Important Holiday Party Planning Tips

 

Important Holiday Party Planning Tips – many times we see friends and business acquaintances plan events on their own and things don’t always play out well.

If you are planning a party, here are some tips to help keep your guests comfortable and safe.

1. Weather Contingency Plan – about a year ago, I was invited to a holiday party that was setup in the parking lot for a well established business.  On that day it was really cold and raining.  This was no surprise since California was getting a lot of rain last year.  There were no tents and no heaters and a long aline for food and hot beverages. If you are planning something outside, please start checking the weather about 10 days out on a few different weather services so you may plan accordingly.  Also, if this is a business event, you might want to consider hiring an event professional.
2. RSVPs – let your guests know when the cut-off is to RSVP.  There is nothing worse than learning that a week out is not enough time to attend a party and you passed the cut-off date.
3. Food safety – many times someone will try and save money and not hire a caterer.  They order food from their favorite restaurant and have it delivered or pick it up, then place it on a buffet table for their guests to enjoy.  However, rule of thumb is not to keep food out for more than two hours and if the temperature is over 90 degrees outside, then it should be taken away and new food replaced by one hour.  There is nothing worse than learning that your guests got ill from your party – bacteria can form and it is very dangerous.  https://www.foodsafety.gov/
4. Hire someone to assist you  – there is nothing worse than seeing someone throw a party and not be able to mingle with their guests and enjoy their own party.  I have a friend, who was going to have a party and not hire someone to assist her in the kitchen with the food and cleanup. After much consideration, he decided to hire someone and was glad that he did so he could enjoy the fruits of his labor.

At the end of the day, we understand that people want to save money where they can but please use caution.  Happy Holidays! XO, Gianna