The holiday season is almost here and what a perfect time for you to take the reins and throw your friends, family or co-workers a little holiday shindig. While the idea of throwing your first holiday party can be daunting, we have some tips to help you throw a memorable party that your guests will be talking about into the New Year. So get out your thinking hats and the mistletoe, it’s time to get planning!
Planning
Show your guests the best time and avoid mishaps by taking the time to do a little planning beforehand. Planning gives you the ability to think about what needs to be done and can be used to reference during the party to make sure it goes smoothly. Having a plan will also make getting everything together much easier since you thought things through. One of the important pieces of a good plan is a general roadmap or timeline. This will help you plan with how you want the evening to go and during the party so guests aren’t wandering around confused or miss a special announcement you wanted to make during the event.
Please remember though, that while having a plan is important, things can come up that you couldn’t possibly predict. If this happens, just go with the flow and enjoy yourself and your time with your guests.
Venue
Picking a venue that goes with your theme and fits all your guests comfortably is essential in having a successful holiday party. Whether you’re planning on having your house or apartment be the spot or you are renting a commercial space, get a second opinion and create designated party spaces. These spaces should include a bar, snack, sitting and dance area so your guests have room to enjoy themselves without bumping into people. If you are renting a space, make sure to ask about capacity, party timeframe and alcohol and food limitations before committing.
Themes
Having a theme for your party is important for multiple reasons. First, it makes planning the actual party easier since it narrows down your decor choices. Second, it helps guests get more excited since they know a little more going into the event and can dress for the occasion. You don’t have to have a full blown themed party if that’s not your thing, but having a loosely based theme will help you decide the decorations, food, music, drinks and your outfit.
Music
Music is critical for a great party as it sets the tone of the party. You don’t want to bore your guests with music they don’t want to hear or blow anyone’s eardrums out because it is too loud. To our previous point, this is also where planning and a theme come into play. If you’re planning a more sophisticated holiday party, choose music that’ll enhance the atmosphere and won’t be too difficult to talk over. If you’re throwing a more lively party, make a playlist of popular, trendier music that’s easy to dance and sing to. If you really want to go all out, hire a DJ or band.
Activities
Think about having activities to keep people entertained. Having party activities is great way to avoid any lulls in the evening. It is a great way to break the ice in case your party guests are not familiar with each other. Try to plan games or activities that have people work together or in a group so no one feels awkward or left out.
One more thing……..
Make sure to buy a little extra of everything. The only thing worse than running out of snacks is running out of alcohol. Buy way more than you think you will ever need. You never know who will actually show up and who will bring someone they did not tell you about. You can never have enough chips, crackers, cheese, dip, cookies, wine or champagne. Just open as you go so you aren’t wasting anything you could have saved for another time.
With a little planning and some awesome champagne, your holiday party is sure to be a hit among your friends. Do you have a fun holiday hosting party experience? Tell us all about it in the comments below, we want to hear about it!
Christina Romero, owner and founder of Signature Events by Christina Romero a full service event planning, design and production company. Professional Wedding Consultant, Association of Certified Professional Wedding Consultant (ACPWC) Board Member, Vice Chair. With such an unexpected and extensive background in Corporate America, I am so lucky to have finally found my calling in event planning. Family and friends are the most important aspect of my life so naturally, I was eager to plan and throw all parties at my house because I loved bringing everyone together to celebrate special occasions and just being in the company of my loved ones. What started as a hobby eventually led me to start up my very own event planning company. I thought that I could use my creativity and organization skills to good use by bringing other people together with their friends and family to create unforgettable memories of their own. It gets difficult trying to balance being a dedicated wife and mother of four amazing children and starting my own business from the ground up as there are stressful times in everyone’s life, but I try to push past them, reminding myself of my personal motto: “There are no problems, only solutions.” I am thrilled to have the opportunity and the support of my friends, family and team to be able to do what I truly love.