A Guide on How to Host the Perfect Christmas Day
Having guests round and being the host can be enjoyable, yet very stressful. There is a lot of pressure to cook the perfect dinner, keep drinks topped up and guests entertained, especially on Christmas Day. But fear not, here at LUXlife we have compiled a guide to help you host a show stopping Christmas Day which everyone will enjoy.
This guide features delicious food hampers which will even ensure the Christmas dinner is easier to prepare, along with scrumptious desserts, appetisers, a variety of drinks and luxurious decorations which will wow your guests.
Decorations and Tableware
First things first, decoration is the key to giving your home a festive ambiance. The table décor in particular is one of the main things your guests will notice when they sit down, so adding a festive table cloth, investing in matching crockery and even some novelty decorations will impress them. Here is a pick of our favourite items available right now.
The Table Cloth
The Falling Stars Linen Tablecloth from Summerill and Bishop is a show stopper. Made with 100% Italian linen the tablecloth is luxuriously hand painted in deep, inky blue with woodblock stamped gold stars falling whimsically along the sides.
The combination of the blue and the gold make a truly glimmering addition for the holidays.
Purchase here for £625.
The Dinnerware
The Starry Night Etoile dinner set by Astier de Villatte is a unique yet charming festive collection which is set to impress dinner guests. The star shaped crockery will definitely make a statement on the table, and would definitely compliment the Falling Stars Tablecloth featured above.
The Starry Night Etoile collection includes:
- A soup bowl- £95.00
- Dinner plate- £115.00
- Dessert plate- £90.00
- Fruit stand- £215.00
With a modern geometric texture combined with a more traditional circular shape, the Precious Reflections of Metal dinnerware collection from Claudia Raimondo also oozes luxury. Available on Alessi, the collection features large centre piece bowls, smaller bowls and circular trays- all perfect for serving the Christmas dinner in the centre of the table. Their metallic finish will certainly add to the festive theme.
Purchase items from the collection here.
Cutlery
Sticking with the opulent gold colour theme, we love this quirky stainless steel cutlery set from designers Doriana and Massimiliano Fuksas available at Alessi. Part of their Columbina collection, the cutlery set is composed of six table spoons, six table forks, six table knives and six coffee spoons.
Buy here now.
Napkins
These personalised Christmas napkins from Stranos Linen are the perfect detail to add to your dinner table. The luxury brand, which has A-list clients from around the world allows you to choose which designs and words to have monogrammed on your napkins and also offers personalised towels, and robes.
A set of 4 Christmas Napkins cost £165.00 and can be purchased here.
Table Accessories
If you’re hosting for a large party this year then place markers are essential to ensure any required seating arrangements or menu preferences are followed. These place markers by Dressed at Alessi look angelic and grand enough to take their place on the Christmas dinner table.
Buy 4 for £45 from Alessi.
At £1,250.00 the Babylon Candlestick from Summerill and Bishop is certainly an investment, however it is an exceptional piece with an enchanting Dickensian look.
This unique candlestick made from the famous clay from the Westerwald region, on the banks of the river Rhine in Germany, is handmade by Kuhn Keramic in their idiosyncratic studio Berlin studio. Each candlestick is completely individual, and finished with Kuhns iconic pug faces subtley blended into the design.
The Babylon candle stick is sold only over the phone or in stores, click here to find out more.
These cute circus spice jars are giving us major Greatest Showman vibes. They are perfect for serving nibbles such as dried fruit and nuts on the table.
The jars are sold in twos for £26 at Alessi.
Quite a novelty decoration, this strongman nutcracker is a nifty piece that will get everyone talking around the table.
Get yours now from Alessi for £890.
Glassware
Austrian heritage glassware brand Riedel have beautiful decanters, wine glassware, champagne glassware, and cocktail barware to suit your needs over the festive season as well as the rest of the year.
Shop their glassware collection now here.
These exquisite avocado green, red and white, double striped, hand blown glasses from Murano make for an elevated experience at any table. With their festive colours too, they are perfect for Christmas.
Sold in a set of 8, buy now for £880.00 from Alessi.
The Food
To take you right through from breakfast to evening snacks, here are some of the most festive and gourmet food selections available for Christmas.
PIMM's Preserve
Add some festive flavour to your morning crossaint this Christmas with Pimm’s jam.
This year PIMM’s has partnered with England’s oldest jam makers, Duerr’s, to create a sweet treat that combines PIMM’S strawberries and tangerine flavours with a hint of mint. The preserve contains 4% of PIMM’S spirit drink.
Buy now for £2.49 from Sainsbury’s supermarkets.
Luxury Christmas Dinner Boxes From Donald Russell
Save yourself from having to go back and forth to the supermarkets this Christmas and order a Christmas Dinner box from Donald Russell, including everything you’ll need, from a Loué Free-range Bronze Turkey, to pigs in blankets and roast potatoes. There are a variety of boxes available such as one which just contains vegetables and another which provides you with all the trimmings.
Click here to get yours now.
COOK’s Puddings are the Perfect Festive Feast Finale
COOK’s delicious range of Christmas puddings are perfect to add the cherry on top of your Festive feasting; without you breaking a sweat (or a roulade!).
Made using some of the very best British ingredients, all dishes are prepared by hand like you would at home and then freshly frozen at -35°C, locking in all the delicious flavours. On the front label of each dish, you’ll find the name and signature of the chef who prepared each small batch at the COOK Kitchens in Kent and Somerset. At home, you simply defrost your pudding of choice, and enjoy! So if you’re the host you won’t have to spend your time stuck in the kitchen.
Desserts include; Espresso Martini Pavlova, Chocolate & Hazelnut Meringue Parfait, Spiced Apple & Blackberry Torte, Chocolate & Ginger Mousse, and Fruit Vacherin.
Available from your local COOK Shop or online at www.COOKfood.net/menu/Christmas.
Have Yourself A Sushi Little Christmas
Christmas food is traditionally laden with cream, cheese and meats, so why not mix up the Christmas buffet with the addition of some sushi.
Sushi Daily, a leading sushi brand with counters across the country, is offering a range of freshly handmade festive season sushi platters.From the 32-piece Nagoya Mix, which costs £25 and features three variations of nigiri, sashimi and maki, to the 67-piece Maki Party, which costs £35 and offers an exciting mix of veggie and fish maki, the range includes a platter to suit sushi experts and novices alike.
The platters are available at Sushi Daily counters in convenient locations including selected Waitrose and Asda stores. For more information visit: https://sushidaily.com
Melrose and Morgan Festive Treats
Melrose and Morgan, the modern Grocer and Kitchen has an array of Christmas treats available this year to suit all of your festive cravings.
Sweet treats include their Great Taste Award-Winning Mince Pies (£10 for 8); a traditional Plum Pudding (£10-£18) that comes complete with its own festive bag; this year’s signature Crystallised Ginger and Cranberry Loaf Cake (£10); and not forgetting their traditional Christmas Cake (£12.50), packed with vine fruit, cranberries and dry cherries steeped in French brandy and decorated with a layer of marzipan and fondant icing.
Visit https://melroseandmorgan.com/ to purchase these items.
Partridges Hampers
For the 48th Christmas in a row Partridges, the world renowned grocer to the Queen, has created a fascinating collection of luxury festive hampers.
The blue cheese and port hamper has particularly caught our eye and would be a great addition to any dinner table on Christmas Day.
Visit https://www.partridges.co.uk/ to purchase.
Thorntons Continental Chocolates
Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without chocolate so treat your guests to some Thorntons classics this year.
Purchase from https://www.thorntons.co.uk/
Drinks
Christmas is the time for getting merry. Here is a selection of some of the best drinks to have in store during the festive period.
Courvoisier VSOP
Courvoisier’s cognac is a Christmas classic, usually enjoyed after Christmas dinner. With notes of ripe fruit, spring flowers and fresh oakiness, this brandy delivers a spectrum of sensations.
Available at UK supermarkets including Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and Asda.
Coole Swan Premium Irish Cream Liqueur
Made with heart using all natural ingredients, every bottle of Coole Swan Irish Cream Liqueur contains a delicious combination of single malt Irish whiskey, white Belgian chocolate and its very own, fresh Irish dairy cream, delivering a brilliant white pour and a distinctively smooth, velvety and long-lasting taste experience.
Buy now from www.cooleswan.com.
Graham’s 10 Year Old Tawny Port
Harking from the renowned vineyards of the Douro Valley, Graham’s range of premium Port wines will help you transcend the Christmas rush and transport you to the artisan cellars of Portugal’s Port making region.
Available for an RRP of £20 from Waitrose, Tesco, Sainsbury’s & Ocado.
Everleaf Non-Alcoholic Aperitif
Everleaf is a great sophisticated drink for those who don’t drink. Mix with tonic water, and fresh citrus fruit for a refreshing beverage. As a bonus the drink is made purely from plants which are sourced sustainably.
Purchase from: https://www.everleafdrinks.com/
Patron Tequila
If you’re planning on getting the party started this Christmas, a bottle of tequila is a must. Patrón Silver tequila is the perfect ultra-premium white spirit. Using only the finest 100 percent Weber Blue Agave, it is handmade in small batches to be smooth, soft and easily mixable.
So whether you’re making fancy cocktails or drinking shots this Christmas, Patron Silver Tequila provides an enjoyable experience.
Purchase here: https://www.thewhiskyexchange.com/p/4906/patron-silver-tequila
Here at LUXlife we hope our guide helps you through planning your festivities, making hosting the big day all the more easier. Have a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year!
