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A small envelope arrives among the bills and sales flyers
, the recipients name written in neat script on the outside. Inside is a card detailing the who, what, where and when of a holiday cocktail party.
Forget Facebook events or e-vites, Melinda DeNicola, owner of Detail in Design, a marketing and event planning company in Richmond Hill, says, a hand-written, hard copy invitation signals to your guests to RSVP ASAP and mark your party on their busy holiday calendar.
Hosting a cocktail party can and should be fun, but its easy to get bogged down in the details, Tanis Hargrave of The Roving Chef in Aurora says. She has years of experience planning and catering events, from small house parties to large corporate functions, and knows a successful party is all in the planning.
Step 1 is the invitation, but there are a couple of dozen other steps between that and a night of sipping drinks, nibbling canapes and accepting compliments.
Set the mood
A theme can help you pull everything together, but keep it subtle. Ms DeNicola suggests picking a colour scheme you can play up with fresh flowers, table cloths and napkins, candles and even cocktails.
Stay away from the traditional red and green, she advises. Instead, go for aubergine and lime green or warm colours such as burnt orange. Alternately, host an LBD event; everyone shows up wearing black and the decor is black and white.
Low light is best. Kill the potlights and turn on the lamps. Dim the chandelier and light some candles.
And background music is a must. Soft jazz or classics such as Frank Sinatra work well.
You dont want to walk in to
ugg kids heavy metal, but you dont want silence either, says Ms Hargrave. Judge the mood of the party; you might want to have suitable dance music on hand for later in the night.
Turn down the thermostat. A house full of people heats up quickly.
Keep a mental note of guests who will need introductions, but let people mingle naturally.
Dont over-host, Ms DeNicola says. It can make your guests uncomfortable. Go with the flow.
What to serve
If the party starts at 7 p.m., dont expect your guests to have had time for more than a quick snack beforehand. Plan to serve at least 12 appetizers, plus sweets and fruit, per person.
To signal to your guests they should have dinner first, set the time for 8 p.m., Ms Hargrave suggests.
Wait about 40 minutes before passing hot hors doeuvres and canaps.
People dont want to eat right away, Ms Hargrave says. It takes them time to unwind and then theyll start to eat.
Think napkins only, she adds. Dont plan anything requiring a plate or cutlery. They get in the way, promote wasted food and add extra work to your prep and clean-up duties.
Ask your guests about food allergies and dietary restrictions, such as gluten sensitivity, and serve a variety of bite-sized food to suit everyone. Include hot and cold, vegetarian and meat items.
Offer stationary platters shrimps on toothpicks stuck in a pineapple, pitas and crackers with hummus or roasted pepper dip and appetizers that will be passed on trays.
Bring out coffee, tea and sweets cookies, bite-sized squares, fruit kabobs on picks later in the evening.
But forget the veggie tray.
People dont eat them, Ms Hargrave says. Youll have a big bowl of stir-fry waiting for you at the end of the day.
Ditto for the cheese board. Its not worth the expense, she says. Instead, plan a couple appetizers that feature cheese one-bite Caprese salads or goat cheese tarts, for example.
Stock the bar with fixings for a few signature cocktails, wine, beer and a selection of non-alcoholic drinks.
Timing is everything
Dont underestimate
ugg classic cardy the time it takes to plan and execute a great party.
You dont want to be scrambling before they arrive that can kill the mood and the hostess, Ms DeNicola says.
Do as much as you can shopping, food preparation, cleaning in the days leading up to the party, advise the experts.
And, if you can afford it, hire some help.
An event planner, Ms Hargrave says, can take care of every detail, from preparing and serving the food to determining the best location for the bar.
But even handing off a few chores to the professionals can reduce your stress.
A great caterer can be you biggest ally and will shoulder a large portion of the workload, Ms DeNicola says.
If you want to enjoy your party to the fullest, splurge on that, she says.
You can also bring in a maid service for pre-party cleaning, hire a bartender and rent glassware and serving platters and ask the rental company to drop them off and pick them up.
by: silence
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