Getting your home ready for the holidays can be stressful and can require a lot of work. From getting the house clean to preparing the food and entertainment; it can be a lot of work especially for larger parties. If you are an individual that loves to consistently entertain large groups of friends and family and want to make an unforgettable impression, here are some tips for this upcoming holiday season.
Guest list & budget
The budget for your party will set the standard and expectations. While many people love the idea of hosting an unforgettablle party, the host should be realistic about their budget. By starting with a budget, it will set the framework for what is possible with your party. From, guests, décor, food and entertainment; your budget will make sure that you do not go overboard.
A holiday party guest list is dependent on a few key factors. First, you want to make sure that you are inviting individuals who mesh well together. A holiday party tends to be more memorable when everyone is interacting and mingling. Knowing of any animosity between friends and family and being realistic about the outcome when alcohol is involved is a good way to gauge who and who not to invite to your party.
Before you start the planning – ask yourself these questions:
Also, ask yourself these questions:
- What is my budget for my party?
- Will I hurt anyone’s feelings if they are not invited
- Do I have enough space for my all my guests?
- Will I be able to provide enough food or entertainment for my guests
- Can anyone I know assist with set up or do I need to hire any additional help
Plan the food
What is a party without festive holiday food and treats? If its one thing that people remember about a party, it’s the food and drinks. Review your budget and guest list and see what some options are. While thinking about the food, always be aware of food allergies and sensitives. For example, some individuals can have allergies related to gluten. It would be a bit awkward for the guest not to be able to have anything to eat at the party; when sending the party invites, be sure to ask if there are any dietary restrictions.
Make your home standout
Depending when the party will be taken place, homeowners like showcase their new additions. Whether it’s a bathroom with a new freestanding bathtub or sink; make sure they are looking its best by cleaning and adding accents ahead of time. Since most holiday parties are hosted at home, its not uncommon for homeowners to make sure that their space looks the best. Think about adding décor in your bathroom, kitchen or living room that can help accentuate the space. Some good ideas would be adding lights throughout the home or even flowers/plants such as mistletoe or poinsettias.
Get The house decorated for the holidays
One of the best part of throwing a holiday party is making your house feel like a winter wonderland. By adding lights, Christmas tree, hanging holiday cards and touching of gold, white, green and red everywhere; your guests will start to feel in the holiday spirit. If you are adding décor to your home for the holidays, make sure that you know your theme and colors and stay consistent. Try not to overwhelm your home with too much décor as well, its best to stay in budget and have décor as more of an accent to your homes look.
Plan activates for adults and kids
Party activities and games are a sure way to get your guests interacting and having a good time. When thinking about your party, plan out all the potential acvities that you want to incorporate ahead of time. Think about ice breaker games so that your audience can get to know eachother better. Also think of some more engaging games. Some class games examples would be:
- Christmas Pictionary
- Candy Cane spoons
- Christmas Movie Trivia
If your guests are meeting for the first time, we would recommend that your guests could wear name tags, so
If kids are invited to the holiday party. Having a table filled with smaller activities would be perfect. Some common holiday activities would be coloring Christmas/holiday related pictures which you can download from other websites. You can also have a holiday movie playing in the background – such as Elf or the classic, Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer. Lastly, you can also have the children make gingerbread houses. By purchasing any of these gingerbread house kits off amazon a head of time, the kids can easily decorate their house in a matter of minutes. It would also be a cute keepsake from the party.
We hope that these tips and questions help you throw an unforgettable holiday party.
Eric is the founder and president of Badeloft USA. He has been the president of Badeloft’s US division for over ten years and oversees all marketing and branding aspects of Badeloftusa.com.
His expertise lies in small business development, sales, and home and bathroom industry trends and information.
Contact us with any business related inquiries.