How to Host the Perfect Holiday Party

Christmas is a time for people to be merry and connect with friends and family. There is no better way to get your friends and family together than to throw a Christmas party. By planning ahead and doing a little research, you can make it a holiday to remember.

Instructions

1. Set the date. When choosing the date, be considerate of other parties or events that your guests may want to attend. For instance, you wouldn't want to plan your party for the same night as your church's Christmas play when many of your friends and their children are involved.

2. Make the guest list. Invite people who you know will get along well. If two people don't get along well, don't invite either person, or invite one, but have the other over for dinner on another date. Be sensitive when explaining why he/she didn't get an invitation to your party.

3. Plan the menu. First you must decide whether it will be a dinner party, a potluck supper, or a night for cocktails and hors d'oeuvres. Be sure to account for special diet considerations such as food allergies or aversions to wheat gluten. It is always a good idea to have an organic vegetarian option available to guests.

4. Book a venue if the party is too big for your own home. Many restaurants have party rooms that you can rent for no fee; the best part is you don't have to clean or cook a thing. Community buildings are usually available to renters; they have small kitchens and plenty of seating for parties.

5. Send out your invitations. Indicate whether or not bringing a date or guest is acceptable. If most of your guests are married couples, allowing your single friends to bring a date will keep them from feeling left out. Assign an item for each guest to bring (if any) and list it on the invitation.

6. Decorate for your party. You don't need to spend a lot of money to throw a great party. Christmas lights, evergreen boughs, and mistletoe will set the mood. Mix and match red, green, white, and gold dishes for a fun table setting.

7. Prepare a music playlist in advance to keep the party going. Mix contemporary tunes with classics and holiday songs. Avoiding slow songs will help keep your party upbeat.

8. Hire your babysitter to wash dishes and help with clean-up. This won't cost much and you'll be free to mingle with your guests.

9. Make arrangements for responsible holiday driving. If there will be alcohol at your party, you are ultimately responsible for making sure all your guests get home safely. Make sure all guests have a designated driver, call a taxi to take home those who've had too much to drink, or plan for several frineds to stay the night.

Tips & Warnings

• If you're throwing a dinner party, seat people with similar personalities near each other to get them mingling.

• Thrift stores sell beautiful dishes for about a quarter a piece. You might find some holiday plates or colorful dishes to accent the ones you already have. This is also a great resource for cheap holiday decorations. They'll be secondhand, but no one will no the difference.