Prepare your table for the perfect Christmas dinner

2021-12-16 07:19:44 By : Ms. Rita You

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Wedding and event planner Sharon Griffin's table setting. Photographed at Luttrellstown Castle in Dublin. Photography: Philip Lauterbach

Tara O'Connor PR consultant and owner of the design table. I started planning my Christmas table in September-for me this is the most important table of the year. This year, I will hold events on Christmas and St. Stephen’s Day, so I will use the same floral arrangement on the table, but will use different tablecloths, napkins and candles to change the arrangement.

I never follow the trend of desktop design. Because many of us missed Christmas last year, I want to go back to tradition, there are a lot of green and gold. This year, everything is to make Christmas come back.

I always choose my core first and solve it. This Christmas is more traditional leaves than flowers for me. You can use leaves from the garden or local flower shop, or even scraps from the Christmas tree. You don't have to spend a lot of money.

I firmly believe in using what you already have-if everything does not match, your family and friends will not judge you. I picked up a lot of things in antique shops and antique shops, and the house was full of things I took out again and again.

I bought a lot of items for the coming Christmas in the January promotion—especially expensive items such as charger plates or glassware. I bought these golden chargers at John Lewis 10 years ago. The plates were wedding gifts and the golden tableware was purchased at Arnotts specials.

I like to add some elements such as pomegranate, place name card and holly sprigs. You can write menus and place names by hand, or use a golden or silver Sharpie marker on the pomegranate-you can dig out the inside at any time and use it as dessert the next day.

The tablecloth is traditional and can form a good canvas for the rest of the table. I try to make things very simple, not too confusing or complicated. If you decorate your table excessively, it will be difficult to see your guests, and it will be difficult to pass dishes or wine to you. You need space on your table for condiments.

Candlelight is the key. Candles of different colors can completely change the appearance of the table. I recommend Ester & Erik candles from Signature Editions-it's worth spending a little more on non-drip candles. I like the mixture of tea lights and tall cone candles because it can create layers and heights.

The placemats (19 Euros), napkins (60 Euros for a four-piece set) and tablecloths (165 cm x 300 cm, 140 Euros) are all from my own online store The Designed Table. I kept the very traditional things in white and green, and added a little bling with metallic. I don’t have a lot of glittering things in my house, but Christmas gives people a chance to add brilliance and have fun-I will encourage people to push boundaries.

I like to see family and friends around the table having a great time. Use ribbons, leaves from the garden, and handwritten objects to personalize your environment. Personal style can make things very special.

thedesignedtable.com. Instagram: @thedesignedtable

Sharon Griffin, the wedding and event planner and the founder of Frogprince Events and New Moon Blooms, always start by choosing my base fabric when setting up the table. Choose a color that you know suits your room, and choose a contrasting or complementary color. I prefer to spread the fabric directly on the floor to add luxurious elements. Once you have chosen your base fabric, you can start layering on your accessories.

Next, decide what flowers or leaves you want to use-in winter, you can choose the large number of Irish-grown leaves that your local flower shop should have. You can add metal impregnated leaves to get a little sparkle. For this tabletop, we chose a flower bud bottle-a small bottle of mixed leaves-to create a garden effect in the center of the table. Flowers and leaves tend to last longer in the water than in the oasis-just add water during Christmas week. At New Moon Blooms, we made a three-way leaf bunch that can be used to make garlands, garlands or table styles.

Next I layered on the candlelight to add a gorgeous light and create an atmosphere to the room. I started with a taller cone candle in a golden glass and metal holder and created a "river" on the table from left to right. Then I added lower pillar candles to the glass or metal candlesticks, and added more candlelights with tea lights or consecrated candles to create a lovely sparkling effect on the table among the leaves.

Make sure you have enough utensils for the course. Here, we used gold tableware. Glassware is also important-you can choose cut glass goblets for white and red wines. An important tip with chargers is to remove them before the main course, because if the board is not suitable, it will move.

Speaking of napkins, I would describe this setting as "classic contemporary". Just fold the napkin in quarters toward the center and let it hang down slightly from the side of the table.

Reuse various elements of Christmas decoration by placing baubles or other small Christmas decorations on the table. However, do not choose anything more than 20 cm or 9 inches high, so as not to obstruct the view of the entire table. This year I will recommend people to shop locally-there are so many great independent shops here, and ordering from the UK is not as easy as it used to be.

Because I kept everything else on this table very neutral, I think I could be more adventurous in the color of the candle. Pick up the blue/green/gray tones to make the eucalyptus glow and pull the color throughout the environment.

Sometimes, if you use many different colors and your eyes don't know where to look, your desk may look messy. If you like bright colors, please keep your base simple, and then be truly brave-your eyes will only be attracted by your colorful candles. Think of a girl with pearl earrings-your eyes are first attracted by the pearl and then by the other elements of the painting.

Prince Frog.ie and newmoonblooms.ie. Instagram: @frogprinceweddings and @newmoonblooms.ie

An intimate environment for Kate O'Dowd, wedding and event planner and founder of Love & Gatherings. I like the shape of the Lis na Carrig table — it’s a beautiful private house that can be rented for small events — so it helps to define my table landscape.

As far as my own store, Centerpiece of Love & Gatherings is concerned, Centrepieces is where I am currently, so I started here when I set up this table. Christmas in Delft is very traditional in the Netherlands. Many people have Delft or similar things passed down from their parents and grandparents at home. At Christmas I always want to use my best things, but the best things may not be Christmas-themed things. It doesn’t matter if things don’t match, as long as they can bring you happiness.

I put crabapple branches on the mantelpiece. Personally, I like an asymmetrical mantle, so I put all the Delft items on one side and the branches on the other side. I think people should make their own version of Christmas according to their home and taste.

I started this tablescape with my own collection of Delft porcelain tiles (63 Euros)-a foolproof way to make central decorations. I used the flowers and leaves of one of my favorite flower shops-Paper Rock Flower. I really wanted to do the Delft theme, so I added my grandmother's pottery and some porcelain candle holders from my shop (34 euros). Napkins and glassware come from Zara Home, which is an important source of fashion items and can be added to your core retro or more special items.

For me, nothing is more tasteful than a beautiful set of antique tableware. Bow and Clementine are simple, eclectic additions. Christmas is about something a little homemade and imperfect-I don't like perfectly polished tables.

The stationery here is designed by Romeo + Jules, whose iconic aesthetic is homemade (but in a way you can never manage yourself). It comes from their "at home" menu and set card and write. Even if you provide the service that people expect you to provide, having a menu and menu will make guests feel a little special-it's more than a normal dinner.

At the high end, I like to source things from Maison Margaux, The Edition 94 and Matilda Goad. I also like the idea of ​​putting some trinkets on the table-try Zara Home, Søstrene Grene and Homesense.

I like "matchimalsim", but I think "mis-matchimalism" is an aesthetic that is easier to achieve. It's about what makes you happy. I call it "the imperfect plain style on the classic Christmas table". It's all about comfort, happiness and mixing your favorite things-even if they shouldn't be put together. This is a table of life, not a catalog.

loveandgatherings.com Instagram: @loveandgatherings. Filmed at Lis na Carrig in Foxrock, Dublin. lisnacarrig.com

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