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Throwing Your First Holiday Party

By User:AllieCashel @timeAndDate(1280345157) If you've been to a holiday party, which I assume you probably have, you know that they can get a little bit out of control. People tend to drink a little too much Theme Many people like choosing a theme for their holiday celebration so that everything is nicely tied together. Frosty the Snowman figurine if you're working within a traditional Christmas motif.

The Guest List

Food and Drink

Now that you know how many people will be attending, you can start figuring out what you want to do with them. Are you planning on having a full dinner, appetizers, and dessert, or just drinks? Do you want to serve classic holiday food, like snowflake shaped cookies and eggnog, or go with something a little bit more simple?

Decorations

Activities

It's always fun to have an activity at your party that everyone can participate in. I'm not talking about face painting or piƱatas (although if that's your style, go right ahead), but you'll want to choose things that will ease conversation and get everyone into the holiday spirit. Another fun activity that is more suitable for smaller parties is to decorate a Christmas tree. Get out all of your ornaments and share the experience of holiday movie.

Budgeting

Now it's time for the hard part. You've figured out how many people are coming, what your party will look like, what activities you want to do, and how you plan to feed guests and quench their thirst, but how much can you spend? The holidays are an expensive time for everyone, especially those planning on throwing a big party. As a rule, it's better to have more cups, music to set the atmosphere. Make a list of everything you want to buy and estimate how much you think it will cost (always estimate high so you don't show up at the supermarket without enough cash). Once you've mapped everything out, look at the total cost and check to see if it's an amount you're comfortable with. If it's not, cut back on supplies until you're down to a more reasonable figure. Make sure to do this before you go shopping and only buy the things on your list. Impulse purchases are an easy way to spend too much money. Hopefully, you'll have successfully overestimated and will actually end up spending less than you planned.

Quick Picks

Related Guides

* Holiday Cookbooks * Holiday Guide * Christmas * Hosting a Christmas Party * Party Decorations