Christmas to me is about celebrating with friends and making time to appreciate each other. So we get some of our favorites together, and have a Christmas soiree. This year we hosted an afternoon tea. 

I created a winter whites table tablescape with a touch of gold, which I could later change up a little to become the Christmas day tablescape.
As it was Christmas week, I added in fresh roses to the chandelier (They are in oasis foam so they will stay fresh for a few days)  and I also add fresh roses into some of the glass balls hanging from the chandelier with fishing wire or nylon thread. I also added in some sparkly snowflakes to cement the Christmas theme.

I kept the floral's white and cream with lots of green foliage. I used Ecuador roses in polar white and vendela along with amaryllis and cream spray roses. For the bottom vases I grouped white chrysanthemums together.  Again I built out the arrangement using oasis floral foam to help keep everything in place, it really is a lifesaver!

For the table setting, I use my white tea set (as its neutral, its a great set to have as can be used with almost anything). 

We served finger sandwiches in a variety of fillings. Turkey and cranberry, cheese and chutney, roast beef and cream cheese and cucumber. We also found mini goats cheese and cranberry parcels and the cutest festive sausage rolls.  If your making sandwiches the ahead of time, keep them sealed in Tupperware and refrigerated.
For sweet treats we served mini mince pies, stolen bites, gingerbread cookies and cupcakes and Bavarian desserts. 

And of course it wouldn't be Christmas without Christmas cake.

Are you planning any holiday partys? Id love to hear all about them in the comments below

Belle
Xx

For more Christmas inspiration see HERE and HERE 

It can be worthwhile to tailor your wedding exactly how you and your partner like it. If you cherish the day, who’s to say you’ve made a decision that’s wrong, simply because others in your family might not have chosen it for themselves? Weddings are often momentous formal occasions, but they can also be times of great passion and coming-together if you let it. They can help families bond, and for the presence of you all to be celebrated with joy.

While this will often happen naturally, there are methods you can take to ensure the entire process is well taken care of. No matter who you are, a little effort in this direction can be novel when figuring out your wedding plans. You might consider:

A Photo Booth

A wedding photo booth can help you capture all of the silly social fun that happens after-hours, after the wedding service is done and the catering have completed their excellent job. This is the time where the wine flows, and the party begins. All weddings are different, but most are jovial and a fun, slowly growing informal time, particularly if there’s a free bar. With a novelty photo booth, you may come back from your honeymoon vacation with a list of hilarious shots you didn’t even know took place. If a wedding photographer is there to capture the full extent of the love between two people and families, the wedding booth is there to help the lighthearted fun of the event truly show itself.

Specific Catering

Specific catering can be very worthwhile, depending on your needs and wants. However, sometimes choosing a novelty can be a great idea. Instead of the four course meal at the local restaurant or event hall, you may decide to have something a little more your tastes. Bringing in a pitmaster for the best barbecue you have ever eaten, or perhaps something more culturally appropriate such as seeing sushi made in front of you, or maybe even asking your chef relative to put a large spread on for you can all have that personal touch, which can sometimes feel much more welcoming than simply selecting a range of options on a sheet.

The Free Bar

The less said about a free bar, the better. You likely know what you’re getting into. Is it a novelty? Surely.

An Alternate Reception
​
An alternate reception could be a great idea to give your wedding that unique spin. No matter how traditional or untraditional your main wedding service was, it can be truly worthwhile to find something more appropriate to you when everyone congregates. If your parents have some land, why not hire a marquee and set of large tents to have a more home-spun occasion, instead of hiring out an event hall? If your family is filled with athletic surfers, why not have a wonderful summer beach surf? Something highly personal to you and your family will often have the most impact, so don’t feel constrained to only a few options, as your true inner wants might be more than applicable.

With these tips, you’re sure to find novelty in all of your wedding applications.

For last years Christmas tablescape I really tried to challenge myself not to use pink.  Pink is my absolute all time favorite color and I naturally just reach for it no matter what i'm doing. 
That said, I also really like to change things up and make things look completely different. After all life is too short to do the same tablescape twice!  

So in the spirit of change I went with white, mint green with gold accents. For the floral display, I created a large arrangement with white and cream Ecuador roses, amaryllis and white snapdragons. I used lots of fresh eucalyptus (which just smells incredible) boxwood and white waxflower. To add in extra drama I used vases or chrysanthemums packed tightly together. 

I built the arrangement with an afternoon tea party we were also hosting in mind and I wanted it to be able to work between the two but have 2 sightly different looks. Its amazing what a different shade of tablecloth can achieve. 

I added foliage to the chandelier to add in some drama (and if i'm being honest its something iv wanted to do since we moved) 

I hung gold snowflakes from the bottom of the chandelier, along with hanging glass balls with a combination of tea lights and fresh roses inside. 

I found these gorgeous glasses by LSA which were the perfect color. These are the melon balloon glasses and the I also used the tumblers in the same shade. I actually love these glasses so much I purchased them in rose also ​

Now lets see if I give in to the pinkness this year....

Belle 
​Xx