FAbulous Festivities

How to Curate the Perfect Christmas Party

It’s the most fabulous time of the year! With Christmas but a few short weeks away, many Aussies are starting to plan for their ultimate Christmas parties at home. Throwing a Christmas party is all about creating meaningful memories — not to mention, having a ball with your nearest and dearest, surrounded by incredible food and wine. If you are planning a Christmas party, you may be feeling the stress of coordinating and managing the event. However, with that said, there are many tips and tricks that will allow you to throw the ultimate get-together without having to work up a sweat or drown in anxiety. Phew! 

Today, we share 6 handy tips that are guaranteed to turn you into the hostess with the mostest this Christmas. If you’re looking forward to hosting a festive bash that your friends and family will still be talking about in weeks and months to come, simply read on to find out more! 

• Organise Your Guest List Sooner Rather Than Later

As we all know, many people are incredibly busy during the holiday period. As such, one of the most important steps in throwing the perfect Christmas party is to organise your guest list sooner, rather than later. Your guest list will help you make critical decisions, such as how much food to purchase, what type of dishes to prepare and how much seating you will need to create in your home to keep guests comfortable. To ensure that you’re on top of everything, we suggest organising your list and getting in touch with guests as early as the last week of November. Thankfully, this is a relatively easy task that you can accomplish by simply calling people, sending out invites in the mail or hooting a couple of emails out to your intended guest list. You may also want to provide guests with an RSVP date to encourage your invitees to commit. Don’t forget to ask if there are any dietary requirements you should be aware of, and be sure to let guests know if they are welcome to bring a plus one to your Christmas party.

Top Tip: Always be sure to let your guests know if there is a theme to your party – will it be formal, casual or somewhere in the middle? Make these decisions early and plan your party accordingly.

• Consider Taking The Celebrations Outside

One of the most amazing things about a true Australian Christmas in Summer is that you aren’t limited to keeping the celebrations indoors due to rain or snow. If you’re looking to host the ultimate Christmas party at home (and are lucky enough to have some outdoor space), nothing beats taking the celebrations outside. We absolutely love the idea of hosting a relaxed barbecue outdoors for friends and family, all whilst soaking up the glorious Summer sun.

Some outdoor or backyard Christmas party ideas include organising some simple games for young guests, decorating your garden for the festive season and setting up a buffet table loaded with delicious finger foods, snacks and beverages. Of course, you’ll want to make sure that you have adequate seating arrangements for your guest list, either in the form of patio furniture, outdoor sun loungers or by renting tables and chairs for the day, if necessary. After all, nothing beats lounging on your new Vidaxl outdoor furniture after a sumptuous meal, with a cheeky glass of champagne in hand. We can’t think of anything better! 

• Execute A Simple Yet Satisfying Menu

One of the most exciting things about Christmas is of course, all the yummy food and drink you get to indulge in. If you’re currently stressing about your menu, we urge you to take a deep breath and heed our advice. As tempting as it may be to want to go all out with a fancy menu featuring elaborate dishes, now is not the time to stray from your comfort zone. When it comes to hosting a successful (and stress-free) Christmas lunch or dinner, we always recommend going with what you know best. Tried-and-tested dishes are always a winner, and more importantly, they won’t leave you freaking out at the last minute if something goes wrong. Choose dishes that your guests are guaranteed to love, and be sure to provide plenty of beverages (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic) to keep everyone satisfied.

However, with that said, your menu by no means needs to be boring. In fact, there are numerous simple yet satisfying recipes you can find online for make-ahead dishes that you can prepare days in advance. Some desserts, casseroles and even starters/appetisers can be made weeks in advance and stored in your freezer until the big day, giving you more time to socialise with guests, sort out your Christmas decorations and curate the perfect festive table setting. 

• Get Your Shopping Done Early

Whether it’s gifts, Christmas decorations or ingredients for your Christmas menu, one of the best things you can do for yourself is to get your shopping done early. You’ll definitely want to avoid leaving things to the last minute, let alone having to push through hoards of people at your local shopping centre on Christmas Eve…we honestly can’t think of anything more stress-inducing! When it comes to gifts, the earlier the better. If you are ordering them online, be sure to refer to the post’s last sending dates to ensure that everything arrives in time.

We even recommend doing an online order of all the ingredients you need to prepare Christmas lunch or dinner, to avoid the last-minute Christmas rush that often happens at supermarkets in the lead-up to the big day. Moreover, ordering your ingredients online will help to ensure that you don’t forget to purchase crucial elements that are necessary to prepare your Christmas spread. The last thing you want is to forget the much-awaited turkey! 

• Provide Tons Of Entertainment & Fun 

No one likes a boring Christmas party, let alone being the person who hosted the snoozefest. To ensure that your guests are kept in high spirits throughout the event, we highly recommend providing tons of entertainment, fun, music and games to keep everyone engaged throughout your event. One of our favourite ideas for Christmas party entertainment has got to be setting up a photo booth by renting one from a local vendor or creating a makeshift booth by mounting your camera to a tripod and turning on the flash. This will allow guests the chance to be creative and will provide them with cute little souvenirs to take home at the end of the day. Don’t forget to provide a ton of props (santa hats, giant candy canes etc) for your guests to use in their photos and spark extra merriment.

Some other awesome ideas for entertainment and fun include board games, card games, Secret Santa, Christmas Carol Pictionary Relay, White Elephant, stocking guessing games and of course, an endless stream of festive music to get everyone in their highest festive spirits. If there are children attending your party, don’t forget to provide some age-friendly entertainment for them too! Explore the 37 best Christmas games for kids here. 

• Let Loose & Enjoy Yourself

Last but not least, try to relax, let loose, and enjoy yourself on the day of the event. Sure, some things may not go exactly as planned, but what is most important is that you learn to embrace the mistakes and let go of the idea of perfection. Christmas is all about enjoying the company of the ones nearest and dearest to you, and we guarantee that no one will bat an eye if the turkey is a little dry or the wine isn’t that great. At the end of the day, the perfect Christmas party is all about camaraderie, fun, good food and even better company. It’s a time to create lasting memories that you will fondly look back on in years to come, so be sure to allow yourself to relax and enjoy the moment, regardless of any hiccups or mistakes along the way. You certainly deserve it!

Learn how to go with the flow and enjoy hosting a party in this article. 

And there you have it — all the crucial elements that contribute to curating the perfect Christmas party this upcoming holiday season. With a little pre-planning, organisation and inspiration, you’ll be well on your way to hosting the ultimate yuletide celebration that everyone will be talking about for ages to come! Until next time, we wish you a lovely Christmas and a very Happy New Year!

What are some of your tips for hosting the perfect, stress-free Christmas party? Be sure to share your thoughts in the comments section below.