With Christmas fast approaching it’s time to think about how you’re going to celebrate during the festive season. Whether you are planning an office Christmas party, or you’re thinking about a get-together with the family, we have a helpful guide to planning a Christmas-themed party to make your job much easier.
Time & Date
Before you make any of the big decisions or start buying anything for your Christmas party, it’s important to look at the time and date that works best for everyone. If you have younger family members, then a daytime party might be more appropriate, but if it’s a Christmas party for the office, you might want to organise it for an evening nearer to Christmas.
A good place to start is by looking at what else is happening around Christmas time, as we all know it can be the busiest time of the year. Being as flexible as you can when choosing a date and time is important, and if possible organising the time and date at the end of November, or the beginning of December gives people a chance to sort out their plans.
Christmas Party Venues
Christmas is one of the most popular times of the year for events and work Christmas parties, so booking the venue well in advance is ideal. When looking into party venues there are many different things to consider, and these are some of the questions that you should be asking when organising the venue.
- Will the venue supply its own music or DJ – or is that something you’ll need to sort out?
- Will there be a dance floor?
- Will the venue be booked just for you, or will there be other people too?
- Will there be a dedicated event manager to support you and your event?
- What facilities does the venue have?
If the Christmas party you’re planning is a little bit smaller and doesn’t require a venue as such, then contacting a local village hall or discussing with the family to decide whose house you’re holding your party at would be ideal, and in advance.
Party Theme
Incorporating a theme for your Christmas party adds another element of excitement to your celebrations, for you organising it, and for your guests. There are many different themes you can choose for your party, whether that be a traditional Christmas with mulled wine and mistletoe, a more casual Christmas jumper theme or a red and gold-themed party where it’s all about the sparkles and glam.
The most important thing is getting creative and having a good time planning your Christmas party – or else it could get stressful.
Food & Decorations
Now that you have a theme and venue, you can now look at organising the smaller details for your Christmas party, like food and decorations. We know planning a Christmas party might be stressful and overwhelming, but when you get to the finer details you’ll start to feel much more excited. Food is a big part of party planning, you need to think about how many guests you have, different dietary requirements and whether your food needs to match the theme.
If it’s a Christmas party that you’re planning then you might want to consider a buffet style of food, so people can help themselves to food and drink when they want if you are holding a bit more of a formal Christmas party then you may need to consider looking at venues that offer a sit-down 3-course meal.
Decorations are the finishing touch to any party, especially a Christmas party! If you opt to do your own decorations for your party then these are a few of the things you might want to consider purchasing to create a festive atmosphere for your guests.
- Christmas crackers
- Fairy Lights
- Balloon arch
- Festive centrepieces
- Banners and bunting
Entertainment
If you decide you’d like entertainment at your Christmas party there are different options you could choose from to add to the atmosphere of your party. Entertainment is one of the important things to book in advance, as a lot of other people will be having the same idea as you. Here are some of the things you can book for entertainment to run alongside your Christmas party to make it extra special for your guests.
- Karaoke
- DJ
- Live Band
- Magician
- Comedian
- Children’s Entertainer
- Photo Booth
Invitations
You’ve booked your venue, and organised the food, decorations and entertainment – now you need to invite your guests! Once you’ve sorted out your guest list you need to decide whether you want to send your invitations online or via post. If you are in a rush to get your invitations out then we would recommend choosing to send them virtually, the turnaround time will also be much quicker to see who’s coming to your Christmas party.
Lastly, don’t let all of your hard work go to waste – enjoy your Christmas party and celebrate the festive period! If you choose to plan a more eco-friendly event then find out all you need to know about biodegradable balloons here.