If you don’t have any plans for this Christmas Eve, why not organize a dinner party for your loved ones? Even though it carries much responsibility, hosting such an event is easier than it sounds, especially if you know these dinner planning tips.
Start in Advance
Those few days before Christmas Eve are often crazy, so try to make them a bit easier by starting your dinner prep in advance. For instance, a traditional Christmas pudding is best made a few months in advance and stored in a cold and dark cupboard until it’s dinner time.
You can also keep cranberry sauce and starter soups in a freezer for about a month. A few days before the big day, it’s time to defrost the turkey. Depending on the size, you’ll need to keep it in the fridge for several days for safe defrosting and cooking.
Once you have these few things already prepared, you’ll be able to get into the holiday spirit and leave a larger portion of stress behind!
Send out Invitations
Unless you have a long family tradition with a well-known guest list, you’ll need to invite people in advance. It’s the holiday season, so keep in mind engagement calendars fill up pretty fast during that time!
If you’re organizing a semi-formal event, you can specify on your invitation whether your dinner is adults only, so your guests can find a sitter in advance. Also, make sure to have an accurate head count at least one week before Christmas (to prepare enough food, drink, and seating), so don’t forget to contact people who haven’t RSVPed!
Contact Catering
If you’re a star host, but a below-average cook, don’t worry! Today, you can book a catering agency that will certainly make your life easier.
New Yorkers are fortunate since they have a variety of catering companies at their disposal that prepare everything from tasty bites to mouthwatering cocktails.
You can get hors-d’oeuvres, desserts, finger foods, tapas, charcuterie and veggie boards delivered right to your doorstep and have an amazing mixology spectacle to go with your food! This will save you a lot of time and trouble and make your dinner truly special and glamorous.
Just make sure to book them in advance, since quality chefs tend to be very busy, especially around holidays.
Create an open bar
Another thing you can plan and set up in advance is your drink list. After a designated mixologist, having an open bar is the best option since it will make your life easier and your guests night much more comfortable.
Set up a drink station with trays of drinks, glasses, napkins and drink accessories. When it comes to your drink list, mulled wine or punch are a must.
They are perfect for larger parties and crowd control (people will flock wherever you place the bowl!). Make sure to provide every guest with the first glass, then show them the bar and let them know they can help themselves as they wish.
Decorate your Space
This is probably the most interesting part of every Christmas dinner organization. If you don’t have much experience with decoration, your safest bet is to start from your table by choosing a holiday-inspired tablecloth.
You can also put several flower arrangements on the table (white and red flowers mixed with some greenery will match the Christmas theme nicely) or go with interesting centerpiece arrangements you can get in stores. Once you have your table set, add a few ornaments to your walls and mantel and make sure you have a tasteful Christmas tree!
It’s hard to overdo holiday decoration (not impossible though), so give it your all—the more, the merrier! If you go through this Christmas dinner checklist, you and your guests will certainly have an amazing time full of memories you’ll cherish for the rest of your lives.
Who knows, if you stun them with your skills, you might create a new tradition and host a Christmas party every year! What’s more, you can even prepare ahead on how to deal with difficult personalities during the holidays.
Afterall being a great host goes beyond food and drinks. It also involves keeping the conversations interesting.
Anxious about the “special” personalities that will be sitting around your Christmas dinner table – don’t be. Get informed about some of the problematic personalities you may encounter at your table and how you can manage them.
