How many of us decided “It would be fun to have a few friends over for the holidays” and then realized we were in WAY over heads?? Well, I have BEEN there! Kind of a lot, actually 😬.
BUT, I’d like to think that I’ve actually learned enough lessons along the way that I can share with you the how-to’s and how-NOT-to’s so that you can have people over without the worry and fuss! To that end, I have decided to write this stuff down for you (and for me, so I don’t forget 😊) so that you, too, can have a rockin’ holiday party without stressing yourself out!
Pre-Planning
The first step to throwing a holiday party is planning. And the first step to planning is to give yourself enough time to plan. This involves two parts: 1) start thinking about the party at least a month ahead of time and 2) carve time out of your schedule to think through all the elements of the party. For example, how many of us have decided to “throw something together” at the last minute and then realized you were missing a key ingredient? In a recipe, that could result in a baking-disaster! In the party world, it could mean that you forgot party favors/toys for the kids (result = feral children running all over the house) or that you forgot non-alcoholic drinks for your friends or family who do not partake. Giving yourself the time and space to reflect on the little details will make the difference between a gaffe and a success.
Menu
This is a pretty big section because food and drink are a big part of any party. Personally, I choose to think of the main dishes, first, and plan the supporting-role dishes around them. Now, as a mostly vegetarian (I eat fish), this can be a complicated selection process and largely depends on how you are conducting the food portion of the evening: buffet, open house, sit-down dinner, appetizer party, etc. From experience, I can tell you that appetizer parties are the most work – smaller portions mean that you need more of them and, usually, you have a larger variety of items. If you’re going this route, I highly recommend outsourcing some of the dishes. For example, you could make a (vegan) cheese and fruit selection with store-bought crackers, a few dips (a combo of purchased and homemade), and some sushi trays that you bought from your favorite local restaurant or reputable grocery store. You could add a couple of other items (crab mix on cucumber rounds, mushroom pâté, and some blini with vegan crème fraîche, anyone?). You see? It can get complicated, fast. NOTE: I usually make a list of all the things I want to make and then end up crossing at least one item off from each section. I always seem to think I have more time than I really do!
Anyway, where were we…oh, yes, menus. Buffets and sit-down dinners tend to be a little easier because you only need 3-4 dishes (not counting appetizers and desserts, if you’re doing those). As mentioned, I usually think of the main dish first and then work my way out from there. If I’m having a fish dish, for example, I’ll add in a starch and a vegetable. If you have some nice gluten-free bread to add to that, go for it. Pretty easy, right? Buffets are similar, though you may need either a) bigger quantities or b) more sides, depending on how many you are serving. The bigger the crowd, the more sides, in my opinion. Just make sure you have enough of the main dish so that no one is left out. Oh, and be sure to ask your guests about food intolerances so you don’t get caught at the last minute.
If you’re doing an open house, you’ll want to make sure you serve food that can be out for extended periods of time. There are serving platters that can be refrigerated or frozen to keep perishables chilled for a while but be mindful of where those will be (i.e. if it’s an outdoor party in summer, that might not be the best idea). If you are serving hot drinks, a crock pot kept on “low” can be a good way to keep things warm. Soups and chilis can be a good idea if kept warm via the crock pot or on “low” on the stove’s burner. Just be cognizant of children around hot liquids.
Oh, and if you’re doing desserts, for heaven’s sake, make them ahead of time! Ain’t nobody got time for that shizzle the day of your party!
The Forgotten Bits
Serving dishes: You’re going to think I’m crazy but I actually create a spreadsheet for each item I’m serving and what dish it’s going to be in (as well as what utensil I’ll need to serve it with and what I’m going to cook it in). This has saved me more than once from NOT having enough platters or serving forks! One year, I realized I didn’t have a gravy boat (for Thanksgiving), so I had to go get one. Another year, I discovered I needed another few pans to roast everything…in short, make sure you have what you need to get the food (and drink) to the people. This goes for dinnerware, too! If you’re using dessert plates for the salads or teacups for the soup, you’ll either need to wash them mid-way through dinner or have an extra set handy.
Music: Good music can really set the tone for your dinner or party. Bad music (or no music) can deaden the vibe or, worse, ruin it! Make sure you have your selections carefully curated and that the volumes are consistent. You don’t want someone belting it out and taking over your show (unless it’s a guest 😊)! Because I am usually so busy with the food, I have recently been delegating this task to my adoring husband. It’s a double-win because he can then set up all the techy-bits to ensure the music is playing in all the right sections of the house.
Décor and ambiance: Walking in to a beautifully decorated space can really make the event feel special. Because I am not a naturally gifted decorator, I lean heavily on the advice of experts! Did you know that you don’t even need to buy anything to get the people at Pottery Barn to tell you all their decorating secrets?? You may be lucky enough to have a friend with an eye for such things who is willing to go through all your stuff and tell you what to put out. If so, use that person! But, whatever you do, do NOT leave this to the last minute. I always set the décor out the day before the party so that I don’t even have to THINK about it the day of. The only exception to this is if the event is outdoors, at which point I do it as early as I think prudent. Oh, and another thing about this section: fresh flowers or other fresh foliage are always welcome and lend a classy flair to any occasion.
Outsourcing: Yes, I mentioned this a bit earlier with regards to the food (i.e. you don’t need to make everything). However, there are other things you may not want (or have time) to do:
- Preparing your house or backyard for the event
- Decorating
- Cleaning up after the party
- Serving food to your guests
- Bartending
If you can have someone else do the work, why wouldn’t you? It’s no fun to have a party if you’re so busy “working” it that you don’t get to enjoy your guests. Or, even worse, that you’re so exhausted from the effort you vow to NEVER DO THIS AGAIN! Also been there. BUT, I have learned from my mistakes so you don’t have to!
For more food-related party ideas, check out my other articles:
https://ingoodcleantaste.com/thanksgiving-day-game-plan/
https://ingoodcleantaste.com/how-to-make-a-killer-appetizer-plate/
I hope you enjoyed this article and that it gave you some tips to throwing a fantastic get-together! Here’s to plenty of holiday cheer. 😊
