Tips For Hosting A Holiday Party In Your Apartment

Want to throw the holiday party of the year, but think you can't in your Florida apartment? Think again! Decking the halls and throwing the ultimate holiday celebration in your apartment is easy, and we've got expert tips to help you make it happen. It's time to get creative with these holiday hosting by kicking up your party planning skills, becoming a pro at preparation, and dusting off your clean-up tactics. Here, Contemporary Management Concepts, LLLP offers a helpful guide to help you through each stage of the holiday party hosting process.

Create A To-Do List

First thing's first: you need a to-do list. Making to-do lists is a big help for hosting an upcoming holiday party. From rooms to clean to grocery items to buy, there are a few universal tasks most holiday hosts need to check off before their party day. These may include a guest list, sending out invites, a list of dishes and drinks to prepare, a party playlist, areas of your apartment that need to be cleaned, adding personal touches of seasonal decorations, and so on. It's important to remember the more organized you are before your party, the easier it will be to enjoy spending time with your guests on the day of the party.

Make Room For Guests

Next, you'll want to clear out space for guests in your apartment in Florida. If you're anything like we are, you've meticulously and methodically placed each piece of furniture in your apartment in such a way that makes it feel like home. We tip our hats to that, but it's time to shake things up in anticipation of your holiday party. While making room for guests to roam, mingle, eat, and dance, you may find that you need to stow away certain items that don't serve the party guests well (i.e.: anything easily breakable and in the way) and rearrange bulky furniture pieces to accommodate guests. You should also consider how many people your apartment will comfortably fit. By planning ahead, you can help ensure each guest has a comfortable place to sit and that guests have the space they need to enjoy your party.

Prepare Food & Drink Stations

You don't want to spend your party night serving food and mixing drinks for guests. Instead, set up self-serve drink and food stations equipped with everything your guests need to ignite their holiday spirit. For drinks, you can always simplify things by serving a large, premade batched drink served in a pitcher. You can also invite guests to bring their drinks should they care to imbibe. At the same time as clearing off space before the party, set up a designated food space where you can leave all the prepared dishes in one space and allow guests to graze freely. That way, you'll have the freedom to mingle and hang out without having to worry about how guests are getting their food and drinks.

Decide On Your Menu

No holiday party is complete without signature food and drinks! Don't feel too much pressure to plan the perfect holiday feast menu. Instead, keep things simple by choosing a theme for your menu. You can switch up traditional holiday fare by choosing a food theme such as Hawaiian, Mediterranean, Italian, or Mexican. If you want to get your fill of stuffing and turkey, that's alright too. Consider inviting each of your guests to bring their favorite holiday dish with them for a potluck-style holiday dinner. And if you're thinking of including holiday cookie decorating to your list of party activities, make sure not to forget to stock up on icing and sprinkles beforehand.

Ask For Help

For party hosts, there is no shame in asking for help! One of the best ways to rid yourself of any party planning-induced stress is to involve guests with different aspects of the party you need help with. For example, you can ask each guest you invite to prepare a certain dish. Or you can ask that some guests help you set up the food and drink stations or help you clean up after the party is over. Make a list of what each guest is doing or bringing to ensure you have all your bases covered, so you can enjoy the party along with everyone else and not have to worry about all the to-dos!

Decorate To Your Heart's Content

Holiday decorations set the mood at any party (and they are fun to put up!) Festive decorations can help you match the intended mood of your party to your apartment's aesthetics. Think cheerful wreaths hung over the doorways, warm LED string lights strewn everywhere, lush holiday garlands wrapped around and placed on multiple surfaces, and a perfectly-lit tree to tie it all together. If your apartment doesn't leave you with much room to add your holiday decorations, make the most of your available space by putting out small holiday-themed decorations and utilizing vertical space, such as shelves, doorways, ledges, and any other above-the-floor surfaces to sprinkle some holiday cheer.