Fashion Focus with Marie—Marie Green is a stylist and fashion writer, author of the syndicated column, “Fashion Focus.”

How to Plan the Perfect Holiday Party

December 1, 2009

Marie Green is a fashion stylist and writer from San Diego California. She is the former Fashion Editor of FINE Homes and Living Magazine and her column, “Fashion Focus” has appeared in FINE Magazine as well as LaJolla Light, The Del Mar Times, Del Mar Ink, The Carmel Valley Leader, Rancho Santa Fe Record, and The Solana Beach Sun. Marie is also the co-founder of SheWants.com.

Corine Pazdernik of Valley Destinations & Events

by guest contributor, Corine Pazdernik,
Program Director for Valley Destinations & Events, Where Experience, Excellence & Events Meet!

Planning any party can be stressful. You want to make sure everything is perfect and even more so, that everyone has a wonderful, memorable time. You want people walking away from your party saying, "Wow! How'd they pull that off?"

Don't stress, let me give you a few pointers based on the things I have learned planning large, corporate events. Focus on these three things and you'll have a successful Holiday Party

1. Food

First is the food. Of all the things you can splurge on for your party, make it the food. What your guests eat will be what they talk about during and after the party. You need to decide whether to have it catered or whether you will do the cooking yourself. This is truly dependent on your cooking skills, but also how many guests you will be serving. Keep in mind to serve something for everyone (ask ahead if there is a need for vegan or gluten-free meals). Using a caterer will surely relieve you of massive amounts of stress. There are wonderful caterers out there who will do everything for you. Don't be afraid to ask to sample the food before the party. They do this all the time, it's called a tasting. You're not going to want any surprises day of. Also, your caterer will most likely be able to supply all of your dinnerware, utensils, linens and staff. Nice!

Holiday food & drink

2. Décor

Next is the décor. Probably something people spend the most time on. The unfortunate thing with décor is that most of it goes unnoticed. That being said; don't spend too much time on the small stuff. Put your efforts into the overall look of the venue. Choose a beautiful linen to put on your tables that will compliment the theme of the evening. You can rent linens from a rental company or check with your caterer. Another way to make the room pop is with centerpieces. You do not have to use flowers, there are great centerpiece ideas using candles as well. Choose your centerpiece based on the theme of the evening, and the type of guests you're having. If it is mostly males, stay away from heavy floral centers. If you are doing a seated dinner, keep the centerpieces low so people can see those people seated in front of them. A relatively inexpensive, yet stunning centerpiece idea is to use wax luminaries (www.candleswest.com). Perfect for the Holiday's!

3. Entertainment

The last element of the party you're going to want to think about is the entertainment. This is going to depend on the size of your party, the theme and the venue. If you want to incorporate dancing, you will most likely use a Disc Jockey. Be careful when choosing your DJ. Ask to meet with him or her beforehand and don't be afraid to tell them what to play, and what not to play (literally, give them a list). If it is the right group, consider having karaoke. This is a great way to get people involved, and have a memorable experience. If dancing is not on the agenda, background music is necessary. If it is a small party, you can pipe some music through the speakers. Another option is to hire a soloist to play background music. Whether it is a pianist, violinist or guitarist, they will definitely add something to the party. Another way to make your event memorable is to capture it on film. Hire a photographer to take professional pictures throughout the evening. You can have them print the pictures on site and hand them to your guests as they leave. Also have them digitally available to send to your guests after the party. They're going to want to post them!

Most of all have fun! That's what it's all about anyway! Good luck.