“'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
in hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there.”
Christmas Eve is indeed a magical night—but if you’re hosting Christmas lunch the next day, it might also be the time to make those final preparations, including setting the table, which will ensure everything runs smoothly.
Dress the Table
Choosing a theme can help you focus and structure your dining table. You can go with a motif such as a robin or holly throughout, or a scheme such as a winter wonderland or Scandi style. For a simple, classic solution, take Juliette Frise’s advice.
Ms. Frise, A hotel operations manager at one of London’s most prestigious hotels, L’Oscar, a Leading Hotels of the World member, suggests using a white linen tablecloth, freshly pressed, for a simple and elegant backdrop. This provides “a basic and classic foundation,” she said, “on which you can place colored and textured decorations, gradually building up your tablescape, once the plates, cutlery, and glasses have been laid out.”
Ms. Frise recommends limiting your color scheme to only two main colors; more than that “can be a little distracting,” she said. For a traditional, formal look, pair red and green linen with silver or gold accents.
Place the Plates, Cutlery, and Glasses
Experiment with how you’d like to set your plates. Stacking them will add dimension and height, and particularly so if your plates have gold or patterned rims. Chargers, or large plates that sit beneath all other plates, will boost the initial visual impact, but remember to remove them once your guests have taken their seats. Placemats, meant to reduce noise, “are unnecessary if you have laid a tablecloth,” said Ms. Frise, but “by all means experiment with both.”Place a crisp napkin on top of the plates, and, as an added touch, a tiny gift, which can be nothing more extravagant than beautifully wrapped chocolate coins or sugared almonds.
If you’d like to follow fine dining etiquette and add a touch of Downton Abbey to your celebrations, there are rules on how cutlery should be placed.
Essentially, forks should be laid out on the left of the plates and knives on the right, starting with the smaller starter cutlery on the outermost positions. Then work your way inwards toward the plates by course. Giving them a polish before you place them will enhance their radiance as they reflect the light from candles.
“To ensure the comfort of guests, avoid overcrowding the table with excessive cutlery,” said Ms. Frise. If you’re short on space, you might prefer to lay the cutlery out course by course instead.
Next, position the glasses. Hold them up to the light first to ensure there are no smudges and give them a wipe so they look their best before setting them down.
“Glasses should be arranged on the right side of the plate, beginning just above the main course knife, and set diagonally to the left,” said Ms. Frise. “The sequence involves placing the first glass, typically for white wine, diagonally to the left. The second glass is designated for red wine, and the water glass is positioned on the inside, to the left of the first white wine glass. If you are serving Champagne, the Champagne glasses should replace the white wine glass, and then follow the sequence as before.”
Take a moment to relish how attractive the different shapes and sizes look. Bring extra color and interest to the setting by filling carafes with red wine, and jugs with orange or cranberry juice.
Add the Finishing Touches
Now that the places are set, you can have fun decorating your table.“The finishing touches will transform your display,” said Benji Lewis, a UK-based interior designer. “Accessories will add impact, drama, and personality, and will bring your scheme together.”
Overhead lighting should be dimmed or switched off, since harsh lighting from above will dramatically alter the mellow mood you’re hoping to achieve.
“Battery-operated fairy lights in small glass vases, or woven through your décor, will make your room twinkle, while an array of glass candleholders of different heights will cast a warm ambient light and beautiful shadows over the table,” Mr. Lewis said. Depending on the color scheme—he also favors white linen—“I might add sprigs of greenery around the candleholders.”
Another of his favorite flourishes is a name card in a holder at each place, to “help prevent those seconds of awkwardness where guests arrive and are unsure where to sit.”
Do a Final Check
Before your guests arrive, Mr. Lewis recommends a “trial run.”“Light your candles, turn on your fairy lights, and step back to take an overview,” he said. “You’re aiming for soft light, so add or subtract accordingly to get the balance right between intimacy and dimness.”
Look for gaps that might need filling and drop in baubles—but remember to check that nothing will block guests from being able to see each other across the table, and to leave space for the main event, the food.
Don’t forget to look up as well as down. It could be that the final touch is the addition of a paper garland or string of stars.
Now, all that remains is for your guests to arrive, and to enjoy your celebrations. Happy Christmas.
