As we look forward to Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the New Year, our preparations for family parties level up. There are so many moments about these next few months that make it a special time of year. Whether planning a holiday party energizes you or gives you jitters, there are several keys to include in your event planning for a smoother planning process.

5 tips to take stress out of holiday event planning:

1. Sketch an overview first. To be able to research well, you’ll need to know what type of holiday party you want to design and choose its scale. Are you thinking of a Thanksgiving dinner with both your families and all the cousins coming into town? This type of event may be planned as a family reunion that has activities over two or three days. Are you planning Christmas activities for your immediate family only? Do you want to host a New Year’s party for a large group of people? Once you know these details, think through the logistics of the event such as people coming in from out of town, dietary needs, and space to accommodate everyone. Make sure to look up any vendors you might want or hunt for good deals on items for the event. Don’t forget to look up what local events may be going on so you can be aware of any fun activities you might want to include in the itinerary. For Knoxville based events, Visit Knoxville is a great resource. Plus, this will help you plan for extra traffic if there are big events going on. Start early to help prevent feeling stressed by a time crunch at the end.
2. Hire a personal chef or have the event at a conference center. This may be one of the easiest ways to decrease the amount of preparation and stress. If it’s an event held in a home, a personal chef will provide a home cooked flair without the shopping, cooking, and cleanup. Sounds like a dream? What’s even better is the reasonable cost. Make sure to interview the chef about how he or she handles cooking and baking gluten-free to make sure that the proper procedures are in place. You could also have it catered. If you plan to go out, look at conference centers. Many times the room is a small rental, or free with a certain amount of meals. Linens and simple decor are typically provided and the atmosphere is more private than a restaurant (unless you can reserve a room).
3. Re-purpose your items. Be creative in the use of items you already own. Match them to the scale and ambience you envision for your holiday party. It helps to pull in neutral pieces as a base and then add festiveness through special items and decor.
   
4. Decide activities in advance and notify guests/attendees on what to expect. Communication is key. Brainstorm activities that will nurture relationship and help break the ice between people who may not see each other often. If any activities require tickets, secure those as early as you can. This may give you early bird pricing and it also saves your spot. That’s especially important if you have a large group. Speaking of groups, check to see if there is a special group rate. It also helps to think through how to facilitate activity transitions smoothly so you can keep everyone on the same page and enjoying the time together. While you are thinking of fun things to do, consider small ways you can help your guests to feel welcome when they arrive and throughout the time together. This may be a simple touch like a coffee bar for guests to help themselves to a hot drink or a basket of toiletries for overnight guests who may have forgotten something. 
   
5. Know when to delegate. You may be spearheading planning a holiday party, but that doesn’t mean you have to do it all yourself. Bring in others and let their talents shine as you all work together. You can also hire an event planner to bring it all together smoothly and coordinate the event.
   
   

Most of all, do all your planning with the purpose of the event in mind. It will clarify what decisions you need to make along the way. This in turn, will help the purpose of the event to shine through to those present. Happy planning!

Kate and Cheryl