What better excuse for hosting a DIY party than the ultimate festive season? With Christmas sneaking up on us, it’s the perfect time to start thinking about organizing the gathering of the year.
There are endless ideas for Christmas parties, and it can be easy to get yourself in a hot mess trying to coordinate the ideal festivities for your guests. But planning doesn’t need to be stressful.
There are a few essentials that form the basis of any well-organized soiree, but, once you’ve got these covered, it’s easy to let your hair down.
Pre-party logisticsÂ
People’s schedules often get filled up rapidly during the festive period so it’s wise to set a date and time well in advance. Decide who’s on the guest list and whether the event is suitable for families or just adults.
Create a budget, ensuring you take into account food, drink, entertainment, and decorations.
Choose a theme
There are plenty of themes to choose from for a Christmas party with a difference. Options include winter wonderland, Christmas films, glitzy glamour, Alpine atmosphere, Christmas cocktails, novelty jumpers, or traditional and cozy.
Decide on any dress code to go along with your theme and consider how to decorate your venue. Get creative with festive interior displays and consider illuminating the exterior with some magical outdoor Christmas lights.
Other décor options include wreaths, candles, trees, ice sculptures, and ornaments in the theme of your party.
Invitations
Send out your invites as soon as you’ve decided on the details. Include information such as the time, date, location, dress code, directions, and theme.
You can choose traditional invites that are sent through the post or, alternatively, design your own digital invitations. As well as adding a personal touch, creating your own digital invites is a more sustainable option.
Food and drink
Arguably the most important aspect of any Christmas party is the food and drink. Think about whether you want to host a sit-down dinner, provide a buffet menu, or keep it simple with canapes and snacks. Sweet treats could include minced pies, candy canes, fruit cake, and cookies.
It’s a good idea to opt for a combination of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks for your guests. Choose festive tipples such as mulled wine, fizz, Christmas cocktails, and themed mocktails.
Entertainment
Your entertainment should complement the theme and atmosphere. Depending on your budget, consider live music, hiring a jukebox, a magician, festive games, or treasure hunts.
Party favors
Consider a small gift to hand out to your guests at the end of the night as a token of appreciation. This could be a festive bauble, home-baked treat, mini-game or personalized decoration.
Finally, even though you’re the party host, it’s still important to make sure you enjoy yourself on the day and experience the end results of all your hard work!
This story originally appeared on Upscalelivingmag
