The Do's and Don'ts of Holiday Table Presentations
‘Tis the season to be festive (and creative!). With all the planning that goes into organizing food and presents during the holiday season it can often be very easy to forget about one important part - your feast table presentation. A standout holiday dining table can not only alter the aesthetics of the space, but it can also improve the vibes of the event, even if it’s a small gathering this season. This is your time to really shine and create a feast to remember!
The ideal holiday table presentation ultimately comes down to personal style and taste. You can co-ordinate your holiday menu to aesthetically match your table presentation, or you can even get your family involved with DIY holiday decoration craft sessions. The choice is up to you. There are, however, a few starting points or guidelines to follow to help things run smoothly, so we have provided 5 do’s and don’ts to help take your holiday table presentation to the next level.
DO: Get festive
What your holiday season looks like can depend a lot on where in the world you live. For those in the Northern Hemisphere, holidays may be reminiscent of snow, pine trees and hot cocoa. Get festive by embracing snow days, through crafting paper snowflakes that can drape down from the ceilings, or using miniature personalized snow globes that could act as a place setting for each guest. For those in the Southern Hemisphere, holidays may mean warm days at the beach and ice-cold drinks. You may opt to use brighter colours, or focus on a theme that explores tropical locations.
DO: Focus on color palettes
When you think of the holiday season what color palettes come to mind? Golds, reds, greens and whites are typical color palettes, but there are many different color schemes that you can play around with depending on your own personal taste. Stepping outside of the traditional red/green colors can mix things up a bit and create unexpected pops of color. Think of pastels, citruses, LED-inspired colors, neutral warm tones, and more. Tip: Choose glasses that match your color palette from Estelle’s stunning colored glassware range. These hand-blown colored glasses will be an incredible addition to any holiday table, and will take your chosen color palette to the next level.
DO: Create unique, eye-catching accents
Accents are what tie everything together and can make your holiday table feel complete. Without carefully chosen accents a centerpiece can feel too imposing or asymmetrical. Choose accents that contrast with the color palettes of your centerpiece, while complementing them at the same time. If you have a holly and pinecone centerpiece, you may want to have silver and gold accent colors to really make the centerpiece pop. Another great centerpiece? Wine bottles. Create a visual wine list on your table and the bottles will double as decor! Get one of everything with our Winter Vibes 12-pack to taste through the wines and to use on your feast table.
DO: Get Fragrant
Now it’s time to embrace your senses of sight, touch and smell by picking flora that will have guests in a sensory overdrive. For a personalized fragrant experience try attaching individually tied bunches of flora to guest’s chairs, try using pine, thyme, rosemary, lavender or eucalyptus. For an added festive touch use ribbon or twine that matches your color palette, and place loose items from your chosen plants in the centrepiece to tie everything together.
DO: Get hands-on
Get crafty and add a homemade touch to your decorations by workshopping some artistic pieces that will delight your guests. Create custom-colored bottlebrush trees by using fabric dyes or diluted stamp ink. Alternatively, you can also experiment with brightly colored crepe paper to make your own unique bottlebrush trees. Another simple, yet effective idea to spruce up your table is to cut and fold holiday-themed paper to create cone “trees” of varying sizes.
DON’T: Be afraid to experiment
If you’re new to holiday table decorating, don’t stress! This is the time to have fun and try new things. Holiday table decorating all comes down to personal taste. However, if you don’t know where to start — the best thing you can do for inspiration (other than following this guide) is look at decoration pictures that excite you and use those as a starting point.
DON’T: Forget to create a centerpiece
The centerpiece is the statement creation that everything else on the table will be set around. This striking piece is typically a decoration of some form, but it could also be designed out of food and/or drinks. Design tip: Build a dazzling gold centrepiece complete with gold-leafed candlestick holders encompassed with a fabric flower, ribbon and dried flora creation that has green, white and gold accents. Add two bottles of our McBride Sisters Collection NV Hawke's Bay Sparkling Brut Rosé on either side to complete the stunning masterpiece.
DON’T: Limit your decorations to the table
Create a festive wonderland by expanding your decorations from the table to other parts of your space. Use light fittings and wall hangings that connect different elements and themes present on the table to your living room, kitchen and dining room. If you’re hosting at a location with an entry hallway, decorate the walls and hang pieces from the ceiling to create a magical experience for guests from the moment they step through the door.
DON’T: Forget to play music
Set the mood and keep awkward silences to a minimum by having background music playing. You may have a quirky Christmas playlist that you want to show off and use as a conversation starter.
DON’T: Obsess over everything being perfect
Remember, this is a party and the point is to have fun! It’s very easy to get wrapped up in running a party that you can often forget to slow down and actually enjoy yourself. Take time to talk to your guests, enjoy the food, and have a drink. You deserve it.
After checking all Do's & Don'ts, don't forget to check our wine club for more favorites! Happy holiday & Cheers!
