This past weekend, I hosted a Christmas themed brunch for a few of my girlfriends. This was a true treat for me because I love hosting and decorating during the holidays. Hosting a brunch can be overwhelming, especially if you’re a perfectionist like me and want everything to be just right. Well, to help you along in hosting your Christmas brunch, I’ve compiled a list of tips that should make planning the brunch a lot easier.
1. Choose a theme — Like I’ve mentioned before, I love decorating! So figuring out the centerpiece for the table was a big deal for me. But first, I had to decide on a theme. Some themes you can ponder over are: shabby chic, winter wonderland, traditional red and green, rustic Christmas. My go-to for decoration inspiration is Pinterest. Scroll through that and see what peaks your interest. You may also want to consider picking a theme that incorporates decorations that you already have. For example, if you have a lot of silver and white decorations, go for a “winter wonderland” theme.
For my brunch, I wanted to create a warm, rustic Christmas theme. To create a rustic theme, you’ll need these three items: wood, burlap, and twine. I threw a burlap runner on the tables, which I got on Amazon for only $11! I wanted to incorporate wood into my centerpieces, and these gold trimmed wooden Christmas tree from Target were perfect. To make the room warm and inviting, I lit candles that I had placed in mason jars and tied the top with red and white twine.
2. Incorporate some greenery or floral decor — I love incorporating floral into my centerpiece because it gives a lively, colorful appearance to the room. But because I’m doing a rustic theme, I wanted to use a lot of greens. I grabbed these holiday bouquets that included douglas fir, spruce and mistletoe from Trader Joe’s for $5 a bunch! I grabbed five batches and that was enough to decorate my dining room and my chimney.
3. Use ornaments as table rings — I used letter ornaments as place holders and napkin holders. It also gives your guests something nice to take home and remember the brunch with.
4. Prepare breakfast ahead of time — To make breakfast a lot easier on you, choose recipes that you can prepare ahead of time. For example, egg bakes and casseroles are great recipes that you can make the night before and throw in the oven the following morning. I chose to make baked french toast. I’ve made this dish a few times before and each time it has been a hit with my guests. The best part is the crispy caramelized bottom of the french toast. You can find the recipe here. I also made a simple asparagus and bacon bake that I prepped the night before. You can find the recipe here.
5. Complete your decor with a banner — I found a chalkboard banner at Target and thought it would be perfect to establish the setting. And because it’s made with chalkboard paint, I could reuse it for future events.
6. Have your guests bring champagne and juice of their choice — To take off some of the work load off of you, have each guest bring a bottle of champagne and a juice of their choice for morning mimosas. With each guest bringing a juice, you can have a full mimosa bar for the entire party to enjoy!
7. Send each guest home with a goodie bag — To spread some holiday cheer, I sent each guest home with a bag of Christmas cookies. I made pecan snowballs, which are so easy to make! You can make these in advance a few nights before.
Leave a Reply