Party idea submitted by koriecantor Dec 21st, 2015

1. • 0

     + vote

   • 4 Tips to Organize the Perfect Christmas Party in a Jiffy

   • 

     Holiday season is usually the busiest one in our social calendars. Events and parties to attend and host, holiday shopping, stay-over guests, and family and relatives to visit – there is hardly any time left for anything on our hands.

     If you are planning to throw a Christmas party for your near and dear ones this year, then here are a few tips to help you.

     First and foremost, do not worry about the lack of time for preparing for the party. With some smart moves, it will be easy to plan a happening party in very little time.

     Christmas parties are all about fun and cheer, good food and wine. If you manage to plan a great menu and gather a great gang of friends and family, then you can be assured that your part will be enjoyed by all.

     Planning is key to putting together a great event. Once you get all groundwork done perfectly rest will be smooth sailing. Here is how you can get it done.

     #1 Decide on Type of Party

     Christmas parties need not always be elaborate sit-down affairs, you can have fun with a cocktail party, a potluck dinner party or a well-planned buffet. Decide on the type of party you want to host for Christmas.

     If you want something more fun and require less planning then consider having a Christmas cookie exchange party, gingerbread house building party or a brunch party. You can have more focused menus for such parties and can quickly decorate the house to suit the theme. Novel party ideas give an opportunity to get together and have fun with your close friends and family.

     But if a more formal Christmas party, say a full-course dinner, is on your mind, then take out your diary and start planning right away. Draw up a list of guests and ensure that you do not miss out on anyone.

     A house party also calls for a quick cleaning. Ensure that you bring scents of Christmas home and decorate to reflect the joyful season. Fret not because you can find tons of ideas online to help you decorate your home and set up a lovely tree in no time. A set of quality cedar hangers will ensure even your wardrobe smells divine.

     #2 Send out Invites

     It does not take long for social calendars to fill up, so as soon as you have decided on type of party and venue send out invitations to your guests.

     Do not fret about the number of guests because if you are inviting on a short notice the chances of everyone turning up are very less.

     If you are inviting weeks prior to the party, then prune your list to ensure that you will have a manageable crowd. Sometimes the situation arises where you go ‘if I invite them I definitely will have to invite her, and if I invite her how can I possibly leave them behind?’

     The best thing you can do is invite friends who belong to a ‘group’. You may plan a Christmas party for your colleagues at work and invite a few close friends as well, or you can throw a party exclusively for family.

     If having multiple parties is not feasible, then decide on your core guest list and give out invites as early as possible. Then maybe a couple of days before the party you can send out casual invites to the ‘others’ who may or may not drop in. You can keep appetizer and cocktail party going till 9pm and then move to dinner with your closest friends.

     Ensure you get back RSVPs to help you get an idea of how many guests will turn up.

     #3 Draw up Menu

     Deciding on the menu is simple enough if you do not span too far and wide.

     Do not try anything new or totally strange on the day of the party. Not only specialty cooking takes longer you are also not sure of how the recipe will turn out.

     Classic Christmas dinner specials like cider roast turkey or roast beef with Yorkshire pudding will keep things delicious and yum, and easy for the cook (you) as well. Beef tenderloin with parmesan-herb filling and cherry-stuffed ham are other options that can win you tons of applause and hostess-love!

     Smoked salmon is another seasonal favorite and you can make festive recipes like potato cakes with smoked salmon and cream cheese or smoked salmon rotollos. Smoked salmon with prawns, horseradish cream and lime vinaigrette is a spectacular starter that can elevate and set the tone for your party.

     Christmas spiced red cabbage and Mediterranean cranberry sauce are sides that you can consider to give festive cheer to your table. You can choose from green bean casserole or flavorful Southern-style cornbread, wild mushroom and pecan stuffing that are not only easy to make but also add style and substance to the party. Butternut-squash crumble is another side that can be partly prepared in advance to save you time and stress on the day of the party.

     If you are not a dessert-person you can ask guests to bring in a sweet of their choice, so that you can have a mouth-watering spread for all to savor in the end.

     If you cook dishes that go straight from the oven to the table, then it will save you a lot of time in serving, removing and replacing dishes. This will also make it easy for your guests to help you serve without worrying about getting the dishes wrong.

     #4 Set a Self-Serve Bar

     A separate bar can be placed at a suitable spot where it is close to water and ice, and is also away from line of heavy traffic flow.

     A few good wines, infused vodkas, pre-cut garnishes like lemon and lime-wedges and lemon peel, and apple slices and cranberries for appletinis and cosmos are bar must-haves.

     There should be sufficient bags of ice to ensure that you do not run out of ice. Keep ice cubes in a large bucket with bottles of beer and liquor and beverage cans stashed in. Invest in a beautiful ice bucket, a pair of tongs and ice scoops so that ice is always accessible whenever guests need a refill.

     Keep out a couple of cocktail recipes on the table so that your guests can mix their favorites.

     Conclusion

     Hosting the best Christmas party will not be an up-hill task if you plan and prep ahead. Avoid last minute rush and keep aside at least half an hour for you to relax and unwind before the first guests walk in. And last but not the least, remember to enjoy your guests and the party, ‘cos a happy hostess throws happy parties!

   • Party Type: Christmas
   • Tags: tips party christmas perfect organize jiffy
   • 
     add to basket 0 comments
   • 
     

   • This item has 0 comments

     Register or Login to leave a comment