Who doesn’t love a good holiday party? Everyone wants to go to at least one, and if its done right, they’ll be talking about it into the new year. But for a party planner preparing can turn a joyful time of year into a stressful, and expense one. So if you’re planning on hosting holiday parties, or having family or friends stay over there are a few things you should prepare for now.
1. Budgeting: Don’t let money bring you down this season. You can plan an amazing party if you learn to cut some corners, and keep an eye out for sales. Avoid name brand items whenever possible. Listing all the things you need and there cost will help you to see how much money you truly need to have. Then anything left over can go to the fun (unnecessary) add-on. Depending on the type of party you’re having the majority of your funds should be spent on food, and drinks. But remember it is just a party (or two) you’re throwing, so don’t overstress your budget.
2. Décor: Beyond the date, time, and place there are a lot of other things you need to consider. Decorations, food, and drinks set the tone to the type of gathering you’re hosting. Minimal decorations and finger foods suggest a causal event that isn’t expected to last for more than a few hours. While a very well decorated home that could be featured in Home and Life magazine, with sweet treats set out, and a planned dinner screams formal evening. Guest at this party should plan to stay for quite a while. I have to admit that I have a love/hate relationship when it comes to decorating. I hate putting them up and then bring them down, but I LOVE THEM and NEED to have them. And the more decorations the merrier I say. And remember the décor can spread beyond the look of your home. I enjoy ‘theming’ everything from the colors on the placements, to the look of the desserts, evening at times my outfit.
3. Guest List: We ‘party planners’ have our own ideas of what our perfect party would be like, but the sad reality is that we’ll probably never have that party. Our responsibility as host is to think of the people we’ve invited and plan the party basis on what everyone will enjoy. If it’s a lively group, then pull out all the stops. From a variety of drinks, to cheesy games or karaoke; you never know what will be a hit so be open to ideas. If you’ll be having a more low key/professional group over, then smooth music softly playing can make it easy for your guest to carry on a conversation. And it will cut the silence if there’s an awkward pause. Then there’s planning for a family friendly party. Ideally, you’d want to have space for kids and adults to enjoy themselves separately and together. Don’t worry about the noise level, it will be out of control. Your focus with this group should be on food. Kid friendly snacks are a most. And make sure to keep them coming as long as possible. For the adults you should provide food and beverages different then what they have on a regular day. Whether it’s store bought or made at home, taste is all that matters. A variety of bite size sweets is always a hit with all ages. Note: Remember that the number of guests you invite is just as important as who you invite.
4. Enjoy: Plan to have everything done hours before your guest arrive. Give yourself enough time to get ready, and have time to adjust if something doesn’t go according to plan. Once guest arrive be more than just a greeter. Enjoy your party! Sure, you’ll still need to set out food, refill drinks, and possibly clean up a few messes, but that’s the job of the host. So relax and be part of the fun and for goodness sakes, eat. You don’t know how many parties I have thrown where I didn’t have a single bite of the wonderful (and sometimes expense food) I so carefully arranged and served; rookie mistake. So like the saying goes let’s eat, drink, and be merry.
