Last Minute Holiday Party Planning Tips

Christmas is quickly approaching so I'm bringing you a bonus post this fantastic Friday!!  Whitney Hollingshead put together a great guest post to help with last minute holiday party planning.  

Have you always wanted to throw a holiday party, but end up running out of time year after year?  Planning the perfect party can take months; however, the good news is you can still plan a great holiday party THIS year.  

Here are some tips to help you quickly plan the perfect last minute party for your family and friends:

Keep it Simple

Since time is running out, you will need to simplify the party planning process.  Luckily keeping it simple does not have to mean throwing a boring party.  Check out these holiday party ideas that are easy to execute and fun to attend:

Christmas Cookie Tasting

Everyone loves Christmas cookies!  Why not host a Christmas cookie tasting party?  Send invitations to all of your friends and encourage them to bring their favorite Christmas cookies to share.  Set up a festive table to display all of the cookies and let everyone sample the goodies.  For extra atmosphere, play Christmas music in the background, offer spiced cider, and play a Christmas trivia game. 

 

Pajama Party

If you want to share a relaxing evening with your close friends, invite your guests to attend your party in their flannel pajamas.  Put on a favorite Christmas movie like It’s a Wonderful Life, The Santa Clause, Home Alone, The Muppet’s Christmas Carol, or White Christmas.  Serve different varieties of popcorn, Christmas candy, and hot cocoa.  After the movie, you can invite each guest to share a favorite Christmas memory with the entire group.  

Caroling

Instead of hosting a party at your home, take the party on the road!  Invite your friends and family to join you for a night of caroling.  You can head out in your own neighborhood or even choose a sidewalk downtown to spread some Christmas cheer.  Print off the lyrics to common Christmas carols so your guests can sing along to every song.  Afterwards, invite everyone back to your house for egg nog.

  
Gift Exchange

A gift exchange can provide the framework for a fun holiday party.  Ask each guest to bring a gift for the exchange.  This works best if you choose a theme for the gift exchange.  Here are some themes to consider:

• White Elephant Exchange
• Dollar Store Item Exchange
• Book Exchange
• Recipe Exchange
• Christmas Treat Exchange
• DVD Exchange
• Blast from the Past CD Exchange
• Mix CD Exchange

You can create your own game to facilitate the exchange process or search online for gift exchange games and interactive stories.  

Game Night

You can easily pull off a game night party.  Instead of bringing out your typical board and card games, search online for Christmas themed game ideas.  For example, how about a game of Christmas Pictionary?  Or Christmas Charades?  Or Name That Tune with Christmas carols?  If kids are involved, you can play Pin the Nose on Rudolph.   

Additional Considerations

Once you have chosen a theme for your party, here are the remaining details you need to consider:

Invitations
As you are putting the party together last minute, you most likely won’t have time to mail out formal invitations.  Consider delivering invitations in person instead.  If you are really short on time, you can create a digital invitation and email it to your guests.  For best results, send invitation emails one by one with a personal message included.  Use social media groups and text messaging with caution.  Sending a mass invite is far less personal and may ultimately lead to fewer guests in attendance.

Food & Beverages

You can’t throw a party without food.  While several of the themes listed above included suggestions for snacks, here are some other foods you can prepare in a hurry:

• Chips, salsa, and guacamole
• Cheese platter with crackers
• Fruit or veggie platter
• Hot cocoa bar (hot cocoa with mix in & topping options)
• Ice cream sundaes with festive sprinkles
• Build your own mini sandwich bar
• Snack mix
• Sparkling cider 
• Punch (mix pineapple juice, cranberry raspberry juice, and Sprite)

Consider Your Guests

You can make your guests more comfortable by thinking ahead.  If necessary, make arrangements for parking.  Have a plan for hanging up coats and winter accessories when each guest arrives.  Make sure your bathroom is clean and easily accessible for guests.  Turn the heat down a few degrees, as additional people in the room will quickly heat up the space. 

A party host should always consider special arrangements that may need to be made for specific guests.  For example, if a guest has a hard time getting around due to a wheelchair, cane, or crutches, make sure a comfortable place is available near the heart of the party.  If you choose to serve alcohol, consider any guest who may be a recovering alcoholic and read these additional tips.      

Don’t let the calendar or ticking clock get you down.  You still have plenty of time to throw a great party and really enjoy this holiday season.  Use the suggestions above and you will be grateful that you didn’t let another year slip away without celebrating with your family and friends.  

Thanks to Whitney for putting these great tips together!  I hope everyone has a great holiday season and can host or attend lots of parties!!! 

 Question: What is your favorite holiday party to host or attend?