Hosting a Holiday Party? 10 Tips to Ensure It’s Stress-Free

Going with the flow can be a good strategy in many situations. However, when it comes to throwing a holiday party, planning and preparation are your best bet if you want to keep stress at a minimum.

Before sending out invites, put on some fun music, get comfy in a festive space in your home and map out the specifics of your event. In addition to plotting out essential logistical details (think: party date, time and guest list), you may want to consider choosing a holiday party theme to help make your planning — from decor to menu — focused and simple. Once you have your overall plan, you can create checklists for each broader party task (like shopping and food preparation) to help you stay on track.

30 Piece Shatterproof Ball Ornaments Set, Wayfair.ca, $65.

If you’re planning a big event, you don’t have to be a holiday-hosting hero; instead, learn to delegate and ask for help when needed. This could mean requesting friends or family members to assist with specific party tasks (such as asking your best friend to bring a batch of sweet rugelach or getting your brother to come a few hours early to help set up). Or, depending on the party’s budget and scope, you could consider hiring help with catering or bartending to take some higher-stress tasks off your plate.

Wood & Enamel Candy Cane Serving Tray, Wayfair.ca, $56.

Keeping guests hydrated and their glasses full with their festive beverage of choice is an important element of holiday hosting, but no one wants to spend the whole night trying to keep up with a bunch of individual drink orders.

Take the stress out of the process by decking out a self-serve bar cart with everything your guests need to serve themselves. Or, to simplify service and save time, you can fill a stylish drink dispenser with a punch that can be easily poured to order. Of course, you’ll want to ensure you have any batched drinks clearly marked with their contents.

Wood & Glass Drink Dispenser, Wayfair.ca, $160.

Speaking of drinks, running out of ice is another hosting stress that’s easy to overlook. Either buy extra bags or pre-freeze extra ice cubes before the party to avoid on-the-day panic. Want to add a fancy touch to your party’s beverage in an instant? Before the party, freeze floral ice balls or create whimsical icy ornaments that will delight your guests.

Tree and Snow Flake Ornament Ice Cube Tray, (Set of 2), Wayfair.ca, $23.

When it comes to holiday party decorations, it’s natural to want to amplify your home’s festive ambiance for your guests — but that doesn’t mean you have to stress out or spend a lot of time and money completely revamping your home’s design just for your event.

Instead, look for ways to layer in party decorations that boost your existing holiday and home decor, making your home extra special and celebration-ready for your guests. For example, if your dining room decor leans into a farmhouse aesthetic with lots of rustic touches and wood furniture, you could set your Christmas dinner party table with a striped woven table runner and top it with festive greenery.

Eisenman Woven Cotton Table Runner, Wayfair.ca, $76.

Another way to lessen the stress of hosting is to choose a menu that leans on dishes you can make in advance. From yuletide desserts that can be whipped up and set the day before the party to appetizers that just need to go in the oven when guests arrive, dishes that can be prepared beforehand make it much easier to have the time and space to enjoy your event.

Wood Tray, Wayfair.ca, $69 Each.

Often, some of the stress of hosting a holiday event comes from worrying about whether your guests will be bored or feel awkward — especially if you’re bringing together a group of people who may not all know each other well.

A stress-reducing solution? Plan some activities, games or entertainment to help break the ice and keep guests entertained. Activities like decorating cookies or gingerbread houses can be fun for kid-friendly events, while holiday-themed trivia may help adult guests get in the festive spirit.

Gingerbread House Bake Set, Wayfair.ca, $29.

Food brings people together, especially during the holidays. Whether your holiday party is a brunch or a Christmas dinner, cooking a festive meal can be super stressful if you’re preparing and serving many different dishes. To cut down on the hassle, opt for a family-style or buffet setup. A slow cooker can also help alleviate stress by letting you prepare larger dishes earlier in the day.

Lenox French Perle Groove 12-Piece Plate & Bowl Set (Set of 12), Wayfair.ca, $500.

Less clutter makes less stress. As much as we love a good cleaning hack for the holiday season, a safe strategy for keeping your stress levels low during (and after) a festive party is to keep organized and tidy up in small blocks when possible.

To make this easier, be sure to empty the dishwasher before the start of the party so you can pop dirty dishes in (and out of sight). And, to help cut down on cups that get abandoned because guests need help remembering which is theirs, opt for glasses in a few different colours or use festive charms to add style to your elegant wine glasses.

Mercoledi Christmas Wine Charms (Set of 8), Wayfair.ca, $48.

If you love to share yummy leftovers at the end of a party, don’t get caught trying to scrounge up vessels and lids to put them in at the end of the night. It’s a good idea to prepare enough clean food storage containers to send your guests home with leftovers.

Food Storage Set, Wayfair.ca, $31.

If all else fails and you start to feel stressed, remember why you’re hosting this holiday season: to share traditions and make special memories with the people you care about. And, if you’re looking for festive decorations, practical cookware and more to make hosting a breeze this season, you can find everything you need at Wayfair.ca. Shop now on wayfair.ca!