We’re coming up to that time of year again. The nights are creeping in earlier and earlier. It’s getting a lot colder and there may even be a few hints of snow starting to show up.
Oh, and Christmas is just around the corner.
The festive period is one of joy and togetherness. Families and friends spend as much time as possible with each other, exchanging gifts and making merry.
Santa might even put in an appearance if you’ve been good this year.
It’s a time for parties and you might want to host one of your own.
But what if you’ve never done it before? How do you plan a Christmas party that everyone will love?
Here are our tips.
Wine, Wine for Everyone
You can’t have a Christmas party without plenty of Italian wine to go around.
There are all sorts of ways to incorporate wine into the festivities. A light bottle of sparkling white wine, such as Prosecco, Moscato d’Asti, or Franciacorta, is ideal if you’re holding a party where everyone’s on their feet and moving around.
If you’re hosting a dinner party then you’ll want to choose wines that complement your food choices. This is really all down to the food you serve. But as a general rule, you’ll want to go for richer reds, like Barolo, if you’re serving red meat. Lighter reds and most whites work better with turkey or pheasant.
And of course, you can also give the gift of Italian wine to each and every one of your guests. Wine is such a great gift choice because of the sheer variety on offer. You’re almost certain to find something that will fit each of your guests’ tastes.
So you have wine for the party and wine for the gifts. What else do you need to do?
Choose a Date and Stick to it
The simple fact is that people have a lot of plans during the festive period. If you try to create a party that caters to everyone, you may find yourself struggling.
The best idea is to choose a date well in advance – we suggest setting a date now – and then sticking to it. Hopefully, the majority of your friends will be able to make it. Some may not and some may have to drop out. As much as you’d like to accommodate them, changing the date could lead to other friends having to miss out.
Set the date early and let everyone know well in advance. It’s probably best to go for a date that’s a little earlier in December. The closer you get to Christmas, the more likely people are to be booked up with family engagements.
Creating the Invitations
Let’s be honest. In this day and age, you don’t need to be sending invitations out by mail.
Besides, the Christmas rush period is prime time for things to get lost in the mail.
It’s better to go for the much safer option of sending your invites out via email. You can send one invitation to as many people as you want and it’s all done in the space of a click.
There are also plenty of websites out there that will help you to add a little festive flavour to the email.
Make sure you choose an exciting subject line to make sure that your friends actually open the email, rather than just consigning it to the spam folder.
Set Yourself a Budget
It’s so easy to get carried away at this time of the year, as anyone who’s ever gotten a little carried away with Christmas shopping will tell you.
The same can happen when you’re buying all of the decorations, food, and gifts for your Christmas party. You want to get all of your friends together. But you don’t want to completely blow your budget to make it happen.
Set yourself a budget and stick to it.
It’s a good idea to draw some cash out and take only that when you go shopping. Make a list, price it up, and leave the cards at home. That way, you’ll only be able to spend the money that you take out with you, which means there’s no chance of you going over budget.
Come Up With a Few Games
What’s a party without a few games thrown in?
Best of all, some fun party games won’t cost you a penny. You just have to get a little creative.
If you have kids along, you could do something like a “pin the red nose on Rudolph” game.
For the adults, you could do anything from an ugly sweater competition to a secret Santa game. Just make sure that you let all of your guests know what you have in mind else you could end up with a bunch of people turning up and feeling left out.
Pick an Appropriate Theme
It may seem pretty easy to pick a theme for a Christmas party.
It’s just got to be Christmas-stuff right?
Well, yes. But you also have to consider the tone of the night. If you’re hosting a big party with loads of friends and children, you may want to go for a more bright and colourful theme.
But if you’re hosting a more refined dinner party, you may want to strip the decorations back a little. Some elegant uses of tinsel and candles will go over a lot better for that sort of party.
It all depends on what you want to do during the party. Pick a theme within the main Christmas theme to ensure the event really stands out.
The Final Word
Italian wine, friends, and a fun party.
What more could you want this Christmas?
With these tips to hand, you’ll be able to create a Christmas party that’s budget friendly and gets everybody involved.
Of course, it’s up to you and your friends to make it a night to remember. Together, you’ll have an amazing time, no matter what you do during the party.
