How to Throw a Holiday Party

Are you planning to throw a holiday party and not sure where to begin? Read below for some tips to get you moving in the right direction.

What kind of party is this?

Decide how you want your party to feel. Should people come casual or dressed up? Are children allowed? Is this a family party? Something for your friends only? Something for the whole neighborhood? Do you picture just enough people to fill your dining table or do you see holiday crowds mingling in every room? The answers to these questions will determine the choices you make in every other area.

Set a Date

Choose a date for your event. With only so many weekends in December it can be hard to find a date that is not already occupied by another holiday party. You will want to decide early so you can get your invitations out. If you are having a dinner party of 10 or less maybe a weeknight would work as well.

Choose your Holiday Party Decor

Will you use "real" plates or will fancy paper plates do? For a large holiday crowd, do you even have enough "real" plates? Do you have nice table arrangements or will you need to acquire some? Take stock of your serving dishes. Do you have something appropriate for this occasion? Now is the time to get out those holiday salt and pepper shakers and the glasses with the holly leaves. Make sure your holiday tree and/or decorative lights, etc. are in place in time for the party.

Plan a Holiday Menu

Are you going to prepare heavy hor 'dourves or serve a full dinner? How much space do you have to put food out? What will you use to keep hot food hot? Make sure there are options suitable for children if they are invited to the party. Be sensitive to your vegetarian friends as well and make sure there is something for them to eat besides a salad.

Design your Holiday Party Invitations

You have a few options here. You can purchase holiday party invitations at a store, make them at home, or design them online.

For designing your own printed invitations online, I like Vista Print. They have many different templates to choose from to create a unique look. You could also giveShutterflyShutterfly a try, especially if you would like to use pics from past gatherings. When your invitations are ready and printed you will still have to wait for VistaShutterflyShutterfly to mail them to you and you will then have to mail them to your guests so you will need to factor this in to your party time frame. If you are inviting a large number of people to your holiday party, this might not be the best option because it could become costly.

The easiest way to prepare invitations online Evite use Evite. This online invitation service is a very handy way to get a decorative invitation out in a flash. You simply choose a background, enter your invitation and email the invitation out to your guests. You can do this in less than 15 minutes. I like to include the menu on my invitations just to get people excited for the tasty meal and good times ahead. If you are planning a potluck affair of sorts, you caEvite the Evite to present guests with the option to choose a dish to bring. There are other benefits as well. Not Evitewill Evite keep track of how many guests you have coming it will also tell you who viewed your holiday party invitation without responding.

Be sure to choose an appropriate design for your invitation. This is how you will communicate to your guests what kind of party you will have. If it's a dressy affair you will want to convey that in the design. If children are welcome (or not welcome) make it clear. Make sure you have all of your email addresses handy before you get started. It's also easy to import contacts from your web mail address books.

Prepare the Holiday Atmosphere

Now that the invitations are out and the responses are rolling in, you can spend some time planning the little touches that make a holiday party memorable. Creating a great atmosphere will convey the mood of your party as soon as guests start arriving so you want to put some care into this. Plan on having music in the background and burn your own mix of holiday songs to be played throughout your party. Use cinnamon or evergreen candles to give each room the appropriate seasonal scent. Candle light will also help your party feel more elegant. Keep lights low but not dark and make sure there is sufficient seating arranged for conversation. You want guests to walk in and feel relaxed and comfortable so they will stay a while.

Find Holiday Party Games

Sometimes games feel appropriate, sometimes they don't. It's up to you. If you are having a casual thing and you want to include games choose something simple that won't make anyone uncomfortable and don't pressure anyone to play. Ladies in skirts may not want to get down on the floor to play a board game. Some people don't like singing karaoke. If you and your guests are not the games type that's fine. Some people prefer to just mingle and enjoy good food, music, and conversation.

Choose Holiday Party Favors

I believe in party favors. It's nice to send your guests off with a little something to remember your party by, especially during the holidays. A parting gift doesn't have to be extravagant. You could give out scented candles, CDs of your party music, or some really delicious chocolates. What you decide to do depends on how many people you have coming and what you can afford.

Pulling it all Together

Keep in mind how one choice you make for your party can influence another. If you want to have a fancy dinner party for 8 couples then you probably don't want to serve spaghetti on paper plates. Similarly, at a holiday open house for family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, etc, you won't give out expensive party favors, your menu will be simple and abundant, and your party invitations will have a more laid back casual theme. All elements must work together to convey the right message and keep your holiday party on track.

Happy Holidays.