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Published: 03/12/2025
Christmas is a busy time, and with so much going on, it’s hard to keep on top of everything! We’ve compiled a checklist of things to do before the guests arrive, to make your house look like an effortless winter wonderland – and feel like it was easy to complete.
The front door is the very beginning of your guest’s journey, and your wreath is the silent greeting. Before you even know they’ve arrived, they’re given a warm Christmas greeting, offering a tiny taster for the magic that awaits them inside.
We have a wide range of styles of artificial Christmas wreath, from a wreath featuring robins , to eye-catching gold fern wreaths , but in this post we’re can't help but recommend the Wilsthorpe Gold Leaf and Berry Wreath – which feels like a warm festive hug with its variations in colour.
We've talked in the past about the best way to hang a Garland, and many of the tips are similar. Make sure your wreath is looking its best before looking to secure it. The best option for this is a wreath holder, which hooks the inside of your door, leaving a hook on the outside for your wreath to sit on. It is worth securing the wreath to the hook to protect it from the errant winds of unpredictable British weather!
For a Christmas gathering, there’s a good chance you’ll be spending time in other rooms as the host, rather than the guest. Whether it’s fetching drinks or cooking the big meal, there will be times when your guests are left to their own devices. It’s best at this time to have décor that entertains your guests when you can’t, and that’s not only inclusive of a beautiful Christmas Tree, but also beautifying your surroundings.
We recommend adding in artificial garlands for a luxurious looking way to make the house feel especially Christmas-like. Our favourite additions this year to the Christmas Tree is metallic foliage, which fits in perfectly amongst your tree fronds with a similar texture, but adds a luxurious colour palette. Plus, by adding in stems, they're easily added again to different areas of your home - add them to your tree, your wreath, your garland, your table - and beyond!
Often the biggest part of the day is the Christmas Dinner, but that also means it can be the most stressful – lots of timings being juggled, and many things coming together at once. Setting up your table in advance can be a way to de-stress it, and another way to awe your guests. We’ve got a fantastic article full of advice on setting up your tablescape , but it’s safe to say that doing it in advance will not only have your guests enjoying the experience, but letting you do the same. Combine your intended crockery (though save putting this out until later) with garlands, florals, and/or ornaments, using different heights for interest, and sit back and enjoy the awe of your guests on the big day.
If creating a beautiful table space that involves linen, take out table cloths and runners the night before. You'll know that way if you need to steam out the crease lines that will have emerged, or they may drop naturally once placed. From there, it's up to you when you arrange your centerpieces, with the option to do these ahead of time and then just add them to the table when needed.
One of our additional tips is to use a common motif, and if you’re looking for inspiration, be sure to check out our Christmas Decorating Themes .
Lastly, if you're using candles, remember to check the burn time of them, to be sure they won't wear down before the meal is over!
Remembering the Christmas tree might be the big one, but remembering to give yourself enough time for the smaller finishing touches that make your home look more curated and thoughtful is much harder. Plan in time for this long before your guests arrive.
Things on your checklist for this particularly include ensuring your place holders are written and in place. We have beautiful bauble style name holders with different Christmas designs available that make this smaller touch have a really big impact. Preparing candles for a central holder – like our lush Faux Hemsley Foliage Candle Holder – takes seconds but has a big impact, or you could opt for something more subtle like a porcelain light-up tree . A few delicate lighting additions can make all the difference.
It's a good idea to keep a last-minute box of things available, that you can bring in and out with the Christmas decorations each year. This can be anything from Command Hooks to cable ties, spare candles to additional place cards, batteries to double sided sticky tape. The build up to a big day can be stressful, and it's easy to forget the little things - so having these on hand always can make it a much more smooth experience.
