7 Pro Tricks To Know When Entertaining At Christmas

Planning on entertaining guests this Christmas? Fear not. Even though it’s a troublesome task that demands a lot of attention, you’ll find it far easier to manage once you read these 7 helpful tips and tricks that are handed down from the pros. 7 Pro Tricks To Know When Entertaining At Christmas

1. Practice Your Recipes Before You Cook Them

It sounds obvious, but you’d be surprised at how many people put their faith in their amateur cooking skills on the big day. No one wants to eat something that hasn’t been cooked long enough or isn’t properly seasoned. Christmas is a big event and it’s important to create good long-lasting memories, not memories of meals gone bad. Make sure you practice whatever you plan to cook at least a month in advance so you don’t end up making something that tastes bad or looks unpleasant!

2. Get an Extendable Dining Table to Fit More Guests

A regular dining table is only good if you have a set amount of people using it every day. If you occasionally have dinner parties, then it might not be worth your time to invest in a larger extending dining table especially if you can’t physically fit a large one in your dining room or kitchen. To remedy this, get an extendable dining table so that you can shrink it when it’s just your family, and extend it when you’re expecting guests.

3. Consider Doing a Buffet-Style Dinner For Entertaining At Christmas

Have you ever considered doing a buffet-style dinner? It’s a great way to make the most of your dining space if you don’t have the room for an extendable dining room table and if you don’t have enough seats. A buffet-style dinner is casual enough so that your guests can take a plate and just eat at the sofa or wherever they want.

4. Use Candles and Mood Lighting to Your Advantage

Candles and mood lights can greatly enhance the intimacy of your dinner party. However, they can also boost the mood and make it more Christmasy if that’s what you want. Bright lights and coloured lamps are great at setting a festive mood, and candles are better at creating a closely-knit dinner party.

5. Set the Stage for Your Guests

Bring some decorations, play some music and get some high-quality dining chairs if you want to set the stage for your guests. Whether you make them feel like royalty or family is completely up to you, but the general idea is to use everything at your disposal to set a fantastic first impression as soon as they walk through that door.

6. Consider Dietary Requirements

Have guests that can’t take dairy? Need to make vegetarian options? Got a visitor that doesn’t eat a certain type of meat? Make sure you take dietary requirements into your plans so everyone can have a delicious and filling meal.

7. Enjoy Yourself

It’s important to not stress yourself out too much. Stop telling your guests that you’re sorry your home isn’t bigger or tidy enough, and don’t worry if you mess something up (at least, assuming you have a backup). Dinner parties should be fun, so don’t forget to enjoy yourself and set a positive mood for your guests to follow.