11 Elements of a Flawless Winter Dinner Party

"Floral-rich table decor can become very feminine very quickly, so balance soft, delicate flowers like garden roses with lush cascading greenery and sturdy pewter pedestal vases."

"I wanted a plaid blanket chair cover to create a warm, cozy feeling. Instead of folding the blankets, which would have created a more formal look, I went for a corner-to-corner fold and then fluffed and ruffled them on the chair. This made the room instantly inviting."

"Style a few areas where guests can mix and mingle. Drink station and/or bar while appetizers are being served should have plenty of space. A lounge area or two can create another option."

"A custom mad-lib was the perfect place setting accent. As guests sat for dinner, you could hear them excitedly whispering to one another, "Ooh! what's this?!" For a fun touch, the cards were collected in a basket, shuffled, and read aloud. Guests had to try and guess whose story was being read. It was a hit!"

"The color palatte was set when I found the perfect plaid throw. To avoid being too 'matchy matchy,' I went with merlot, dusty pink, and cream color flowers to accent the red and navy pattern."

"Free-form organic design is essential to the floral design here, but to achieve the perfect rustic-urban-chic look, arrangements are perfectly styled. So they're composed, yet messy — all at the same time."

"These are the sign of an exceptional host. It shows you've taken the time to really consider who will enjoy interacting with who. Here I used a gold embossing heat tool with craft paper tags. Simple and elegant."

"Warm Winter coziness — touches of the warm cozy plaid theme were woven throughout many of the party's elements. Guest enjoyed a fabulous hot chocolate bar with a spiked option for fun and were even sent home with a luscious Jacques Torres hot chocolate party favor."

"Everybody looks great in candlelight and nothing creates an intimate feeling more effectively than dimming the lights and lighting up a variety. Here we used long taper candles and tea lights."

"To add a touch of elegance, metallic accents were sprinkled around. From the copper kettles for the hot cocoa to the golden [antler] centerpieces. The key is to have just a few hints of sparkle."

"I'm all about achieving a balance of simple and elegant. For example, you can arrange place settings but present silverware in a playful criss-cross."