Tips For Hosting This Christmas

This is our favourite time of year! We love knowing Christmas is just around the corner so we’ve come up with our top tips for being the ultimate host throughout the festive season, and on Christmas Day!

TIP #1: Food Prep

 If you’re doing the hosting this year, it’s essential you plan ahead in terms of ordering the essential ingredients that go into a show-stopping Christmas meal. Taking centre-stage is the turkey; always make sure you buy from a great, local supplier if you can (farm shops are our favourite) Make sure you get your numbers right and purchase enough vegetables, sauces and all the trimmings to provide second’s should your guests request it. It is Christmas Day after-all!

Once you have the food orders taken care of, it’s about thinking through the day’s schedule. Our advice is to ensure you have accounted for every element of the day; breakfast, lunch, appetizers, cheeses, chocolates, and plenty of alcohol, of course! Make sure you have enough chairs for your guests to sit down. It may sound simple but most households have a dining table that seats 4-6 people so have a think about borrowing from friends or a garden table you can use inside. The main thing is that you’re all together.

 On Christmas Day morning you will need to ensure you have allowed enough time for the food preparation, set-up, present opening, and of course eating. Why not create a lovely schedule for the day which you can hand out to your guests on arrival? Throw in a walk or Christmas movie for good measure!

TIP #2 The Table

The centre-piece of the day… the table! This is your chance to create a beautiful, entertaining space for all your guests. We’re loving golds, whites and greens in particular, but why not inject red or purple as your accent colour?

Do some research on the look you want to go for. A smart table runner and matching napkins is a simple but touching option.  Then add napkin holders that are fun and festive, or uber-classy (whichever is more your style)

Culinary Concepts offer some really smart table accessories, such as this iconic Champagne Bucket,  bottle-stoppers, and cheese knives.

Providing a fantastic centrepiece is also a great talking point and indicates a central point for your guests to gather round. Don’t forget to light the fire if you have one and add some amazing crackers to your table as a Christmas must-have, too!

TIP #3 Lighting

Being Estate Agents we see how important lighting is to a home. Incorporate side lights/lamps if you have them – perhaps re-purpose them from other rooms to build a warm glow in the main hosting rooms. Candles are always a real winner in our eyes; not only looking great but smelling great too. This mistletoe and fir option from M&S has caught our eye, or check out Jo Malone – her scented candles make beautiful gifts as well as dressing your room!

If there are lots of children involved with your Christmas Day, you may not wish to use real candles. We suggest investing in these LED candles. Once alight, they glow just like the real thing, the wick flickers too! They are so close to the real thing that if you are worried, we recommend putting some on your fireplace, window-ledges, table and sideboard. You won’t regret it! You could go one step further and put some pillar candles in glass vases you already own, surround the candle with pine cones and firs, to create a focal point in your room. Here’s one example that has caught out eye;

To add an extra festive touch, does your dining room table have a hanging light above it? Why not collect some firs from a Christmas Tree supplier and create a garland around your lights? This will get all your guests talking, and suitably impressed! Definitely adding festive cheer to your home.

TIP #4 Set the Ambiance

You want to create a setting for guests so that they spend their time with you relaxed and comfortable. The tempo of the music you choose will play a large part in setting the scene. However, you don’t want them to get so comfortable that they fall asleep to constant Michael Buble!
A tasteful playlist for an elegant Christmas party could include a mix of traditional Christmas songs, or maybe ask each of your guests to share their own tunes. If you want to incorporate your music, everyone loves to play, so consider incorporating a game or two into your party plans.

Hopefully these tips will help you on the road to host the Christmas party of the year. Don’t put pressure on as remember Christmas is a time to come together and be joyful, but if you can add that extra sparkle we think there’s nothing wrong with that!

TIP #4 Laugh Out Loud

As Christmas Day is about being with those that matter and creating memories together, we say, purchase some board games and a new set of cards for hours of family fun!

For the risqué host in you, Cards Against Humanity is always entertaining. However you can keep it simple; it’s amazing how much fun playing cards of some sort can be, and how often do you get to do this, realistically? We say, make the most of the down-time and laugh out loud until your tummy hurts.

We hope our top tips for hosting and creating memorable moments with all those that matter, have helped contribute to a very Merry Christmas from all of us at Lovett Estate Agents.