1. Traditional or contemporary? Decide right from the beginning if this Christmas is all about old-world glamour or more of an Aussie contemporary theme when it comes to decorating. Obviously the food you are serving may dictate your surrounds. A turkey with the all the trimming doesn't call for an outdoor beachy theme!
2. Delegate: if you are have a cast of thousands coming if might be a good idea to get some help. Perhaps your sister can bring a fabulous selection of cheese, or mum can whip up a pavlova with mountains of strawberries and passionfruit. But be clear who is doing what and when.
3. Offer a fabulous cocktail to start: our family loves to serve mango daiquiris and there's no better way to welcome guests with a gorgeous fruity cocktail. Have plenty of frozen mango cheeks on hand to make life easier and bags of ice on standby. We also have a spare blender for breakdowns! It's busy in our house.
4. Playlist: pull together a great playlist of music from Sinatra to Beyonce to set the scene and also turn a great day into a party later on. There's nothing better than the Vienna Boys Choir to start but not all day long.....
5. Prepare ahead: as the day is often fraught with disaster (lots of relatives), try and do as much ahead as possible. Perhaps entrée can be fresh, cold seafood with homemade mayo and for dessert, a selection of colourful ice-creams with meringues and lemon curd. These can all be prepared in advance so all you need to do on the day is concentrate on the main course or the barbecue.
6. Crackers: don't skimp on the crackers. Everyone still loves a cracker but buy the best you can afford and make sure to coordinate with the table setting. Also make it imperative that everyone wears a crown!
7. Keep the kids happy: kids won't like sitting around the lunch table for hours, so make sure their menu is less elaborate. Perhaps you can also make their own special fruity punch, or get them decorating little cupcakes for afters.
8. Make it special: make sure to include all the little touches that make that little bit of difference - flowers in the toilet, a lovely wreath on the door, soft drinks for the drivers, masses of Christmas bush in vases, a bow on the dog's collar!
9. Standbys: have a few standby pressies - this could simply be jars of olives or soaps all-ready wrapped for the last minute drop-ins or relatives you have forgotten!
10. Celebrate: remember Christmas is fun so bring out the best you can afford - real champagne, the best wines, your best china and cloth napkins.
Westfield entertaining expert: Stuart Gregor
