{"id":100773,"date":"2023-12-11T02:04:05","date_gmt":"2023-12-11T02:04:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/turbocelebrity.com\/?p=100773"},"modified":"2023-12-11T02:04:05","modified_gmt":"2023-12-11T02:04:05","slug":"how-to-ace-christmas-entertaining-with-our-festive-party-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/turbocelebrity.com\/lifestyle\/how-to-ace-christmas-entertaining-with-our-festive-party-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"How to ace Christmas entertaining with our festive party guide"},"content":{"rendered":"
The Christmas party season is in full swing and your social anxiety levels have reached peak panic mode. Your diary is full, your time is stretched and you\u2019re expected to socialise with people you neither know nor particularly like.<\/p>\n
All those tricky how-to-behave dilemmas are weighing on your mind. What should you take for drinks with your husband\u2019s boss that looks thoughtful but not over-the-top? How soon is too soon to exit the supper with neighbours? And how can you avoid being the bore no one wants to sit next to?<\/p>\n
And if you\u2019re the one who\u2019s hosting, can you rope in guests to help out? What will they want to eat? And what decorations will they gasp at in awe?<\/p>\n
Here is your practical guide, written by two experts who socialise for a living, so you can breeze through the build-up and charm everyone in sight.<\/p>\n
TIPS FOR THROWING THE PERFECT PARTY<\/span><\/p>\n Alice Naylor-Leyland, founder of Mrs Alice tablescapes and contributing editor of American Vogue, on how to embrace \u2018collective cooking\u2019, make canapes from cheap white bread and extend the dining table with MDF.<\/span><\/p>\n A table dressed to impress: Alice Naylor-Leyland loves a well planned and co-ordinated place setting\u00a0<\/p>\n It\u2019s not too late to plan<\/span><\/p>\n When it comes to laying your Christmas table, pre-planning is key, especially if you don\u2019t want to feel overwhelmed. And no, it\u2019s not too late if you do it now.<\/p>\n I put the children to bed and make my moodboards. You need to work out what you have and what you need to buy.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t allow yourself to get overloaded with too much choice. It\u2019s all about taking the hassle out of hosting.<\/p>\n Know when to stop<\/span><\/p>\n I could bow and bow until you can\u2019t see the tree unless someone stops me. The extra 30 per cent effort you put in is what\u2019s going to kill you \u2014 and, guess what, no one will notice.<\/p>\n My mother, who has banned heels this year in an attempt to keep it low-key, once put up 40 wreaths all around her home. By the time she served Christmas dinner, she was totally shattered.<\/p>\n That\u2019s when she noticed my sister had a hole in her Donna Karan tights and completely lost the plot, because this didn\u2019t fit with her idea of the perfect Christmas.<\/p>\n So I decorate the hall, the tree and the mantelpiece, that\u2019s it. Only do focal points or you\u2019ll just die of exhaustion. I lay it all out the night before then put it up in one day.<\/p>\n When it comes to laying your Christmas table, pre-planning is key, especially if you don\u2019t want to feel overwhelmed<\/p>\n Be creative with table decor, but make sure what you choose isn’t too high – you want to be able to see the guests sat on the other side\u00a0<\/p>\n Invest in a tablecloth<\/span><\/p>\n Unless you have the most beautiful table, buy a tablecloth. When you lay one, people stay longer at the table. There\u2019s something very inviting and collective about it.<\/p>\n I love a place setting that is well planned and co-ordinated. It\u2019s an art form.<\/p>\n Dressing your home and your table is no different to dressing yourself. You always know if someone has made an effort. That\u2019s the point, and good table linen will do that for you.<\/p>\n Look for the quick win<\/span><\/p>\n Choose table decor that\u2019s not too high as you need to be able to see guests on the other side. Instead of a regular tealight, go for a glass lantern tea light holder (\u00a332 pair, mrsalice.com), then you can use them as year-round decorations.<\/p>\n Make sure the colour of seasonal plates also works year-round. Our Christmas green lace plates will be used in our Easter collection, too. The look is interchangeable.<\/p>\n I don\u2019t know many people who can even store Christmas plates. I bought some from TK Maxx years ago and they live outside with the washing machine.<\/p>\n Lamps are like clothes<\/span><\/p>\n When it comes to table lighting, buy the lamp stand (think of that as your skirt) and then add a beautiful lamp shade (your top).<\/p>\n One season, you can have an olive shade and then next season you can go pink with a yellow trim.<\/p>\n Rechargeable table lights sell so well on Mrs Alice, we can\u2019t feed the demand. It\u2019s a modern take on how to light the area where you\u2019re sitting and making conversation.<\/p>\n Instead of a regular tealight, go for a glass lantern tea light holder (\u00a332 pair, mrsalice.com), then you can use them as year-round decorations<\/p>\n Invite one and all<\/span><\/p>\n My husband Tom and I are both the eldest of six children, so we have a large extended family.<\/p>\n I\u2019m the person who gets a sheet of MDF and extends the table on Christmas Eve.<\/p>\n If it means we end up with chocolate fondant on the curtains, so be it. If there\u2019s a time to be cosy around the table, this is it.<\/p>\n When it comes to opening gifts, have separate times for when the adults and the children do it.<\/p>\n That way, you won\u2019t look ungrateful when you\u2019re opening a present while, at the same time, focusing on your daughter excitedly opening her new Barbie.<\/p>\n Slow cooking = success<\/span><\/p>\n For a crowd, do something slow cooked the day before. I hate it when you\u2019ve made an effort with the table, you\u2019re wearing a nice frock and you\u2019re not able to spend time with your guests.<\/p>\n For friends over Twixmas, I\u2019ll do an adaptation of a Nigella recipe, slow cooked lamb with pomegranate, feta and mint. I\u2019ll put it in the Aga the night before when the kids are in bed. It\u2019s delicious for days.<\/p>\n Get the mint pre-chopped before guests arrive, then throw it together before people sit at the table.<\/p>\n Avoid dishes such as risotto that take you away from the friends you\u2019ve invited. Trust me, I\u2019ve had my Christmas disasters. It was turkey sashimi one year.<\/p>\n If you’re going for a traditional Christmas look, a red table cloth is a great place to start. Add green glassware and gold Christmas crackers with red velvet bows\u00a0<\/p>\n White bread canapes<\/span><\/p>\n A smaller version of Harry\u2019s Bar Croque Monsieur gets devoured at every party in our house.<\/p>\n You can pre-make the sandwich with a good amount of mustard, good ham, strong cheddar cheese, plus a touch of lime, then some Worcestershire and tabasco sauce on top of the cheese.<\/p>\n Only use proper white bad-for-you bread. It doesn\u2019t work using sourdough. Then clingfilm them so they don\u2019t get dry in the fridge.<\/p>\n Just before guests arrive, get lots of butter in the pan, fry the bread on both sides, cut it into six to eight pieces and there\u2019s your canape.<\/p>\n We also eat a lot of halloumi as a quick canape, just fried in strips \u2014 it\u2019s very unsophisticated but it works. And, of course, cocktail sausages because people always eat them. You can\u2019t be a foodie and a table enthusiast. Pick your skill.<\/p>\n Finally, fake it!<\/span><\/p>\n Nothing else really matters as long as to your children you appear calm. Even if you are pedalling furiously underneath.<\/p>\n GUARANTEE YOU’RE TOP OF THE GUEST LIST<\/span><\/p>\n Alexandra Dudley, presenter of Soho House\u2019s How to Host A Dinner Party workshop, on the \u00a31 gift all hosts love. Plus, why you should never remove your shoes, take fresh flowers or leave before 10pm.<\/span><\/p>\n Alexandra Dudley, presenter of Soho House\u2019s How to Host A Dinner Party workshop, shares her top tips for guests\u00a0<\/p>\n A magnum is munificent\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Do NOT take alcohol that you want the host to open for you \u2014 that\u2019s not a gift. Remember, once you\u2019ve handed it over, it\u2019s no longer yours.<\/p>\n Opt for a magnum of ros\u00e9 at any time of year, which typically costs less than a good bottle of Champagne, around \u00a340. It looks more thoughtful than a bottle of wine that you could have grabbed at the local supermarket.<\/p>\n Having said that, Champagne can be a supermarket brand \u2014 you\u2019ll be amazed how good the Lidl ones taste. If you do buy something cheaper, don\u2019t lecture your host on how good it is to justify your choice.<\/p>\n Arrive with breakfast<\/span><\/p>\n I like to buy foodie gifts that your hosts wouldn\u2019t buy for themselves in their usual weekly shop.<\/p>\n If they\u2019re the type to go for hair of the dog (and I hope for your sake they are!) then The Bloody Mary Gift Box kit from The Pickle House (\u00a330, thepicklehouse.com) is hard to beat.\u00a0<\/p>\n Or take a more sedate breakfast for the next day \u2014 some good bread and butter, cold cuts and smoked salmon \u2014 like a food stocking, will make anyone smile.<\/p>\n For a real budget buy, take long tapered candles from somewhere like Flying Tiger in pretty colours for about \u00a31 each, and wrap them in tissue with a velvet bow.<\/p>\n I stock up, so I always have them on stand-by for any last-minute invites.<\/p>\n For a kitsch Christmas table, try plates with reindeer, wicker accessories and plenty of ornaments\u00a0<\/p>\n Ditch Flowers<\/span><\/p>\n I would avoid bringing flowers to a party, because then the host has to pause, cut them and find a vase. You\u2019re adding to the workload \u2014 and they\u2019ll be conscious it looks rude if they don\u2019t display them.<\/p>\n You could take something potted; not a cactus but perhaps herbs, that will last and be useful.<\/p>\n If in doubt, overdress<\/span><\/p>\n Take your lead from the host and what you know about their style. You can ask in advance, but if you don\u2019t know them, aim to over dress rather than under dress.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re totally unsure, aim for smart jeans with a fabulous top and a heel. Sezane, Whistles and Boden are all good for this.\u00a0<\/p>\n Look for pretty patterned silk or velvet shirts or a statement collar, and you\u2019ll never go wrong with a good cream silk crepe shirt worn with oversized gold jewellery.<\/p>\n I quite often wear a colourful suit. If, when you arrive, you find that you have gone overboard, own up to it and laugh.<\/p>\n Keep your shoes on\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n They should be clean enough that you don\u2019t need to remove them. Obviously, if you\u2019re asked to, you\u2019ve got little choice, but when you take them off (make sure you\u2019ve had a pedicure or wear good socks!), guests revert to more of a childish mentality.<\/p>\n Somehow, it\u2019s more casual once shoes are off \u2014 it removes the sophistication from the evening.<\/p>\n Sit pink dining plates on green placemats and decorate the table with pink and green flowers for a modern look\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Share the bore!<\/span><\/p>\n The best way to rid yourself of the dinner party bore is to skilfully bring other people into the conversation.<\/p>\n Pretend you can\u2019t remember details of the story you\u2019re telling and ask others for help. That way, you\u2019re not stuck one-on-one.<\/p>\n Or, gravitate yourself to conversations that are more interesting. Hopefully they will get the hint \u2014 but honestly, a lot of the time, people just don\u2019t.<\/p>\n How not to be the bore<\/span><\/p>\n Don\u2019t prep your dinner party chat because it will only feel false. Most people have something about themselves that they want to talk about \u2014 your job is to find out what it is.<\/p>\n You can ask people what they do for a living, but don\u2019t make it the first thing. Commenting on the evening is an instant way to start a conversation.<\/p>\n Avoid politics. For a lot of people, the state of the world is terrifying, and they\u2019ll fear they\u2019re ill-informed and stay quiet.<\/p>\n Others will be over-informed and over-opinionated.<\/p>\n Aim for great TV you\u2019ve watched for immediate common ground.<\/p>\n Unless you have the most beautiful table, buy a tablecloth. When you lay one, people stay longer at the table<\/p>\n Never call to cancel<\/span><\/p>\n You cannot cancel on the day unless you are really sick. If that\u2019s the case, don\u2019t call \u2014 it\u2019s annoying and self-indulgent, like you\u2019re trying to prove you\u2019re ill.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t put someone on the spot and force them to talk to you.<\/p>\n They don\u2019t have time for that. They will try to be sympathetic, but it is irritating and calling will just add fuel to that fire. Send a text explaining and apologise, but don\u2019t expect them to reply.<\/p>\n If you are the partner of the person cancelling, then you should still attend.<\/p>\n Be a useful helper\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Always be specific with your offers of help. Don\u2019t just say: \u2018Can I do anything?\u2019<\/p>\n Always make useful suggestions, such as: \u2018Can I chop anything?\u2019 Or: \u2018Can I carry anything through for you?\u2019 And not in a way that suggests they\u2019ve forgotten it.<\/p>\n Hovering in the kitchen is the worst thing of all: never do that.<\/p>\n Offer to take water to the table because guests always feel bad asking for it. It suggests they\u2019re not having fun.<\/p>\n Asking for water is more awkward than asking for wine.<\/p>\n Add a modern twist to a traditional Christmas by ditching red in favour of white, green and gold\u00a0<\/p>\n Eat and help serve<\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s disheartening if you make something and no one eats it, so always pass nibbles and dishes at the table to other guests.<\/p>\n The host will always appreciate the help. And nine times out of ten, someone will take something if they are offered it.<\/p>\n Don’t leave too soon\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Assuming the party starts around 7pm, 10pm is the very earliest you can go. And if it\u2019s a sit-down meal, then you definitely can\u2019t go until after dessert.<\/p>\n Similarly, don\u2019t announce you have to leave early as soon as you arrive. That never goes down well with the host.<\/p>\n Nor is it OK to arrive late. There is a half-hour arrival window.<\/p>\n I ask people to arrive between 7 pm and 7.30 pm. Later than that and it\u2019s rude.<\/p>\n If you’re being left out\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n If there are people at the table who know each other well, they often end up in deep conversation that other people are not part of.<\/p>\n If, at times, you\u2019re the one who\u2019s not in the chat, then don\u2019t panic. It\u2019s not intentional and it will swing back to you.<\/p>\n This is when what\u2019s on the table can be useful props to help you.<\/p>\n You can offer to pass something or refill someone\u2019s glass \u2014 then someone might notice and bring you into the conversation.<\/p>\n But you have to make the effort. The host has already done their bit \u2014 and now it\u2019s your turn.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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