Do you want to throw a Christmas party at your house this year for all your family members and friends? Or do you want to host a company Christmas party for all your employees?
Before you do either of these things, it’s important for you to learn how to throw a Christmas party if you’ve never done it. You could end up spending way more than you intended on a party if you just start throwing together plans for it without a care in the world.
Here is how to throw a Christmas party that will capture the magic of the holiday season while ensuring everyone in attendance has a great time.
Create a Budget for Your Christmas Party
How much can you afford to spend on your Christmas party? That’s the very first thing you should ask yourself when you’re figuring out how to throw a Christmas party.
You probably have a long list of other Christmas-related expenses that you’re going to have to tackle this holiday season. So the last thing you want to do is blow your budget on a Christmas party and put yourself into a hole.
Crunch the numbers to see how much money you can devote to your Christmas party and stick to whatever number you come up with. It’ll help you avoid overspending on your party and starting off the new year in debt.
Put Together a Guest List for the Party
Who are you going to invite to your Christmas party?
If you’re throwing the party at your home, you’re likely going to want to invite family members, friends, neighbors, coworkers, and other people who are important to you. Generate a list of the names of the people you plan to invite.
If you’re throwing a party for your company, you’re probably going to want to invite your employees, your clients, your vendors, and anyone else that you’ve worked with this year. Christmas parties can double as networking events when done right.
Decide Where the Party Is Going to Be
Where exactly are you going to throw your Christmas party? It should depend on the number of people who end up on your guest list.
You might want to throw your party at your house or at a bungalow party venue rental. But if you have 100 people on your guest list, that might not be feasible. You may want to look into renting a hall in your city or town to host your party.
You also might want to throw your party in your company’s headquarters. But if you have 250 employees who will be attending the party, they’re not going to be able to cram into your conference room. Renting an event space and looking into an event venue rental in Michigan will be a better option.
Come Up With a Great Menu for the Party
What are you going to serve to the guests at your Christmas party? There are dozens of great options for you to choose from.
Generally speaking, you should try to stick to finger foods at a Christmas party to give people a chance to mingle. Some good options might be:
- Stuffed portobello mushrooms
- Loaded cheese ball bites
- Cocktail meatballs
- Pigs in a blanket
- Christmas queso
People are going to show up for your party hungry. Give them plenty of food to chow down on when they’re in attendance. You may hire a christmas catering company to be in charge of food preparation.
Deck the Halls With Festive Christmas Party Decorations
It can be tricky at times decorating for other types of parties. How do you decorate for, say, a retirement party?
But there is no mistaking the decorations you’ll need for a Christmas party! You’re going to want to get your hands on lots of holiday lighting installation, Christmas trees, Christmas wreaths, and more.
Your goal should be to put everyone into the holiday spirit as soon as they arrive at your Christmas party. Purchase as many decorations as you’ll need to get the job done.
Prepare a Christmas Party Soundtrack
In most cases, people need to hire either a DJ or a band when they’re planning a party. But you might be able to get away without doing that for a Christmas party.
You can hire one of those two options to provide the music at your party. But you can also set up some speakers yourself and pump the most popular Christmas tunes through them if you want.
Spend some time putting together the perfect Christmas party soundtrack for the festivities. Your playlist should include songs like:
- “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town,” Jackson 5
- “Christmas in Hollis,” Run-DMC
- “Run Rudolph Run,” Chuck Berry
Oh, and did we forget to mention the most popular Christmas song ever? You should go ahead and throw that on your playlist, too.
Plan to Play Lots of Christmas Party Games
What’s a Christmas party without some games? You should plan to host at least one or two games during your party to really set it off.
You should also plan for presents to be involved at some point during your party. You can give your neighbor boating gifts for him during a Secret Santa gift exchange or go the White Elephant route.
Whatever the case, don’t pass up on the opportunity to jampack your party with as many games and presents as possible. It’ll ensure that everyone has a fantastic time at your party from start to finish.
Figure Out How to Throw a Christmas Party Everyone Will Remember
Throwing a Christmas party is a great way to get together with your family and friends or to bring all your employees together in one place. Now that you’ve learned how to throw a Christmas party, start planning one out before the holiday season is over.
Whether you decide to throw a huge Christmas bash or a small intimate gathering, there is no better way to celebrate the holidays. Follow the steps listed here and your Christmas party will be a huge success. Moreover, to get that authentic Christmas feels, you can actually hire Virtual Santa Visits to surprise your children and family.
Want to learn how to throw other kinds of parties? Take a look at the articles on our blog to get some great ideas for birthday parties, Halloween parties, and so much more.