Looking for the ultimate Christmas party planning checklist? We’ve got you covered!
Planning any event can be stressful but the boss of the game when it comes to stress levels must be the Christmas bash. Everyone else will be planning an event at the same time as you but it’s not just that – the pressure to make it perfect is on too! In any social calendar, Christmas is the year’s highlight, at least if everything goes according to plan.
This is when you should really bring out the big guns whether it’s an office Christmas party or a gathering for friends and family. Think big or go home as tis’ the season to bring out your inner diva with lights, decorations, and jingle bells everywhere. This one time a year there’s no less is more as ‘too much’ is scrapped from our vocabulary.
To help you regulate stress levels and make sure you’re planning an event that’ll go without a hitch we’ve put together this helpful Christmas party planning checklist. Make sure you follow these seven easy steps and be sure not to forget anything important.
✅ Pick a Fantastic Venue
There’s nothing more important for a successful party than the venue. Make sure to have a good range of Christmas party venues to choose from as a lot of spaces tend to get booked up quickly in December. As already mentioned there’s no holding back when planning an event like this so scout out a venue that’s got that extra wow factor. You should never book a boring venue but especially as the snow starts falling there’s no greater sin than going for something ordinary. Instead, go for a really special and unusual Christmas party venue this year and prepare everyone for a jaw-dropping moment.
Always plan a visit to the venue before you make your decision as pictures can be deceiving. There’s no worse feeling than a nasty surprise on the day of. Other spaces can be even better in real life, such as blank canvas venues where you might need to imagine the space with decorations. This can also be a more affordable venue option for the craftier ones of us looking to decorate themselves.
We can’t stress enough how important it is to pick the right space for your event and your guests. Go for something with a lot of character that matches the style of the attendees and the vibe that you’re going for. There are plenty of historic buildings all over the UK that will make sure you feel like you’re celebrating the festive season at Hogwarts.
✅ Decide on the Date and Time
This is essential so you can book your venue and let everyone save the date. A good rule of thumb is that most venues are more expensive Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, so if you’re looking for something more reasonably priced you should ideally avoid these days. Just make sure you let everyone sleep in the day after if it’s an office event you have in mind. You don’t want to risk everyone leaving early in order to avoid falling asleep during the breakfast meeting tomorrow.
We always recommend you pick your date and book your venue as soon as possible, otherwise, you’ll risk all the good spots already being hired out once you get going. There’s also no worse feeling than half of your guests already having made other plans. The sooner the better even – some companies book their Christmas party as early as February (no we’re not kidding).
When it comes to what time to start you should remember to allow people to get ready after work as everyone will want to look their best. If you’re hosting on a weekday, that is. Don’t start the party too late either because you want to give people plenty of time to bond and have fun. If it’s a work event you’re planning you might want to consider letting people get off work early so they can get ready and still rock up early.
✅ Make a Guest List and Send Out Invitations
A party is nothing without its guests so make sure you spend plenty of time perfecting the guest list. Check and double-check that you haven’t forgotten anyone important, you’ll thank us later. There is nothing more embarrassing than forgetting to invite an old friend or an important business contact to the event of the year.
Decide beforehand if you have an intimate affair in mind or if it’s a big Xmas bash you’re considering. This way you’ll know where to draw the line when you’re hesitating if you should invite someone or not. But we, of course, recommend you go big this year. The more the merrier and who doesn’t want a merry Christmas? We know we do!
✅ Establish Your Budget
This is the boring part but it might also be the most important one when planning an event of this magnitude. Planning for a Christmas party budget is a challenge but it’s worth doing as costs might get high if you don’t. Take into account how many people are on your guest list, what food arrangements you have in mind, what area you want the venue to be in, and if you want entertainment and decorations.
There are plenty of ways to push the prices down. Firstly you can do the decorations yourself. You can also find plenty of free venues for hire in London and elsewhere. This way you only pay for what you eat and drink, cutting out the cost of the venue completely. You might also want to consider scouting for some talent among your contacts if you want entertainment but don’t want to pay the price.
Once the budget is established, make sure you make notes of all costs and double-check you’re not over-spending. Believe us, it’s easier than you might think to go crazy and splurge on the Christmas bash and we don’t want any nasty surprises at the end of December.
✅ Decide on a Theme and Book Appropriate Entertainment
Sure you don’t need a specific theme but what’s the fun in that? There are plenty of unusual Christmas party themes you might want to consider. How about a Great Gatsby theme? Or why not go for a Christmas movie theme? If you’re based in London we suggest you hire the London Transport Museum and have everyone get dressed up as a tube stop. Cockfosters anyone?
Also make sure you book entertainment, preferably one that matches your theme. If your theme is ugly Christmas sweaters, make the band wear them too. Why not turn the venue into a Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory? A chocolate fountain is a must and of course, have actors play Willy Wonka and the other characters. Play around with themes and entertainment, maybe you’d rather they were completely opposite for a real surprise.
✅ Plan All the Food and Drinks
Nothing is worse than a party where you run out of food and can’t feed all your guests, or even worse left with piles of food no one is going to eat. Plan carefully for all dietary requirements and ask the venue or caterer how much food they normally calculate per person. Don’t be afraid to ask for help here as it can be a real challenge guessing how much is the perfect amount.
If you don’t want to go for the classic roast chicken and mince pies you could try matching your food with the theme of your party. For corporate Christmas parties, you can brand the food – try putting your logo on the cake or stick little flags with company milestones in the canapés. People love having little quirky surprises during the night, as long as you make sure there are not any nasty allergy-related surprises you’ll be all set.
✅ Make an Itinerary
Lastly, make sure you’re bulletproof on the day of and make a detailed itinerary. You can even send it to attendees beforehand if you want to build some anticipation, just remember to keep a few surprises for the party though.
The main purpose of the itinerary is to make sure you know what to do when and have a vague idea of how long things will take. On the day you’ll find you can’t plan for everything, but don’t worry, it’s all a part of a successful event. Go with the flow and prepare to be flexible with your schedule. Rules are made to be broken, especially your own!
Once the itinerary is ready, all you have left to do is get ready for the Christmas party of your dreams. Good luck!
