Hi there! I’m planning my first family get together in two years (!) and am busy getting my house ready for my brother to come visit and then hosting the rest of my small family over the weekend. Needless to say – I have holiday table settings on the mind! In past years, I’ve not been so good at photographing my holiday dinners. Usually because I’m going a mile a minute with last minute details that I don’t leave myself time to take good photos before all the eating begins. And then, of course, I don’t want to tell my family to not touch anything while I’m busy taking photos. Fingers crossed this year will be different!
Above is the only photo I could find that isn’t filled with people and empty glasses. I do have a Christmas set that I plan on using this year but this set was my mother’s Limoges wedding china and Royal Danish silverware.
As I’ve been contemplating my decorating options, I pulled together a gorgeous gallery of holiday place settings for gatherings of all sizes and themes. From rustic to elegant – there’s something for all tastes here!
I love all the natural, rustic elements here combined with a bit of shine in the lights and hanging votives. Very festive without being specific “Christmas”.
There’s something very intimate and romantic about the setting below – very warm and welcoming.
An intimate table for four in all neutrals.
I just love the floral and pine center piece below. The mix of pinks, berries and gold tones is just so good!
And below there is a similar but deeper color palette.
A more formal and larger setting still captures a festive feeling.
This is a beautiful image below and very festive – but obviously not practical for actual entertaining unless one has multiple tables.
I love the look of the table flat lay below, but again, unless one has servers, the centerpiece makes actual use fairly unpractical (is that a word? ).
This below is a little easier to work with in a family entertaining setting. I really love the napkins with cinnamon and sprigs of pine. It’s these little details that work so well – and that I never seem to have time to pull off! Maybe this year. I would also say that this works so well on plain plates as opposed to dishwater that has a lot of pattern on it.
This service couldn’t be simpler which makes it kind of perfect for hectic entertaining!
For the menu, I’m planning a charcuterie board for the appetizers, vegan pumpkin soup with bread and salads, and for dessert an ice cream sundae bar. We have vegetarians, vegans, someone with lactose intolerance and me (who eats pretty much anything) – so there’s great options for all! Coming up later this week will be a post for putting together a great charcuterie board.
You might also enjoy: You Can Have Your Own Royal Wedding Reception
A finally, a little boutique of ideas (all currently in stock!) for your holiday table settings! (Please note these are affiliate links. Any purchases made through these links returns a small commission to me at no additional cost to the purchaser. This goes to help support this blog. Thank you!)
I love all your textural holiday settings, every example is just wonderful! Wishing you a very happy holiday entertaining Linda!
I love how different and beautiful all of the examples you’ve included are. Lately I’ve been drawn to more pared down simplicity, like the sprig of greenery on the plate or a simple centerpiece for a more casual, intimate family meal. But I have to say those hanging tealights create such a magical feel I may have to borrow that look someday!
I agree about simple elegance – not as stressful visually or practically!
Hello Linda! Beautifully done post full of inspiration. So excited to be able to entertain this year I’m sure you are looking forward to it! Happy holidays!
Thanks so much Lauren – and yes, so nice to be able to entertain again!
Lovely inspiration here! Tablesetting is always one of my favorite parts of entertaining!
As usual, I only got my table half done and then the family arrived and that was that! Hardly any pics were taken. Bad blogger!
I love your cream soup bowls Linda Your table is so traditionally elegant and festive. What a lucky little family!
Thanks Mary Beth!
Hi Linda, I think that all of these settings look pretty festive–anyone would be happy to be invited to any of these gatherings. I realize that most of these are staged for photography, but I tend to like the simpler ones better. Your own table is ideal–the family pieces add a real grounding and sense of tradition.
–Jim
Thanks Jim! I love family pieces, absolutely!