We’re approaching the holidays! Have you already planned your party? We understand how tough it is to organize everything, from invitations, venue, schedule, and food. With such a busy time as Christmas, you have to juggle many different things. If you’re feeling anxious, we listed down some tips to host a successful Christmas party. Read on!
We recommend scheduling a date in advance. After all, the holidays can be hectic, and your guests will probably have other plans. If you choose a time and date weeks before your party before everyone has their timetables mapped out, there is a good chance that most of the people you invite will attend.
It is also a good idea to talk to your guests so you have an idea of what they expect for the holidays. This will be beneficial for you so you have an estimation of how many people you need to plan for.
If everyone is busy, we recommend choosing a date after the 25th where everyone is done with their other events. This way, more people can attend. Depending on the theme of your party, you can choose to send physical invitations or e-vites.
If you’re inviting many people to your party, it is a good idea to book a venue in advance. After all, other people are also celebrating their Christmas parties. As the holiday countdown nears its end, more places are becoming fully booked.
There are many factors in choosing a great venue. You can think of a convenient location which is accessible to everyone. If you live in Manila, you can try The Pergola, which is located in CCP Complex in Pasay. It can accommodate up to 200 guests.
If you live out of town, there are also great places such as the newly renovated Juan Carlo’s Event Center in Batangas or Ville Sommet in Tagaytay.
Christmas is all about the decorations! You can put up a Christmas tree, hang some lights, and color coordinate your table napkins and covers. A good decoration will set the mood for your event.
If you don’t want to use the traditional colors of green and red, you can also opt for a white Christmas decoration. You can put some snowflake decals, or even set up an ice sculpture.
If you don’t want to make do-it-yourself table setups and design, we recommend hiring a caterer to do it for you. Most venues are also well-decorated already so you don’t have to worry about doing it yourself.
A party is more fun with a program and activities. There are many ways to make it a memorable event for your guests.
A photo booth is a great way to start. Your guests will queue up for a chance to capture this memory with their friends. You can add Christmas related props such as Santa hats and reindeer headbands.
If you can notify your guests in advance, you can also organize an exchange gift. You can either use an application or website to draw names or just give them a heads up to bring a gift to the event itself.
To spice up your event and set the mood for some laughter, you can also plan Christmas games. There are a lot of things you can do to enjoy. This will depend if your activity has a lot of kids or adults. If you have a common interest, such as being a member of a book club, you can combine that concept with Christmas-related games.
People sometimes forget to plan for parking space. If you have guests that will be coming from a location at least 30-minutes to an hour away, they may be bringing their cars with them. If you’re celebrating in your house, having so many vehicles outside can make your neighbors unhappy.
Luckily, most venues nowadays offer ample parking space for your guests. Some also have valet parking so they will be more comfortable going to and from your event. If ever you don’t have enough space, it is a good idea to look for nearby pay parking.
The most important aspect of a Christmas party is the food. Whether you want to stick to holiday-themed food or mix it with your guest’s favorites, it will make your event memorable.
You can serve the usual hits such as Lechon, spaghetti, and lumpia. Christmas themed desserts such as gingerbread cookies can also set the festive mood. You can incorporate this in drinks as well. Aside from drink bars, dessert bars are also gaining popularity.
While serving good food is important, that doesn’t mean that it will also be easy. You have to consider your guests and their diet restrictions and plan accordingly. This means having an assortment of vegetables for vegetarians and listing the ingredients of each dish for those with allergies.
It is also a good idea to prepare food in advance. This will lessen your stress on the day of the event itself. We recommend hiring a caterer so you can lessen preparation time and ensure that the dishes will be made by veteran chefs. They can help you serve a buffet, carving stations, sushi bars, and even seafood on ice.
Planning an event especially in these hectic times can be difficult. We hope that the tips to host a successful Christmas party can give you an idea of how you can lessen your stress and anxiety these holidays.
To summarize, we recommend you to choose a date in advance so many people can attend, look for an accessible venue that can fit all your guests, don’t forget the décor, plan fun activities, consider the parking space, and prepare food in advance!
If you’re looking for a professional catering service to help you lessen the stress of planning, you can contact us here. We can’t wait to work with you soon.