Ideas for Hosting This Year's Holiday Parties

With all the expenses of the approaching festive season, take care when planning to host holiday parties, especially if you are on a tight budget. The holidays are the perfect time to join together family and friends. Read on for some tips and ideas for parties for the festive season.

Dinner Party

A sit-down meal might not be everybody’s cup of tea, but careful planning can make for a memorable affair. To determine how many people you can accommodate, decide whether you want guests to sit only at a main dining room table or if they can scatter to other rooms and sofas. You can cook your own food or you can hire a caterer to take care of the bulk of the work. Ensure that you have enough plates and glasses—about 3 glasses per person—and that you are prepared to wash them all when the party's over.

Potluck

A more modern type of dinner party, the host just provides the location and the basic things, like plates and glasses, a few bottles of wine and some light snacks. All the rest of the stuff is brought by the guests, either something they have prepared themselves or a dish they have bought for the occasion. Drinks won’t be a problem as beer, liquor and other spirits are provided by other guests. Everyone brings their own dishes of finger food and shares it with the rest of the party.

Decorations

When it comes to decorating the location, don’t go over the top and spend most of the budget in making the place look good. Stick to the idea that "less is more," with sparse strands of lights, candle arrangements or other centerpieces. Decorate on a budget that you have decided on beforehand and have your friends help you decorate and get ready for the party of the year!

Themed Party

A dress-up theme party can bring out the child in a person of any age. Encourage your guests to embrace the challenge and come up with original outfits. Have a prize for the guest with the best costume to add an extra element of competition. Guests might be a bit anxious when they first arrive, especially if they don’t know each other, but when the drinks are flowing, they will get into the spirit, relax and have lots of fun.

Planning a party is the easy part, it’s the hosting the guests that is the hardest job.  Making sure that everybody is happy and having a good time will be your main job on the night, but don't forget to have a little bit of fun yourself!