Each year I throw a huge holiday party around the first of December to open the season. It is becoming so well known with every year that passes, that many people know in advance to keep the first Saturday of December open. But throwing a large and successful party is not always easy and only through trial and error have I come up with some tips and suggestions for a smooth evening.
Cleaning
Give the house a really extra thorough clean the weekend before the party. That way on the day of the party you can do a lighter routine. Be sure to clean the bathrooms well.
Decorations
Get your holiday decorating done the weekend before - inside and outside. That way if you need something, you have the week to get it and, frankly, on the day of the party you just will not have sufficient time.
Traffic
Envisage how you want your guests to mingle and roam throughout the house. Make sure to have plenty of open space for mingling and lots of sitting room for personal conversations. I open up the living room, family room and den for mingling. I remove all the chairs from the dining room to keep it flowing for food.
Ambience
Decorate each and every room in the spirit of the holidays, including the bathrooms. Light candles and have spicy potpourri out. A crackling fire is a must, but, if you have no fireplace, try an electric one. They are very popular now and chances are, you can buy one inexpensively or even borrow one from a friend. They are really fun to decorate for the holidays and add to that cozy comfortable feeling.
Get your music ready weeks or even months in advance. I download holiday songs to my computer until I have about 8 hours worth. I have my computer set to randomly play songs all evening, with music pumped into each room. If you cannot do this, burn a few MP3s and set up mini-systems in each room. Be sure to stick with inoffensive music.
Eat
Plan your menu ahead of time. If budget permits, hire a caterer for this. However, if you have some friends blessed with culinary talents, enlist a few of them to help you in advance. At my house, it is almost a pre-party a few evenings before the big event with my friends getting things prepared. You need the standards, veggies & dips, crackers and cheese and sweets. But beyond that, get original and try unconventional things like stuffed mushroom caps, mini soups and hot, out-of-the-oven tollhouse cookies!
Most things can be frozen or will keep for a few days safely in the fridge. In any event, the key is to minimize the amount of preparation on the day of the party. On the day of the party, you absolutely need to keep the guests away from the kitchen. There will be much going on in there and they will only be in the way. By the way, you need to hire people to help out. Ask around, there will always be a few students looking to make some extra money for the holidays. You need one person to help greet guests and put away coats if you get pulled away. Another two for food - reheating and serving and two for bartending.
Drink
As a matter of course, I supply all drinks. Start with the staples - vodka, whiskey, gin, beer and wine. If you know how many attendees will be there, you can usually ask your local liquour store for help in getting the right quantity. Don't worry about over purchasing, just make sure you can return any unopened bottles. Decide your drink menu ahead of time and post it at the bar. It is far less trouble if everyone can see what you have and what you don't. If they can see that you have the ingredients for something else, they will ask.
You absolutely need a bartender. Having a self-serve bar is a dangerous thing. A bartender can keep their eyes on the guests and it moderates the flow of alcohol. Meet with your bartender before hand to go through some drink recipes with them. You want your bartender to be familiar with the items on your menu. If anything unexpected is asked of them, they can seek help.
Be sure to have lots of water on hand and non-alcoholic beverages.
Be Merry
As the host or hostess, you will invariably find yourself pulled between different people. Most of your guests will seek you out upon their arrival and departure, but it is nice to make an effort to visit with everyone at least once during the course of the evening. Be sure to thank everyone for coming and take some time to open any gifts in their presence and thank them. Make sure you point out the food and drinks and, if you see anyone looking lonely, it is your responsibility to mingle them into a group.
Be Safe
If you expect guests from out of town but cannot put them up in your house, then reserve hotel rooms. You can usually find a hotel who is prepared to hold a few rooms for you, but only charge you if they are used, so I like to book one extra just in the event of a guest who might otherwise have planned to drive but clearly should not! I like to call a cab company in advance and ask them to start sending cabs by my place periodically after a certain time. You need to remove as many excuses to drive as possible. I actually purchased a personal breathalzyer to have on hand.
Be Respectful
If you have neighbours, they should be invited. If they decline, discuss your party plans with them in advance so that they will not be surprised or annoyed.
Incorporate some of these suggestions into your party planning, and your big night will be smooth and fun for all!
