Holiday entertaining can definitely be overwhelming! Where to start….food, drinks, decor?! But we’re here to help simplify it and make the whole process run a lot smoother.
- Send out an invite well in advance with an RSVP – this will give you a sense of headcount and help you plan the rest of your event with a little less stress! Always account for a percentage of your RSVPs as no shows, but this still will help tremendously!
- Plan out your menu – Cocktail parties are much easier to tackle than sit down dinners, so if this is your first event you may want to start there. A holiday brunch is also a great idea as brunch gives you options for lots of make ahead options so you don’t have to stress out the day of! Want to make it super easy on yourself…opt for a potluck and have everyone chip in with the dishes!
- Plan out your serving dishes and tablescape – This step is critical to ensuring you’re not running around like a chicken with your head cut off on the morning of your event trying to figure out where everything goes. Use post it-notes in your dishes so you know which dishes will go where!
- Have plenty of spots to throw trash away set out – Your guests will likely clean up after themselves during the party if they know where to put things….and thus make it a lot easier on you for the end of the night. Pro-tip: An overturned stool can make a great make-shift trash holder if you don’t have one 🙂
- Prep your space for party-goers – sometimes the everyday lay out of your space may not be the best for a crowd of people coming in. Shift around furniture as you need to to make space. You can also call upon your local furniture rental shop to help you get set up with rentals for your party! From tables to chairs, seating areas and more, they’ll make your party look incredible (and you won’t have to lift a finger). At Hoffer, every single item in our inventory is available to rent for as little as one hour!
Some easy holiday party ideas we love to throw are:
- Cookie Exchange
- Secret Santa Gift Swap & Potluck
- Festive Cocktail Party
