One of the most exciting things about the holidays is being able to host a Christmas party in your home. The gorgeous decorations, stunning Christmas tree, and filling your home with joyous festivities brings every room to life for the holidays. Let’s face it, though, these parties are a lot of work, especially if you have a lot of people on your invite list. We have some tips to help you plan everything and make your Christmas party the best one ever!
1. Set the Date And Time In Advance
With so many parties in December each year, it’s best to set your date as soon as possible to ensure your guests are available. Make your guest list and send your invitations early. You can also choose to set up a Facebook event, which works well to get the word out quickly, and allows you to communicate with your invitation list right up until the day of the party. If you’re worried about the privacy of a Facebook event, you can set it so only the individuals you invite can see the page.
2. Plan Your Menu
If you choose to cater your event, food planning will be a bit simpler as you can choose from existing menus. Consider if any of your guests have food allergies, and offer a few select alternatives for them. You certainly want everyone to be able to enjoy themselves!
If you are planning to make your own food, write out the recipes you’d like to make and compile a complete grocery list ahead of time. Try to make dishes in advance that can be easily reheated or thawed the day of the party. This will reduce your overall stress level as organizing a large amount of food can quickly get overwhelming. Anyone who has cooked a Christmas dinner for more than 15 people can definitely relate.
Be creative in your dish selection. Make recipes that offer a beautiful, elegant presentation—your spread will look amazing. Or perhaps come up with a theme for your event and plan your dishes around this idea. An example could be farm-to-table where your food and decor is sourced from local producers (and you can find everything at farmer’s markets!).
Most importantly, don’t put out all of your food immediately. Keep it fresh and restock regularly to ensure everyone has the same experience throughout. Consider assigning this task to a member of your household so you are available to entertain rather than be stuck in the kitchen the entire time.
3. Decorate Your Space
3. Decorate Your SpaceOf course, you'll want your home to look festive and inviting for your guests, but a minimalist approach to your décor is best. If you are inviting any children, you probably know them to be a bit rambunctious at parties. By the end of the evening, you may find your décor in a place you didn’t expect. The less clutter the better, and the more elegant it will look.
Natural tones and textures are in fashion. Wrap your candles in real holly or rosemary leaves and tie in place with a lacy bow. Craft Christmas table centrepieces from sprigs of real spruce, and serve food on wooden platters.
Don’t forget the music. Music is part of your décor as it also helps to set the mood. If you know your guests will appreciate traditional Christmas music, go ahead and play what you know they will enjoy. However, there is something elegant about playing non-holiday classical music as well, or something a bit more funky and vibrant if you feel your crowd will receive it well.
4. Accommodate Your Guests
How many guests do you intend to invite? Do you have enough seating for everyone? Most of the time you’ll have little groups of people standing, and some sitting, but just in case it might be a good idea to plan seating for everyone. Consider renting some chairs from a local party rental store; their selections are usually very stylish.
5. Plan Activities For The Kids
To make your gathering enjoyable for everyone, consider providing some fun activities for the kids to do in other parts of the home. Arrange a scavenger hunt, or create some fun games to keep them entertained. A craft station (although sometimes messy) can keep the kids busy for hours.
6. Thank Your Guests For Attending
One of the warmest things you can do is send your guests off with their own holiday party favour as a thank you for attending. Something unique and small is enough, such as a tree ornament, sweet treats, or if you know your guests well enough, a gift card to their favourite café. This small gesture will go a long way.
Your custom home is the perfect place to hold an elegant Christmas party. We hope these tips help your planning efforts and that you have a wonderful holiday season filled with great food and even better people.
