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With Christmas on the way, I’m planning a Nutcracker brunch for Mini and her little ballerina friends. I’m imagining a beautiful table, a lovely lunch for the grown-ups, and time for the girls to dance between bites.
As a former ballerina, I love the idea of bringing ballet into our Christmas traditions. Meri Meri’s collection with New York City Ballet, inspired by George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker®, feels like a lovely place to begin.
Setting the table
I’m picturing it on our white Serena & Lily Terrace table, with ivory linen, ballet-pink ribbons and gold flatware. At each place, a character plate gives everyone a dancer or Nutcracker figure to discover. The matching cups bring the illustrations around the table, and the tree-shaped plates would be lovely for little sandwiches or sweets.
For the adults, Hermès Mosaique au 24 dessert plates add a beautiful touch of gold alongside the paper pieces. For a layered setting with a visible mosaic border, I’d use the larger dinner size underneath the character plates. I’d finish with a low arrangement of blush and ivory flowers and the ballet garland hanging behind the table.
Brunch for everyone
The menu can be simple: mini croissants, little quiches, cucumber and cream-cheese finger sandwiches, and soft sliced fruit. Mild fillings and small portions make the same dishes easy to serve to the girls. Coffee and tea for the adults, milk or water in the ballet cups for the little ones, and a few vanilla cupcakes with pale pink icing would complete the table.
A little ballet after brunch
After everyone has eaten, I’d make room for a short Nutcracker dance break, followed by a story and coloring. The girls can wear their favorite ballet outfits while the adults linger over coffee.
xoxo Charlotte
Shop the table
Table styling concepts. The larger Hermès dinner plates shown beneath the paper plates are an optional addition; the linked dessert plate is featured separately.