Christmas is a holiday celebrated by Christians around the world. Decembers can be filled with parties, celebrations and events to commemorate the holiday. When it's your turn to host the next Christmas shindig you'll need to be prepared. Enjoy the party even if you are the host by planning ahead with good tips on hosting a Christmas party. Does this Spark an idea?
Clear Invitations
The party always starts with the invitation. Besides sending an attractive holiday inspired invitation you should also have some clear information included. Don't just put a start time on the party invite but an end time as well. Guests will know when it's time to go home without any awkward hints. Ask guests to RSVP either through phone calls or emails. On your invitation let them know if it's okay to bring guests but to include numbers in their RSVP. If your party has a theme let your partiers know in advance so they can dress appropriately. Take your party invitation high tech by creating a party page for guests to check out and enjoy. Give them clues about what to expect at your party. You could share recipes you are using and activities you have planned.
Plan for Extra
The best tip for hosting a Christmas party is to plan for extra. There's always the drop in neighbor, the unplanned visitor, your teenager's best friend. Plan for ten to twenty percent more than you expect. If you end up with too much there's not much you can't freeze and use later. Plan on about five appetizer portions per person. Drinks are usually measured by two. If you are serving a meat entree then plan on giving each guest a half a pound. Use fillers to make up for not enough food. Food fillers would be mashed potatoes, soups and salad.
Booze Limits
While serving a little nip keeps guests in high spirits you will need to set limits. Instead of offering an open liquor cabinet of endless variety, settle on one drink. Plan on every person having two small cocktails. Don't ask guests to bring alcohol. If they do show up with a wine gift, tuck it away for another day. It might seem Scrooge-like but you'll be preventing some embarrassing moments. Also, be mindful of guests who don't like to drink spirits. Have plenty of plain sodas and drinks for them, too. If a guest slips past your two drink maximum then insist they crash on your coach. An unhappy accident is no way to end a Christmas party. Have guests put car keys in one place at the beginning of the party.
Tags: your party, Christmas party, hosting Christmas, hosting Christmas party