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Tips for Successful Holiday Entertaining 

Tips for Successful Holiday Entertaining 

The holiday season is the perfect time to call friends and family together to do a little celebrating. For some, it can be a daunting to play host or hostess, but with so many great party resources at your fingertips, holiday entertaining is a snap.

Joyeux Noel Christmas Dinner

A few things to keep in mind to have the best bash possible: 

Plan to enjoy your party.

In other words, advanced planning and preparation is going to make your event a lot more fun and successful for you. Pre-make or buy as much pre-made as possible so you don’t spend the whole party in the kitchen.  Take advantage of local area restaurants for catered platters or full catering during the holiday season or visit the grocery or Costco for a wide array of pre-made foods perfect for entertaining. A great DIY rule of thumb is to make two fantastic homemade items, then go shopping for the rest–and always plan for extra guests. 

Keep beverages simple!

Don’t try to channel your inner bartender while you’re hosting a large gathering. Pick a signature cocktail to offer and a range of beer, wine and non-alcoholic beverages your guests can self-serve to put on your bar. If you need a little help with beer and wine selection, the experts your local Total Wine type store are always incredibly helpful in finding the best party wines to fit your budget. Buy extra and be sure to stock up on ice

Our gingerbread house tradition

Create holiday ambiance to set the stage for an enjoyable evening. 

With twinkling lights and wreaths hung with care, your house usually looks better during the holidays than any other time of year—which is a bonus when you’re having company over!

Make a joyful noise.

Background music is the single biggest party mood setter there is. Before the party, be sure to set up a playlist a few hours long to match the mood you want your party to have. Jazzy Christmas music or classic big band performed Christmas carols are perfect for a mingling holiday party.  Apple Music and Spotify have pre-made playlists that make this easy if you’re not into making your own.

Christmas dinner party inspiration

Outsource the clean-up.

After the guests are gone, dealing with the party aftermath is usually exhausting. The best money you’ll probably spend on your party is hiring a service to come in and clean afterwards; it’s much more reasonable than you think!

Aside from the party details, don’t forget to relax and have fun with your guests!

Need some holiday party decor inspiration?

Here are a few favorites from the Frog Prince Paperie files:

Cookie Exchange

Christmas Cookie Party

Joyeaux Noel

Penguin Holiday party

Charity Christmas Cocktail party

Gingerbread house decorating party

Gingerbread house tablescape

Plaid Gingerbread house party

Beach Christmas

Grinchmas

Paula Biggs

Owner at Frog Prince Paperie
Paula Biggs is a party planner, DIY crafter, and owner of Frog Prince Paperie, where you can find hundreds of party, craft and lifestyle ideas.

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Saturday 17th of February 2024

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