For luxury brand ambassador, lifestyle influencer and Sloane Street local Luna de Casanova, Christmas is about blending tradition with a touch of whimsy and wit. Known for her keen eye and refined tastes, Luna offers her go-to hosting tips for creating an unforgettable holiday gathering. 

From her focus on personal touches to carefully curated table settings and a relaxed yet polished ambiance, she knows how to charm and delight guests—even those hardest to impress. For a festive gathering filled with warmth, laughter, and elegance, here are her top tips for hosting like a true Sloane Street doyenne.

WHY IS HOSTING AT CHRISTMAS MORE CHALLENGING, AND HOW DO YOU OVERCOME IT?

Believe it or not, Christmas Day only became a UK public holiday in 1958 with Boxing Day becoming one in 1974. Since then, Christmas has marched out of December, backwards through November, into early October, and stands on the borders of September like some power-mad dictator, driven crazy by listening to Walking In A Winter Wonderland on a tape loop. 

Consequently, should you be planning a Christmas party any later than mid-August, you can be certain that your guests will already be suffering from Christmas fatigue. The only way to shake them out of their festive torpor is to follow three simple rules. One, make your event personal by showing each of the guests that you have thought of them as individuals and not as a group. 

Two, make a real effort or call it off: half-hearted attempts to recycle last year’s tinsel and the nasty coloured lights you inherited from Aunt Cissy are unlikely to have a positive impact on your guests’ mental health. 

Finally, if any of your decorating, cooking, or entertaining gambits can be found in a televised Christmas commercial or a Travelodge, it’s an instant fail.

HOW DO YOU ENSURE EVERYTHING COMES TOGETHER SMOOTHLY?

Planning. Preparing a successful Christmas party is like formulating the plot of a detective story. Start at the end and work backwards. If that seems too hard, forget about the party, head to John Sandoe Books and buy John Banville’s latest: The Drowned. It won’t help your part, but it will make you happier.

HOW DO YOU CREATE A FESTIVE ATMOSPHERE BEYOND THE TREE AND THE TABLE?

You need to focus on the big four: heat, light, smells and sounds. The temperature should be warm enough that guests feel immediately relaxed and that won’t happen if they think they’ve walked into a meat locker. 

Next, the lighting needs to be inviting. Lamps and candles only, with all forms of overhead lighting banned for the duration. 

Next, there must be a smell that people will notice and remark on. Cinnamon is a festive favourite, but others work equally well. Keep the kitchen door closed and its windows open. There’s a reason Diptyque and Jo Malone don’t sell candles with the scent of boiling cabbage. 

Lastly, music is essential but must be discreet and played at low volume. Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater works. I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday doesn’t – unless it’s three in the morning, you hate your neighbours, and your guests are one glass shy of alcohol poisoning.

WHAT’S YOUR APPROACH TO KEEPING THE FLOW OF THE EVENT ENJOYABLE?

I make up little stories about the guests that will make them seem more interesting. The trick is to ensure that the fabricated background is sufficiently awkward to discourage other guests from questioning them about it too early in the evening. “What a wonderful man. So sad, he’s been widowed four times,” or “Isn’t it remarkable how morals have changed, and you can now see her early films on Amazon Prime?” would be worth trying. 

If it all goes pear-shaped, and the party makes two Norwegians debating EU fishery policies look interesting, I’ll pull the ripcord and depart for my pre-booked room at The Cadogan Hotel.

WHAT ARE YOUR TIPS ON SETTING THE TABLE?

Yes. Don’t worry too much about whether you’re serving dinner on Meissen or old dustbin lids. Just make sure the glasses are polished, you have candles, and linen napkins. Peter Jones, David Mellor, or The Conran Shop will be happy to help you out. 

I also like my table to have fruit bowls between the candles as I love the richness of colour that comes from an assortment of oranges, apples, mandarins, and grapes – I love to pick these up from Natoora on Pavilion Road.

I always think that the personal touch is important, and I make sure that each guest’s place has a handwritten note from me, either a quote or a stanza of a poem which reminds me of them. Make sure it’s written on a beautiful card or high-quality paper from Papersmiths or Smythson.

HOW DO YOU STYLE THE ROOM TO ADD A FESTIVE FLAIR?

I don’t, as I’m allergic to nasty Christmas decorations, and it would be embarrassing to have to leave my own party to visit the Chelsea & Westminster Hospital. 

Cute wooden decorations that look like you stole them from a Stockholm Christmas party are allowed – all other mass-manufactured decorations are banned from my parties. Balloons are a pet peeve unless they’re for my dogs to destroy.

Another option is to dig out an old hamper – preferably from Harvey Nicks – or even a vintage suitcase, fill it with packing straw, and small, beautifully wrapped gifts, for the guests. 

DO YOU HAVE TIPS FOR ADDING A ‘WOW’ FACTOR?

Yes. Ask George Clooney to stop by and hand out Hermés bags for the ladies and £10 Boots vouchers for the men.  If George can’t make it, hire a magician. Everyone loves a little magic at Christmas. If you can’t manage either, hang some rotten tinsel close to the candles, and wait for the Chelsea fire crew to put in a late appearance.

WHAT ARE YOUR PERSONAL CHRISTMAS TOUCHES?

I like to dress my dogs as reindeer but I’m receiving treatment for that penchant.