10 Easy Steps to Hosting Your Best Holiday Party Yet

Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.
– Gautama Buddha

The holidays are a popular time for the ceremonial lighting of candles. Whether you’re brightening a winter’s evening with a Menorah, an Advent Wreath or simply a beautiful centrepiece, we hope that you’re spending these moments with the people you love. Of course, a flickering candle alone does not a successful party make, so here are some quick tips for making your holiday get-together a smashing success.

1) Make a Shopping List

Seasoned hosts (and Santa!) know this: Keeping a list will help to ensure that no detail is forgotten. Beyond checking that you’ve got the food, drinks and decorations that you need, a bonus of writing out and sticking to a plan is that you’re far less likely to go over budget.

2) Make a Guest List

There are two strong arguments for planning out your guest list. Firstly, it will be mean that you can properly set a budget and be prepared with supplies (for example, do any guests have dietary restrictions to take into consideration?). But secondly, and possibly just as importantly, this lets you make sure that there are complementary personalities coming together. Don’t want a scandalous secret from college life getting back to your mother-in-law? A well-considered guest list can help you avoid that.

3) Send Formal Invites

Whether you go online or through the post, sending your guests an official invite will not only make them feel truly wanted at the event, but will ensure the onus is on them to arrive on time. This way your dinner service can begin (and end!) according to the schedule you’ve set.

4) Consider a Buffet

It may not seem as elegant as setting the dinner table, but creating a buffet or cocktail party–style event will make it far easier to ensure all dishes are being eaten at the ideal temperature. Choosing dishes that you can prep or even cook ahead of time will also help maintain fluidity to the evening’s events.

5) Decorate, Even Just a Little Bit

The difference between Saturday Night Dinner and Saturday Night Dinner Party can be as minimal as placing a single candle in the centre of a table. Show your guests that you want to make the event special by adding some extra ambience that will make this event more momentous than a regular day.

6) Make a Playlist

It’s easy to say, “Oh, I’ll just leave my iTunes on shuffle so there’s something for everyone,” but when that R-rated novelty song comes on you’ll be wishing you’d set a playlist. Curating a selection of occasion-appropriate of tunes is key to setting the right mood, and be sure to play them at a volume that still encourages conversation!

7) Enjoy Yourself!

This may seem like a lot of rules to follow, but if you get Steps 1–6 in place well ahead of time, Step 7 will be far easier. If the host is stressed out and miserable, the guests will be, too. It’s important to make sure that while you’re taking care of your guests you remember to have some fun with them at the same time.

8)…But Not Too Much

From watching out for allergies and over-imbibing to remembering to turn off the stove or blow out a candle, the responsibility falls on you to make sure everyone makes it through the night not only happily, but safely too. Luckily, it’s easier than ever to make sure your guests don’t drink and drive, as pocket-sized breathalysers are now available at many department and liquor stores.

9) Avoid Complicated Party Games

One trap many hosts fall into is over-planning, when the right combination of food, drink and people is really all you need. Explaining a simple card game to a couple people is hard enough, so why add the headache of trying to corral an entire group into learning the newest fad in party games? There’s nothing wrong with a good old-fashioned game of Charades, but most party guests will be far happier if they don’t feel pushed to participate in something potentially awkward or confusing and can simply enjoy the moment naturally.

10) Don’t Leave a Mess

Yes, you will be tired after a night of hosting, but you’ll feel even worse if you wake up to a mess the next morning. At the very least, try to run through a load of dishes and get the pots soaking – you’ll thank yourself tomorrow.