It’s the start of holiday season and it’s your turn to host the Thanksgiving get-together. You have family coming in from out of town and dinner must be PERFECT! Before you go off buying brand new china and the most expensive cookie platters you can find, follow these six tips from Beyond Details that will assure this holiday season is stress-free and help ensure hosting that perfect holiday party.
6 Guidelines to help ensure hosting that perfect holiday party
1. Keep it simple: Instead of stressing over a fancy, family-styled meal, keep dinner more casual. Set-up a buffet and let guests eat on their own time. It’s a busy time of year and some of your family members will have more than one holiday party to attend. Let your family know they can drop by any time so they don’t feel rushed.
2. Keep it traditional: A “traditional” meal does not mean you have to copy the menu from last year. Make one or two items that have been in the family for years. This could be something as simple as the homemade apple pie that your late grandmother would bake each season. This keeps tradition in the family and gets people talking about different memories they shared together.
3. Be creative: In addition to keeping things more traditional, you can also be creative. Try a new recipe and see how well it goes over with your guests. Worse comes to worse, you never make it again!
4. Specialty drinks: We all know there are endless amounts of food during the holidays. It’s a party and a time to celebrate. What comes with celebration?… DRINKS! Make sure to have a variety of beverages to offer: fruit tea for the children, soda, wine, specialty cocktails, whiskey for your uncles, etc. Your guests will love the different options and again, feel more comfortable at your party.
5. Keep it festive: Every party needs music. Don’t be afraid to add some classical music to your playlist with extra decorations around the house to create a more festive atmosphere. Some may even be so bold as to play a few Christmas carols!
6. Save room for dessert: After dinner is served, set out desserts! This could be that homemade apple pie, your aunt’s banana pudding, or just some fun decorative sugar cookies that your kids helped bake. Everybody loves dessert!
These are a few tips to having the most successful and stress-free holiday party and can be used as guidelines for corporate events as well. If you are deciding to cater instead of having a potluck dinner this year, feel free to reach out to us through our contact form. We are more than happy to help with your celebration whether it’s a full course meal or a simple dessert station!