From cocktail parties, dinner parties, cookie swaps and everything in between, it’s party hosting season and everyone loves a good party. There are a lot of important party preparations to consider and we have your step-by-step guide to help you create a holiday get-together that your friends and family will never forget.
One Month Out:
One-month before you’re thinking of hosting your party, nail down a date and the guest list. Create your invitations and get them out as soon as possible. The holidays are a busy time of year for everyone so try and get your invites out as soon as you can; people’s schedules fill up fast.
Three Weeks Out:
Establish what you’re going to feed your guests. If you’re having a dinner party, create your menu, think about dietary concerns that any of your guests may have and if you want to avoid any chance of being overwhelmed, ask guests to bring something.
You should also make a visit to the store to buy alcohol, non-alcoholic beverages, lots of napkins and non-perishable food items you’ll need for the party, such as; crackers, nuts and any frozen appetizers. You’ll be surprised how happy you’ll be to have gotten this out of the way early.
In addition, party planners recommend renting glassware and dishes this far out as well. If you weren’t thinking about renting, this is a party hack to consider. Save yourself time and stress when cleaning up by renting what you can.
The Week of:
The week of the party, firm up your guest list and make sure you have accounted for the appropriate amount of people for food and beverages. Moving forward, two days before the party, polish and set out all your favourite flatware and decorations. You may also want to prep all the food that you can to ensure that party day isn’t overly stressful or rushed. Finally, the day before the party, do a clean sweep of your home, tidy up all the washrooms that will be used and the rooms where guests will gravitate. You should also set up the guestroom for any expected (or unexpected) guests.
Party Day:
Don’t let the day of your party be stressful. Of course you’ll have last minute things that need to get done but think about everything you’ve prepped in advance and the day will be a breeze. Our cold winters are so that you can buy the ice in the morning of the party and leave it on the back porch in a cooler all day.
Once you’ve done this, set up a serving station for drinks and do so in a manner that guests can feel comfortable pouring themselves something on their own.
Finish prepping any food and set items on trays that need to go in the oven later on. You’ll be happy you did this when guests are puttering around. Make sure all garbage and recycling has been taken out to make room for those items that will accumulate throughout the event.
Do one last tidy up of the rooms that will be used, just to ease your mind. Last but certainly not least, take some time for yourself; you’ll want a little time to relax before the madness starts.
The holidays are a fun time of the year, so make sure you’re enjoying yourself as well and avoid being the host who was too busy to enjoy their own party.
