An Easy Checklist for the First-Time Holiday Hostess
If you’re hosting a party or get-together for the very first time this holiday season, you’re sure to want everything to run smoothly. Well, to ensure there are no hiccups, you need to be highly organized.
By planning everything you need to do in advance, you can be the perfect holiday hostess. So, let’s take a look at the crucial things that should be on your checklist.
Invitations
Even though you could send an email invitation or simply call people, to make your event feel special, you should definitely send out invitations in the mail. When you make eye-catching invitations or use fun designs for your invites, you can make people smile and ensure they look forward to your holiday event.
But sending out invites also has a practical purpose: it makes sure everyone arrives on time.
It could be important that everyone arrives around the same time if you have specific activities like games planned or if you are serving hot food.
People are more likely to take note of the time to arrive if you send invitations in the post, rather than emails that could be forgotten.
Food
Whether you’re providing finger food like mini quiches, bacon-wrapped scallops, and pecan tarts or whether you’re putting on a big event and hiring a catering company, it’s essential that you plan every detail in advance.
That means choosing the food ahead of time and checking whether your guests have special dietary requirements. It also means ensuring you make the food at the right time before the event or get the caterers to deliver on time.
Special Equipment
If you require any special equipment for your holiday event, such as powerful speakers, lighting, or a karaoke machine, make sure you book the hire well ahead of time.
The last thing you want to do is plan a fun karaoke contest, for instance, and mention it on the invitations, only to find out it’s too late to book the equipment.
And make sure any special equipment arrives on-site long before your guests start to arrive so that you can test the equipment and make sure it works. That not only applies to technological equipment. It also applies to things like gazebos.
Games
Whether you’re holding an intimate get-together or you’re throwing a big party, you’ll probably want to include games at your event. It is the holiday season after all.
Again, if you decide to hire games or activities, such as a life-size chess set or archery equipment, make sure you book ahead of time and get items delivered on site before guests arrive. And whether you’re hiring things or creating your own games, make sure you begin by looking at ideas for games and activities that your guests will actually enjoy doing.
Music
One thing any holiday event can’t be without is music. So, make sure you select the music long before the date of the get-together.
You may want to select tracks and make playlists that are perfect for the occasion or you might want to hire a DJ or a live band.
Address this checklist item early on, because a party without music isn’t a party.
The Cloakroom
This might be a boring one to end on, but it’s important that you think about the cloakroom long before your guests arrive.
If you’re hiring a venue, you’ll want to ensure there are cloakroom facilities. If you’re holding a party at home, you’ll need to designate a room for coats and bags and perhaps appoint someone to be in charge of the cloakroom.