Family Celebration Dinners

 Family celebration dinners are a wonderful occasion because a joyous event is taking place.  Time is at a premium for everyone these days, and it is nice to receive an invitation to event such as this to reconnect with family members, enjoy a relaxed atmosphere, and bring all the generations together.  It is also the perfect opportunity to pass along family traditions and special recipes to the younger members in addition to enjoying a nice visit.  Whether the occasion is a holiday celebration such as Christmas, a birthday party, graduation, wedding, or even one of life's milestones like moving into a first home, a family get-together is always a happy time.  

 Some nice hors d'ouevres and drinks are a very nice beginning of the festivities at your family celebration dinner, while everyone is getting reacquainted.   When it is time to serve the meal, a children’s table is a very nice touch.   Their table can be decorated and set in such a was as to make them feel comfortable and also make them feel important.  When the grownups have their coffee and tea, the children can have their milk and/or juice served from a lovely coffee pot or teapot too.  

 The theme and decorating will depend on the occasion.  If the family celebration dinner is at Christmas time, the table settings, centerpiece, crystal, flatware and linens will be very festive, reflecting the season.   There are some gorgeous china and casual china patterns available such as Winter Greetings by Lenox.  This one is very nice to collect because it also lends itself to use during the entire winter season.  Because it is a colorful pattern without being too busy, there are several different linen colors that will look very nice with it.  Waterford powerscourt gold is a flatware pattern that would be stunning with this china.  One of the advantages to internet shopping is the pricing that is available on line rather than shopping in a store.  The convenience of having everything delivered to the house  is a godsend.    There are many beautiful china and crystal and flatware patterns available for every taste and budget.  In addition, if the family has a special china pattern that is used for special occasions, there is a website that specializes in patterns, crystal and flatware that may have been discontinued in the stores, but will be available on their site.   Please see the suggested links below.

 Everyone will appreciate the hospitality of their host and hostess at the family celebration dinner, and will enjoy the comfort of a well-tended home.   There are some beautiful ideas and suggestions for decorating with furniture presented in fully appointed rooms.  A floral centerpiece might be a nice addition to the table setting.  There is also a new concept too, known as a table scape, for decorating the table.    We all like to receive an invitation to a party or a celebration and enjoy some time away from busy schedules.  A family celebration dinner is the perfect time! 

 When planning the meal, it is sometimes fun to cook by color.  If everything presented is colorful, with a lot of eye-appeal, it adds to the festivity and beauty of the family celebration dinner.  The children could be involved in the food preparation or the menu selections.    A nice main course might be a prime rib with roasted vegetables, a crisp salad, and some crusty bread.  

  Last but not least, comes the time for dessert.  Everyone has enjoyed the meal, the company and the conversation, and is now looking forward to dessert!  Serving one fabulous dessert and making it the centerpiece is a very beautiful and elegant idea.   Another presentation that is also well-received is to have a dessert buffet and let everyone have small servings, being able to sample everything.   This is on the idea of a wine tasting, and everyone is able to have several different items on their plate at once.   Coffee, tea and a good dessert wine, such as a gewürztraminer, can be offered at this point.

 Time passes quickly and soon it will be time to say good-by.  But, everyone will already be looking  forward to the next family celebration dinner!