead of attending an online masterclass? The tactile experience of setting real plates and hearing an audience respond in a historic room anchors lessons in muscle memory. For visitors to Natchez, the event offers cultural context: it connects manners to the social history of Southern entertaining without romanticizing the past. Whether you live locally or are visiting the Mississippi River town for historical tours, this workshop is a practical, cultural, stop. Logistics are straightforward: arrive a little early to orient yourself on the grounds of Stanton Hall, dress smart-casual, and bring any dietary notes if refreshments are mentioned in the event details. The afternoon blends instruction, live recording energy, and the chance to purchase a signed copy of Holly Holden’s book and take a commemorative photo. It’s a compact, social, and skill-forward way to leave with clearer hosting instincts and a new confidence for your next gathering. Beyond the classroom, the afternoon offers a peek at Natchez’s living culture: neighbors who still prize staged hospitality, gardens that frame porches, and a downtown where antique shops and riverfront walks pair well with an etiquette primer. The program suits a range of ages and backgrounds; it rewards hosts who prefer detail over flash and anyone curious about the mechanics behind gracious social exchange and modern sensibilities.

About Natchez Pilgrimage Tours

Natchez Pilgrimage Tours is a guided-tour operator based in Natchez, Mississippi, offering curated visits to historic homes, gardens, and city attractions. The operator conducts guided experiences at documented properties and specialty events, including Concord Quarters 1819, Lansdowne 1853, Monmouth 1818, Thomas Staniforth House 1854, White Wings 1833, Myrtle Terrace 1844-1851, Rosalie 1823, Longwood 1860, 1861, Regina Charboneau's Biscuit Cooking Class, and a Natchez City Sightseeing hop-on hop-off double-decker tour.

Tours range from a focused forty-five-minute visit at Concord Quarters to extended guided house and garden tours featuring original furnishings, period wallpapers, restored dependencies, and manicured grounds. Interpretive content highlights architectural details, family histories, Civil War connections, and the lives of enslaved African Americans where applicable. Concord Quarters is noted as a freestanding slave dwelling listed on the National Register of Historic Places; Monmouth and Longwood are identified among National Historic Landmarks and preserved sites. The operator coordinates access with property stewards and provides timed experiences, printed materials, and site-specific context to help visitors plan. Visitors may also book a biscuit cooking class taught by Chef Regina Charboneau or explore more than forty city sights on an open-air sightseeing route. Natchez Pilgrimage Tours serves history enthusiasts, architecture lovers, and travelers seeking educational, site-based experiences in Natchez, Mississippi. The organization emphasizes factual interpretation, preservation-minded access, and respectful presentation of complex histories across its portfolio of historic tours and experiences. Schedules and booking information are available through the operator's official channels; advance reservations are recommended for popular seasonal tours and specialty classes online.