Dinner party faux pas? Ina Garten says this common gift is a big mistake (and what to bring instead)

If you're ever fortunate enough to have Ina Garten on your dinner party guest list, you shouldn't expect loose flowers when she walks through the door.

The Barefoot Contessa, who has set the standard for hosting from her East Hampton home, is no stranger to sharing formal dinner party advice. However, her most recent pearls of wisdom address a lesser-known area: Being the perfect guest.

During a recent interview with Today's Willie Geist on May 19, the pair discussed the importance of not bringing 'a gift that messes with the plan of the evening,' and, surprisingly to some, loose flowers are on Ina's banned list.

'There are two things that I don’t think you should ever bring to a dinner party, and they’re so common, is something that the host feels like they should serve. I mean, starting with Jell-O salad,' Ina says in the footage. 'And don’t ever bring flowers that aren’t in a vase. Everyone’s arriving and then all of a sudden, you’ve got these flowers and you have to figure out what to do.’

What is the alternative? Ina isn't saying you can't gift flowers; she's just saying they shouldn't be loose. Therefore, buying a stunning vase for your host to hold their new flowers is the natural choice. To help, we've rounded up some of our favorites below. They're all beautiful in their own right, and ready to be decorated with anything from a simple stem to a bountiful bouquet.

In a similar vein, Ina has previously shared dining table styling advice that helps hosts get the most out of their new flowers (and vessels). To create a stunning centerpiece, she recommends choosing one single flower type (in her case, pink roses), and filling your vases with this one consistent bloom. On her dining table, she avoids using larger vases and opts for small water glasses to keep things effortless.

''An easy tip for stylish centerpieces – choose one flower and use lots of them! And one more thing – instead of finding lots of matching vases for my flowers, I just use water glasses! Simple and elegant - my favorite combination,' Ina says.

However you style them, and whatever vase (or container you use), remember that, as long as the flowers aren't loose, you'll likely have Ina's approval.