Designing the Perfect Festive Celebration at Home: Experts Share Their Favorite Holiday Party Ideas
‘Tis the season for spending time with loved ones, and there’s no better time than now to plan a memorable holiday celebration. Whether you’re looking for ideas to breathe new life into annual traditions, or to elevate your get-togethers, there’s sure to be one (or a couple) guaranteed to spread holiday cheer.
We turned to party planning experts from Indianapolis IN, to Toronto, ON, for fun and festive holiday party ideas that’ll be sure to “wow” your guests. From elegant accessories to stunning tablescape ideas, these expert-approved tips will make prepping for your holiday celebrations as fun as throwing them.
Dressing up your home for holiday entertaining is not always the flowers, table settings, or food that sticks with people – it’s the feeling and vibe of the night. I would focus and set a goal for how you want your guests to feel during your party and plan accordingly. For example, if your theme is about ‘togetherness,’ ask your guests to come prepared to share a story or memory of their favorite holiday tradition. You could also play a game where guests have to answer personal questions about one another. This way, you and your guests get a chance to get to know each other even more. –AE Events
Instead of buying lots of holiday decor, invest in just a few statement pieces. Maybe they are large nutcrackers or stand-out pieces that showcase your style and grab the attention of your guests as they walk into your home. Investing in key statement pieces holds true for any season of decor. –Blue Llama Events
This holiday season, elevate your party decor with personalized pieces. From custom Christmas coasters for your home bar to eye-catching New Year’s Eve cocktail napkins to accent your glass of champagne, you’ll love the way a personalized touch takes your holiday hosting to the next level. –For Your Party
With the holidays fast approaching, go hunting in your Grandma’s or Great Aunt Mary’s basement and haul out that forgotten, underappreciated China and those gorgeous crystal pieces to evoke memories of past gatherings. Start with what you’ve got and then mismatch your flatware to create a table that will be a conversation starter for the entire family. –Dish and Decor Vintage Rental
My number one holiday decor tip is to consider the details of your party location when you select your decor. In other words, choose wisely your fabric colors and textures so that you don’t end up with a mismatched assortment of decor. Then, select your finishes, such as gold and silver, so that they harmonize with the environment. Lastly, consider scale, so your tablescape isn’t dwarfed by a huge room or overwhelmed by a small one. –Just 4 Fun Party Rentals
When decorating your home for the holidays, don’t feel pressured to overspend and buy new – pull out and reuse last year’s decor instead. Simplify and clean up your colors with whites and natural tones versus the dark and warmth of traditional for a fresh look on a festive holiday spread. Bringing a new spin on the traditional celebration brings one more year to those “old decorations.” –Andrea Lyn Events
Holiday decor doesn’t have to be complicated. Have a farmhouse-style holiday aesthetic? Bring the outdoors in with pine cones or pine tree branches in a vase mixed with your favorite holiday bauble ornaments or some battery-powered lights for that extra pop of color. –Front Range Event Rental
Given that holiday parties are in the winter, most festivities occur indoors, making it a great opportunity to bring the season and the outdoors inside for your guests to enjoy. Fresh seasonal greenery like magnolia or pine always adds a fun flair (and scent) to tables, banisters, fireplaces, and door fronts. Fruits like apples, pears, pomegranates, persimmons, and even vegetables like kale can add some fun to your tables and decor. Bringing the outdoors in brings a freshness to your home decor and, if it’s edible, something for your guests to take home and enjoy as well. –Mango Muse Events
Elevate your holiday decor in a simple yet elegant way by accenting with faux pearl strands. Drape them from your garland, use them as filler in the vases of your floral arrangements, tie them around your napkins, and of course, wear them while hosting your gatherings. Pearls are a classic and timeless, yet unique, addition to your decorations this holiday season. –Novel Party Planning
Creating the setting for that perfect family celebration begins by gathering natural elements: birch branches, berries, pine cones, and fresh pine. Anything hand-crafted will also make your decor creative and unique. You could also add soft-white pin lighting to bring a sparkle to your warm decor. Softly scented ivory candles in every room will complete the glow-filled atmosphere. –Party Planners LA
Display your miniature nativity scene as your centerpiece. Use seeded eucalyptus or festive garland greens as a runner that leads to the scene. Adorn with glass votives and pinecones to create a rustic feel reminiscent of the manger. –JDC Events
Make this year’s holiday season more festive by mixing colors. Choose a main color or colors from your tablescape and then incorporate those colors into your home décor as accent colors. By using this method, you can celebrate the season as well as decorate your home. –Simply Radiant Events
Classic Christmas decorating never goes out of style for me, and one of the things that makes it unique is the sentimental pieces we unbox once a year. It doesn’t have to be trendy; in fact, a wise Grinch once said that Christmas doesn’t come from a store, that perhaps it means a little bit more. Rediscovering those seasonal collections, memories, and mementos from the Christmas past is what makes holiday decorating fun. –Larsen Events
To spruce up your home for the holiday season, try bringing the natural elements indoors – pine needles, eucalyptus, and rosemary all look great and smell even better. Check your local farm stand for fresh herbs, and add a sprig to your place settings on top of a menu or napkin for your dinner party. You can also use tall sprigs of herbs in cocktails as a stir stick. Create a runner for your mantle out of real or faux pine leaves, and weave in some twinkle lights, ornaments, and pinecones. You can even add a little glitter if you like extra sparkle. –Little Miss Party Planner
When I’m setting my dining table for entertaining during the holidays, I like to use these Spode dishes I’ve collected for 20 years. Then, I like to create a winter scene down the table that coordinates with my dishes. I really enjoy the juxtaposition between a sequined runner and glitter trees with cotton trees, greenery, and natural wood. I think it makes it so much more interesting. –EveryDay is a HollyDay
This year for table settings, let’s step out of the box. No green, red or white. Let’s go with elegant gold, silver, black, and leopard print (yes, you can mix metals!).This year will be challenging obtaining certain items, so plan ahead. Use all your resources from Dollar Tree to Amazon. To take a boring tablescape from plain to sophisticated, use small candelabras along with fresh florals to make an impact statement. Then, be sure to keep your design simple, and don’t get bogged down in the details. Add decorative table linings; for example, instead of traditional table lining, look for velvets, satin, or prints.Lastly, enjoy your design and time with family. –Byrd Nest Events and Design
When setting the table, think of the overall experience for your guests. We like to think from top to bottom, as the guest’s eye will follow that pattern. Top: consider adding greenery or twig berries to your chandelier – you can even use items found in your neighborhood. On the table: think about ambient lightings – such as candlelight to set the perfect environment. We love keeping classic with various shades of green and red. And keep it personal – with place cards that include recipes from your family to theirs. –Sarabeth Events
This year we are planning tables that say, “let’s celebrate.” Festive holiday-themed linens, gold flatware, and charger plates to match. Adding lots of candlelight also creates the perfect mood for your celebration. –Willie Fun Events
When creating your holiday tablescape, aim for luxury and warmth. A table that invites people in to hug them but still gives them a dining experience. Pulling pieces from around the home that are tied to family memories or statement pieces brings a table to life. –Vida Events
Decorating the holiday table is a must since it’s the place where everyone gathers, so make sure it is the focal point of the season. Beautiful centerpieces, furniture, table settings, and accents can take your holiday decorating to the next level. –Milieu Décor
When looking for a dramatic look for the holidays or a private event at your house, rent an additional table of the same size to create a “King’s Table.” The depth doubles your table space, allowing you to have more room to add decor and all the beautiful dining ware like chargers, china, glassware, napkins, flatware, favors, name cards, and accents. –Kita Events NW
The holidays always seem so magical this time of year. A Christmas Santa Nutcracker table display makes every house feel so festive. This table setting brings all the magic of Christmas. I use Spode dishes, Santa Nutcrackers, and a live Christmas wreath that brings out that wonderful smell of Christmas; adding a little pre-lit Christmas tree ties the whole table together. –CK Loves Events
Linens in velvet, satin, or sparkle can create a beautiful backdrop for your family china. Accent your table with eye-catching decor, like colored glassware or statement flatware. –Total Events
We love to design with things we already have around the house. Nearly everyone has an old decorative mirror hanging on the wall that you can repurpose into a unique serving piece. We love to use them to arrange veggies, charcuterie, cheese, and fruit. You can also mix in a bowl of old Christmas ornaments, a Santa, or a mason jar with some candy canes for a festive touch. If you have a long narrow mirror, placing it down the length of your table makes a great base for candles, a little greenery, or family heirlooms, and the reflection of battery-operated fairy lights will twinkle. Turning some vintage wine glasses upside down with a votive or LED candle makes unique and easy candlesticks, and filling mason jars with tinsel, or small Christmas balls adds an extra decorative element. And, don’t forget to set the stage with scent. A pot of simmering water with orange, cinnamon sticks, cloves, or star anise makes the whole house smell like the holidays. –Special Moments Events Planning
