It’s the most wonderful time of the year… to invite all your friends over for merry moments + festivity to not only attend, but roll out the welcome mat and host a gathering with all your nearest + dearest, too! Sometimes acting as the host feels like it’s filled with one neverending to-do list, so I have assembled some of my favorite helpful tips and tricks to take a little off your plate so you can enjoy the fun with everyone else this holiday season:
One | Send Invites Early
While everyone wants to say YES ro everything, time is simply not on our side during the holidays… too much to get done and lots of events for work, school and everything in between! To make sure as many of your guests are able to attend, be sure to send your invites early = even if you’re running behind on the actual printed version OR a creative email invite, shoot them a text so they can officially save the date and add the fun to their calendar ASAP!
Two | Pick a Theme and Menu
Once the invites go out, now is when the real fun begins! It’s time to start planning the particulars… my best advice is to find a theme you absolutely adore and the rest should come pretty easily. Need a little inspiration?? Scroll through Pinterest for tons of holiday happy ideas to entertain, like a Christmas Tea Party, Pancakes and Pajamas, Gingerbread House Decorating, Christmas Around the World, Mistletoe + Martinis = I could do this all day!
As for the menu, I always adore manus that coordinate with a theme… for instance, if you choose to go with the Pancakes and Pajamas, you could do a hot chocolate bar like the famous song from The Polar Express and make mini pancakes in the shape of snowflakes or gingerbread men with fun toppings so your guests can assemble their favorite pancake creation! Looking for something a bit more adults only?? If you do something like the Mistletoe and Martinis, you could make your very own photobooth station with mistletoe and fun props for your guests to wear while they get their pictures made for a fun souvenir to take home… and as for the libations, you could make up a festive drink everyone can sip on… something like a White Christmas martini or a Cranberry Fizztini!
Three. Don’t Be Afraid to Delegate
This is something I should be telling myself in the mirror… not only when hosting, but also throughout the holidays! It takes a village and we all get by with a little help from our friends = don’t be afraid to call in reinforcements. Whether it’s asking for some extra hands, to bring an appetizer or some extra bags of ice = they’ll be happy to pitch in to make the memories even merrier and take some of the stress off your plate! P.S. also think about catering the food to take the menu off your mind or bringing in a bartender to craft up cocktails… you’re supporting other local businesses that way as well!
Four. Think Like a Guest
Look back and try to remember some of your favorite details at any get together you’ve been to in the past?? What stood out the most? Most of the time your guests won’t remember if there were monogrammed cocktail napkins or if every single space is perfectly decorated, they’ll think about the fun activities or what made them laugh = your guests are coming for connection and holiday cheer and sentimental time together… keep the important things the most important and don’t get hassled by the headaches of small details!
Five. Enjoy All Your Hard Work
The invites have been sent, you’ve prepped and planned for weeks, and it’s finally party day… be sure to take time to actually ENJOY IT!!! Be present and embrace your guests this holiday season. Take the pictures beforehand and put the phone away so you can relish in these moments that’ll truly make your holidays happier.
If you’re like me, you always want to bring a little something special to the soiree to say thank you… spoil the hostess with the mostest with a happy that says both thank you + Merry Christmas, too! Another fabulous + fun gift guide for those who love to host:
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