Former royal butler Grant Harold has shared the top tips for hosting Christmas that he picked up while working for the Royal Family - and from nailing the perfect Christmas table setting to making sure your relatives' arguments aren't putting a downer of the day, he's got you covered.
The big day is nearly here and pressure is ramping up. You've likely, hopefully at least, already got up your Christmas tree decorations inspired by the most stylish ideas for this year, but getting ready for the day and actually pulling it off are two different things...
There's no need to panic. Former royal butler Grant Harold, who worked for royals including Queen Elizabeth, King Charles, Prince William, and Prince Harry between 2005 and 2011, and spent many Christmases working for the family, has now revealed expert insight into how to pull off the perfect celebration that will leave your friends and family feeling as though they'd spent the day at Buckingham Palace!
Grant's biggest tip? Don't try too hard. It feels counterproductive, right? But there's method to his madness and it all stems from making sure everyone feels at home in your house. Being too strict or too perfect doesn't feel natural and is an instant turn-off for guests.
"The top rule for a good host is making others feel comfortable in your own home," he told Nine Honey. "So say that someone makes a mistake or get something wrong, you'd never tell them off or say anything, you've got to be very relaxed.
"Also, don't go overboard with decorations - keep it simple and traditional. No one wants to walk into an environment with so many lights that it resembles a runway at Heathrow."
But there are still rules you can implement in this relaxed state. "Make sure your guests know the dress code for the occasion," Grant says. "You can be as formal or informal as you wish but make sure your guests know they have to adhere to the dress code."
Similarly, Grant recommends a formal table setting to give a little flair to the occasion. Though remember, setting the table is a fine art that Grant has perfected over the years, so don't get too wound up trying to recreate his steps perfectly.
"When creating a formal dinning setting, centre your plate and add the dessert cutlery first. Then your mains cutlery, followed by your entree cutlery. The bread plate belongs to the left of the main plate and all drinks (hot or cold) go on the right.
"If setting wine glasses, start with a white wine glass above the starter knife and red wine glass to the left of that with the water glass to the right of the white wine glass." Like we said, don't get too focused on recreating that perfectly - maybe just try out a simple Christmas centrepiece that sets the scene for festive entertaining.
As well as the table setting, you've also got to think about the table seating. It's important to keep tensions to a minimum and, while tips on how to handle your family this Christmas while keeping your cool are useful, it's probably better to keep fighting factions apart.
"You should know who at your party doesn't get along or any issues between people at your get together," Grant says. "Put name cards to place people around the table and make sure you seat those who don't get along at opposite ends of your table."
With all that in mind, we wish you good luck!
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