With the holidays around the corner, we’re on the hunt for advice on turning our home into a winter wonderland—not to mention, how to host holiday events like a pro. We chatted with entertainment experts Sebastien and Sheila Centner of Eatertainment to get their pro tips. —Vita Daily
Hi Sebastien and Sheila! Please tell us a bit about yourselves to start.
We met 29 years ago completely by accident and ours was a story of what the French call ‘un coup de foudre’ loosely translated to ‘lightning strikes’ and for sure better describes how Seb felt about Sheila than the other way around! We moved in within a week, were engaged within a month and married the same year, all at the young ages of 23 and 24. Ever since then we’ve been building our life with our two sons (Colsen now 25, Logan now 22) and our business. Eatertainment Events & Catering is our main business, an event and catering company that hosts over 1,500 events a year in Canada, and has hosted events across North America and around the world (Los Angeles, Capetown, Istanbul, New York, etc, etc). We also recently launched our US division in Miami where we split our time when not in Toronto. While hosting is our business, it originates from a place very close to our hearts. We have always felt more at home with a table full of friends and family, sharing great meals with lots of laughter. This passion for entertaining led us to start sharing our entertaining ideas many years ago, which continues today as there is nothing we love more than inspiring others to entertain. Hosting can be stressful and often overwhelming, which is why so many people are afraid of doing it. We’ve made it our mission to take the fear out of entertaining by showing people how easy it can be when you plan ahead. We also love sharing our culinary and beverage ideas along with little tips and tricks to make entertaining effortless. Most recently we are tremendously proud to have published Eatertainment: Recipes And Ideas For Effortless Entertaining with Penguin Random House, where we share recipes and guides to make entertaining easier.
With the holidays around the corner, are you seeing any new trends in festive decor this year?
Absolutely! The holidays can be a funny time for décor since it typically falls into two camps. Those who like traditional décor and generally recycle their holiday décor elements each year, and those (more like us) who like to mix things up. This year we are seeing a lot of silver and mirrors with hints of colour, and the colour of the season is magenta with this dark hue of pink popping up everywhere. When combined with silver, white, and mirrored elements, it provides for a contemporary and elegant (but fun) look for the holiday season.
What are your top tips for turning your home into a winter wonderland?
Spread out your décor elements. We recommend this for two reasons: firstly, to truly immerse your space you need smaller pops of décor throughout the common spaces where guests may mingle instead of going heavy in a single area. This can mean small vignettes scattered onto counters, coffee tables, mantles, the bar area if you have one, all if possible with matching colors, and each integrated into your existing décor. Take vases of different sizes you already own and might normally fill with flowers and instead use silver, white and magenta (from above trend) holiday balls then drop them around your home for a consistent theme. The second reason is to try to be mindful of budget– avoiding flowers that will only last a few days or using items that can be reused from year to year (like the white, silver and mirrored elements) will help keep costs down.
Any advice around hosting holiday events like a pro?
Do as much as possible in the days leading up to your event. Entrance closets can be partially cleared to accommodate coats, bars can be set up the day before so you can ‘just add ice’. Try to balance your menu with enough items that are either self-serve so you’re not spending the entire night in the kitchen, or items that can be partially or fully prepared ahead of time!
Suggestions for decor/entertainment-themed gifting?
Entertainment and hosting themed gifts are something we consider ourselves to be experts on. Every year we launch the Seb & Sheila Gift Guide, full of our top suggestions for this category of gifting specifically – and this year is no different! From elegant home decor items that transform living spaces to entertaining essentials that bring out anyone’s inner host, the possibilities are endless. Here’s a sneak peek at some of the items that made this year’s list:
- Sir Glass Beverage Dispenser + Reviews | CB2: This chic beverage dispenser is a game changer for your next batched cocktail, or to simply elevate your water stations.
- SANTAL 26 | Large White Concrete Candle | Le Labo Fragrances: We always remind hosts to tap into all the senses of their guests, and scent is a very important element in our book! Le Labo has a ton of incredible options, one of our favourites is the SANTAL 26 Large White Concrete Candle.
- Laguiole Jean Dubost Olivewood Steak Knives, Set of 4: It’s never too late to invest in gorgeous steak knives, and the olive wood Laguioles are such a timeless set.
Top hostess gift ideas, or festive guest favours?
For host/hostess gifting we typically like to avoid giving wine since unless your host specifically asks for wine it’s nice to offer something a little different. One of our go-to items as a hostess gift is mason jars of varying sizes filled with holiday colored or themed sweets with silver ribbon and gift tags. We bring a few of these along for the host to either keep for themselves for later, or put out for guests to enjoy later in the evening. These are always a hit with kids and adults alike and the host ends up with some very useful mason jars once the treats are all gone! Another little tip we like to share is to have a bunch of these mason jars ready to go and pre-filled so you just need to sign the gift tag and take them along as you head out the door.
For those who don’t live in a cold climate, do you have any advice around making the holidays feel wintery, warm and cozy? Or, how to embrace the holidays in a sunny place, decor and entertainment wise?
Indeed, while in the colder climate giving your space a winter wonderland feel is easy, it can be a bit more challenging when you live in a tropical or warmer climate. That being said, the décor elements we recommended above would suit any environment warm or cool, and if you are in a more warmer climate consider how to use some locally available greenery to give that ‘tropical-holiday’ feel. Aralia leaves, banana leaves, fan palms, birds of paradise and areca palms all work really well with white, silver and colored décor pieces for holiday décor. Another option if you are looking for a more ‘traditional’ look is to add classic winter outdoor elements like pinecones, acorns, pine picks to your arsenal. Both of these types of décor are readily available at craft stores and online.
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