‘Tis the season for cozy and festive celebrations. If Christmas party planning is on your to-do list in the coming months, here’s how to create a relaxing, memorable experience for your guests.

Essential Elements of a Cozy and Festive Celebration

Party planners and hosts should follow these guidelines for creating a cozy, festive environment for upcoming holiday celebrations. Understanding how to build the right atmosphere can also help you make your shopping list for ideal party décor and supplies.

1. Decorations

How you decorate your party can set the tone for the type of celebration you’re hosting. Consider these elements of building an ideal atmosphere.

• Lighting: For the ultimate cozy experience, do as much of your party lighting with candles as you can. An ornate metal candle stand can help you build the ideal setting. In rooms that are too dim with only candles due to their size or the amount of lighting you need for activities, use warm lights, or string or fairy lights.
• Colors: To evoke a feeling of the holidays, use reds, greens, golds and whites to decorate for Christmas. This will further set the tone of what you’re gathering to celebrate.
• Incorporate holiday greenery: Natural elements make for wonderful décor. Include sprigs of holly, pinecones and real pine branches where you can.
• Add cozy blankets: In seating areas, add cozy holiday throws and blankets to encourage guests to relax and get comfortable.

2. Food and Drinks

The food and beverages you serve at the party can further enhance the atmosphere and add to the décor. Consider the following food and beverage options.

• Classic dishes: Food like turkey and mashed potatoes are comfort food. They are perfect for the season. Add in some soups to warm up your guests.
• Consider your appetizers: A holiday-themed cheese board with cheese cut into trees and other festive shapes can make for a fun, yet light appetizer option.
• Holiday cookies: Bake your favorite holiday cookies and consider asking your guests to bring their favorites too. Welcome new traditions to your baking to create a spread that includes diverse colors and designs to make your dessert table extra special.
• Include a hot cocoa or apple cider bar: Warm drinks are a major staple at holiday parties. If you want to offer adult beverages, give guests the option to spike their cocoa or cider. Include topping options, such as marshmallows, whipped cream or spices for a fun, festive gathering.

3. Activities

Some party hosts want to keep organized activities to a minimum while others prefer to have a schedule for their gatherings. Whether you want light activities or a fully-planned itinerary, here are some ideas to keep your guests entertained.

• Christmas caroling: You don’t have to go door-to-door to enjoy Christmas caroling. Turn on some tunes and encourage your guests to sing together. Or get karaoke tracks and give your guests some fun entertainment.
• Trivia: Engage in holiday-themed trivia to keep your guests thinking and working together to come up with answers.
• Decorate a gingerbread house: You can make it a contest or just provide the materials to your guests to decorate for fun. It might make for some good nostalgia for your guests or serve as a way for them to connect with their children if you’re hosting a family party.
• Decorate cookies: Invite your guests to make your sugar or gingerbread cookies extra special. Have décor on hand to make each cookie unique.
• Play movies: Perhaps you just want to have movies on in the background throughout your event. Or maybe you want your favorite classic to take center stage during your event. It’s up to you but the sounds of Christmas movies can help set the tone.
• Exchange gifts: There are many ways to make a gift exchange fun for a group. You can do it as Secret Santa or get goofy with a white elephant exchange. Just be sure to give your guests adequate notice of how you’ll handle the exchange so they can prepare properly.
• Enjoy holiday card crafting: There is nothing more special or unique than sending crafted holiday cards. While the stores have many pretty designs, making cards your own can make for a fun group activity and truly delight loved ones. Just prepare the craft station with everything your guests will need. Give it added purpose by sharing the cards with a local nursing home or children’s hospital to bring cheer to those in need this season.

4. Consider a Theme

The theme for a holiday party can be the holiday itself. But you can add to the theme to make it even more special. For example, an ugly Christmas sweater theme can be a good icebreaker for your guests to meet and get to know one another.

Or you can invite your guests to don their favorite holiday color. Include a photo booth in your party to allow your guests to capture their favorite moments with loved ones.

Christmas Party Planning Steps

As you plan for your festive gathering, make your to-do list to prepare for the party with these important steps.

1. Build a Budget

Evaluate how much you can afford to spend on your holiday party. Include line items in your budget for Christmas decorations, invitations, food and drink, and activities. 

2. Assemble the Guest List

Your budget will help you determine how much you can afford to spend on your gathering. Evaluate who you truly want to invite based on your budget, the amount of space at your home or party venue, and how well the guests will be able to mingle with one another.

3. Select the Location, Date and Time

Christmas parties tend to be better in early December before your guests could potentially have conflicts with family commitments or travel to see relatives. Try to choose a date and time that will work for most of your guests. Check with the event venue that the time works. 

4. Develop Your Menu

Now that you know who will be attending and any dietary restrictions they might have, you can build your festive menu that celebrates this time of year. Don’t forget the desserts.

5. Create Your Cozy Atmosphere with Décor

Start assembling your Christmas party decorations. Build the ideal cozy atmosphere that is fun based on the age of your guests. Children’s parties are ideal for these Christmas balloons.

6. Plan Your Activities

Review the list of activities and entertainment above and make a plan for what to include in your celebration. Consider the flow of your event and where you’ll place various stations for your activities as well as what to do with the food.

Where to Buy Holiday Décor and Party Supplies

SoNice Party is your resource for holiday décor and party supplies. Party planners can purchase items in bulk at wholesale prices to make memorable celebrations for their clients. Or if you own a retail location, we’ll help you stock your shelves with the supplies your customers want. Create your wholesale account today.

Further reading:

• The 20 Most Popular Party Themes for Kids and Adults
• Where to Find Party Decorations for Men
• Your Complete Guide to Table Decoration Ideas for Parties
• The Party Planning Checklist Used By Top Event Planners