How to Host an Elegant Outdoor Party

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Prepare your backyard

Start refreshing your outdoor space by planting some flowers, giving your outdoor furniture a good clean and placing some textured cushions and throws on seating for your guests.

Setting up a large main table with allocated seating is one of the more conventional ways to anchor your get-together, though it’s far from your only option. A more cocktail-style outdoor party is often a great alternative, with an open seating plan and flowing food so guests can get up and mingle instead of being confined to their set seat.

If the lawn is dry and the sun is out, laying down blankets and floor pillows will allow guests to spread out and move around. Set up a long bench or table as your food buffet and drinks station, or surprise everyone by making up individual picnic baskets that let everyone feast on the grass.

For during the day, remember to have some places with shade so your guests can get out of the direct sun. Use string lights, candles, and other soft lighting at night so they can see well enough to move about and have conversations with others.

Choose a theme

There is no age limit to having a theme for your party. And it’s not just because themes are loads of fun; they also give your planning a much clearer steer when it comes to choosing all your other elements.

Whether you’re bringing your nearest and dearest together to celebrate an engagement, a housewarming, a sip and see party, a cocktail party or a special age birthday, having a theme makes the food, drinks, decorations, music, games and dress code so much simpler to navigate for both you and your guests. A fun theme and its props help keep conversations flowing too.

Dress your outdoor space

A gorgeous spread of food and drinks plus a sunny outdoor backdrop are the ideal foundations for creating a fun, positive atmosphere – but why stop there? 

Outdoor parties are rare opportunities to surprise and delight your friends and family, and going the extra mile with decorations is a great investment in memory-making. So realise the potential and dress up your outdoor space with bright tablecloths, colourful lanterns and elegant crystal candlesticks to transform your place settings into feasts for your guests’ eyes. Then use tableware and crystal glassware to elevate the entire food sharing experience so it’s much more elegant than a by-the-numbers backyard sitdown.

Seasonal flowers and foliage in dazzling crystal vases are an elegant way to mix and match textures and inject colour and fragrance to brighten up your dining table. 

Keep the ambience flowing with a musical playlist suitable for the unique tastes of the group you’re inviting. If a variety of generations will be attending, choose tracks that span the decades. Keep the music upbeat, and accessible to everyone, with enough tunes so there are no repeats or interruptions. Keep the volume at a level where everyone can chat from a distance without struggling to be heard.

Serve Spring-inspired cocktails

Need a list of zesty, sparkling, crowd-pleasing springtime cocktails? You’ll find them all here. Just be ready to do them justice by serving them in beautiful crystal champagne flutes and other crystal cocktail glasses. If you need to upgrade your drinks cart for the event, explore our guide on the 5 essentials for your outdoor bar cart.

Don’t forget the mocktails

Provide some light bites

You’ll be busy enough on the day as it is, so try to cook – or at least do most of your prep – the day before your event. If you’ll be seating all your guests at the main table, consider having platters of easily self-served, family-style dishes so you won’t need to do any plating up. Alternatively, a steady stream of trayed light bites and appetisers is worth curating if you’re going for a more casual, cocktail-style event with a more flexible timetable.

Make sure all the effort you go to with your cooking and prep are showcased as feasts for the eyes too, by presenting them in elegant crystal serving bowls.

Don’t let your guests leave empty-handed

Depending on the reason for your party, it might be appropriate to give each guest a small gift as a memento of the day and as a symbol of your regard for them. If that’s the case for you and your nearest and dearest, peruse the range of exquisite gifts that are available from Waterford, to leave an impression that will never be forgotten.

Elegant Crystal Christmas Table Decoration Ideas

When you sit down with your nearest and dearest to eat, drink and be merry on December 25th, do so in style with decor that you can use year after year. 

If you’re looking for elegant Christmas table decorations for your forthcoming Christmas dinner, explore Waterford’s collection of crystal glassware that will make your holiday celebrations at home feel even more memorable.

1. Coloured glassware for a very merry table setting

Waterford has two exquisite ranges of coloured crystal glassware, each with the ability to instantly elevate the aesthetic of your Christmas table. 

The Lismore Black collection is a glamorously bold take on the classic, universally-loved Lismore drinkware design. Rich, eye-catching and impeccably crafted, this collection of goblets, champagne flutes and tumblers look especially stunning when contrasted with clear crystal adornments.

Alternatively, create a festive colour scheme for your celebrations with Waterford’s new Winter Rose glassware range, which serves as the next annual instalment of our 6-year Winter Wonders collection. 

The pattern of cuts in each of the six Winter Wonders designs represents a different Irish flower that blooms to triumph despite the harsh winters of the Emerald Isle – with a different bloom featured each year. Coloured a soft red, each of the rose petals in this year’s Winter Rose design is delicately outlined in crystal. A set of Winter Rose crystal glassware would make an elegant addition to your Christmas table this year, and would form part of a unique Winter Wonders set of six colours to be collected over the coming years. 

2. A modern crystal twist on classic Christmas ornaments

Christmas is at its joyful best when it’s overflowing with tradition and nostalgia, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for a little modern reinvention. 

A modern take on traditional spruce, fir and pine evergreens, this three-piece, three-tiered set not only makes a stunning and stylish centrepiece, it also creates a halo effect that enhances the beauty of your other decorative elements. 

Made from the finest and most luxurious crystal, each tree stands apart for its own distinctive cut pattern, yet as a set, they create an immediately recognisable and fondly familiar Christmas tree aesthetic. 

If you’re looking for an item full of wistfulness and magic but which also expresses a modern and sophisticated design, then turn your eyes to Waterford’s beautiful new crystal snow globe. As eye-catching on your mantelpiece as it would be as your centrepiece, you can be confident that where you find it at the end of your celebrations won’t be where you placed it at the start. 

3. Use modern Christmas ornaments as festive table decor

Elevating the natural beauty of a Christmas tree can be achieved instantly by trimming it with a cascade of Waterford crystal Christmas ornaments. And while these light-catching baubles excel when draped from the branches of a robust evergreen, they’re also versatile and unique enough to be used in other decorative ways too. 

One of the most popular ways is to place a selection of them in and among the other festive decorations on your dining table. It’s as simple as punctuating your linens, garlands, candles, servingware and delicious Christmas dishes with our crystal coloured baubles, classic snowflake ornaments, pieces from our gold Christmas ornament range, or any of the other beautiful items in our Christmas crystal ornaments range. 

4. Decorate the table with luxury crystal pieces

A lot of love, care and creativity will go into what you prepare your loved ones for Christmas dinner – but why stop there? Apply a similar positive energy toward creating the most beautiful of table centrepieces using dazzling crystal items from Waterford.

Add festive elements and eye-catching accents to one of our beautiful decorative crystal bowls, or put seasonal blooms and local foliage into one of our fine crystal vases. The elements you choose for your centrepiece and the way you combine them is only limited by your imagination, so let your artistic side run free this Christmas by creating something unique and beautiful.

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How to Host a Christmas Tree Trimming Party

Every family has cheerful, time-honoured Christmas traditions that get them into the festive spirit and elevate the holiday season. For some families, this is a tree trimming party. 

If you’re yet to host a Christmas tree trimming party, adding this wonderful event to your list of Christmas traditions is an exciting way to decorate the tree each year and build lasting memories with your loved ones.

Crystal Secret Santa gift ideas for family

Also known as a tree decorating party, a tree trimming party involves coming together to decorate a Christmas tree with an array of ornaments and decorations. It’s common for those invited to bring an ornament with them to add to the Christmas tree. 

The host will also put on a spread of delicious food and drinks for guests to enjoy and depending on their wishes, other activities (like Christmas crafts) can also occur.

Christmas tree trimming decoration ideas

If your guests are bringing an ornament, it’s important to have the basic tree trimming essentials laid out and ready to keep your tree unified. We recommend filling a few boxes with ornaments and decorations of a similar style or theme. 

Ready to hang with satin ribbons and finished with a metal tag as a sign of Waterford’s expert craftsmanship and quality, our collection of Christmas tree trimming ornaments are the perfect way to celebrate moments of togetherness.

Secret Santa gift ideas for sisters and brothers

Add sparkle to your home this Christmas with crystal icicle and snowflake ornaments from Waterford. With delicate shards of fine crystal radiating outwards to create a natural refraction, our icicle and snowflake ornaments are designed to glimmer for a truly festive home. Beautifully presented and seasonal in sentiment, these magnificent ornaments are sure to be cherished for years to come.

Crystal religious ornaments

Waterford’s crystal religious ornaments offer an exquisite range of crosses, angels, and symbols, intricately detailed with delicate crystal facets that will shine on your tree. Each ornament is designed to capture the memories and milestones of each new year, bringing a sentimental and unified appearance to tree trimming celebrations, now and in the future. 

Coloured glass ornaments

Add an elegant splash of colour to your Christmas tree trimming party with our coloured glass ornaments. Contrasting beautifully against clear, Waterford’s coloured glass ornaments are the perfect way to add an exciting and bold twist to your festive decor. 

Tree trimming party entertainment

Make your favourite Christmas cocktail

A Christmas celebration isn’t complete without a festive cocktail (or mocktail). With a timeless sentiment and unequalled ability to bring a feeling of warmth to a cold evening, our Rum Espresso Martini is the perfect Christmas cocktail to serve at your tree trimming party. Alternatively, explore more of our favourite Christmas cocktail recipes to add to your drinks menu. 

Waterford’s extensive range of expertly crafted glassware delivers luxury and excellence to every occasion. Ideal for savouring your favourite Christmas tipple, you’re sure to find the perfect crystal glass with Waterford.

Serve bite-sized treats

Serving bite-sized appetisers that people can enjoy while socialising is an excellent way to feed guests without too much pressure. From hot and cold items to sweet and savoury snacks, consider a variety of foods when you plan your tree trimming party menu. 

To get you started, try these bite-sized food ideas:

• Fresh fruit
• Cranberry and cream cheese pinwheels
• Turkey sliders with cranberry relish
• Christmas themed cookies
• Brie with cherry chutney served on French bread
• Parmesan puff pastry straws
• Crispy cinnamon-sugar twists
• A variety of nuts, such as cashews and almonds

The after party

After the joy and festivities of the Christmas tree trimming are over, take a rest by your newly decorated tree and bask in the irreplaceable glow and newfound memories just made.

Decorating a tree with your closest friends and family is an exciting time, but if you want to make alterations, that’s completely okay. Everyone has their own styles and preferences, so feel free to make any necessary changes.

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Luxury Crystal Secret Santa Gift Ideas for 2022

Funny presents are commonly associated with Secret Santa gift-giving. But what do you do when the opportunity to be funny is not the appropriate approach? 

If you’re looking for everyone taking part to receive a gift that’s beautiful and they’ll cherish forever, start by taking a look at the variety of luxury crystal items from Waterford.

No matter whose name you’ve drawn, you’re sure to find them a present that will have them believing there is a Santa.

Crystal Secret Santa gift ideas for family

Fathers can be notoriously reluctant about treating themselves, so this is an opportunity to take the initiative and splash out on something extra special on their behalf. Waterford has a range of bar accessories and glassware sets that are perfect for upgrading Dad’s drinks cabinet or home bar. 

From crystal rocks glasses that elevate his whiskey & sodas, to crystal pilsner and pint glasses that enhance the flavour and aroma of his favourite beer, you’re sure to find something he’ll raise his glass to at Waterford. 

Secret Santa gift ideas for Mum

If one of the many ways your mother shows her love is by creating beautiful tablescapes when you gather to eat together, here’s an easy way to instantly get on her good side at Christmas. Gift her a special piece from Waterford’s range of beautifully crafted crystal flower vases, candle holders and votives that she will treasure forever knowing it came from you. 

Secret Santa gift ideas for sisters and brothers

If your sister is at her happiest hosting a pamper night-in with her closest friends or sipping on cocktails at far-flung locales is more her style, Waterford’s crystal martini and cocktail glasses will make a perfect Secret Santa gift.

When buying for your brother, browse Waterford’s range of crystal bar cart essentials, including crystal cocktail shakers and ice buckets. They’re ideal for adding some classic glamour and sophistication to his next social gathering. 

Secret Santa gift ideas for grandparents

If your friendship group always does Secret Santa each year, perhaps it’s time to suggest a more exciting variation of the tradition and gift Waterford’s annual Winter Wonders collection instead?

With Winter Wonders, each year, each person in your friendship group receives a piece of themed crystal to treasure. This year’s theme is Winter Rose, with a pattern of cuts that represents the hardiest of flowers that bloom to triumph despite the Irish winter. Coloured a soft red, each petal is delicately outlined in crystal. 

Smaller but meaningful Secret Santa gift ideas

To ensure consistency and equity, most Secret Santas have a budget that those participating must not exceed. If you’re working with a smaller budget, perhaps for a workplace Secret Santa, but you still want to gift something beautiful and sincere, then explore Waterford’s range of crystal Christmas ornaments. You can also find a present at an exceptional price with our collection of crystal gifts under $150.

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Unique Baby’s First Christmas Gift Ideas

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Rocking Horse golden Christmas ornament

All of Waterford’s gold-plated ornaments are designed to catch the eye, and this glittering rocking horse is a shining example. Reminiscent of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker Suite, this charming depiction of the traditional children’s toy is sure to become a treasured memento of baby’s very first Christmas. Strung for display with a Waterford-embroidered satin ribbon, it’s beautifully presented with a cloth pouch in a signature Waterford box.

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Baby’s First Bear Christmas ornament

The 2022 Baby’s First Bear is a returning favourite in the Waterford crystal ornament collection. This wonderfully detailed adorable teddy celebrates baby’s first Christmas with everyone’s most trusted first childhood friend. Beautifully presented in a signature Waterford box, a cloth bag, and a “2022”-dated gold tag attached to a white satin ribbon. 

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Baby’s First Boot Christmas ornament

Lismore Castle snow globe

Beautifully presented in a signature Waterford box, this snow globe makes an irresistible and enchanting gift sure to mesmerise the eyes of both the young and the young at heart. This picturesque glass snow globe stands apart for its miniaturised 3D model of Lismore Castle, the rugged landmark which inspired Waterford’s most iconic cut design, Lismore. Add a touch of timeless fairy tale magic to baby’s room with the Lismore Castle snow globe.

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Times Square 2023 snow globe

Begin baby’s celebratory education early by introducing them to the wonderland that is New York’s Times Square every New Year’s Eve. Both exciting and reassuring when shaken and swirling, this unique glass globe features a detailed 3D model of the NYC skyline with the iconic Waterford Times Square Ball in bright red, plus miniature love hearts among the traditional flurry of snow. The snowglobe also comes artfully presented in a signature Waterford gift box.

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